PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 22, 20 October 1917, Page 10

PARLIAMENT

EARLY CLOSING BILL

CONFERENCE OF BOTH HOUSES FAILS TO AGREE

DEBATE ON ISLANDS TRADE

S.OCIAL HYGIENE BILL The Legislative Council met ill 2.30 p.m. , SIR,FRANCIS BELL stated that a conference between representatives of the two Chambers regarding the Council's amendments in the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill would bo held iit 5.30 p.m. that day.

The Shops and Offices Amendment Bill arid the Hutt Road Amendment Bill were read a. second lime pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Council adjourned at 2.10 p.m. until 8.15 p.m. EARLY CLOSING. . The Council met at 8.30 p.m. and adjourned until the ringing oi tiie heii. When the Council met again al; JO p.m. Sir Francis Bell said that the managers appointed by the two Chambers to discuss the Council's amendments in the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill had agreed on all points, except Clauses Hj (relating to the right of persons to lake meals on licensed premises when its bars' were closed), and 4E (containing the' definition of licensed premises). Another conference would be ashed for.

The Council adjourned until 2.30 p.m on Monday.

THE HOUSE

The House of Representatives met at 2.50 p.m. . * WATER POWER _ .The Electrical Energy Supply Bill was introduced by Vice-Rogal Message. The MINISTER 01' PUBLIC WORKS (the Hon. W. Fraser) said that the' Bill provided for a popular system of accounts in connection with electric-power schemes undertaken by the Government. It was n purely technical Bill, settiug out how the accounts ivero to be kept and what funds wore to be created. There were to be three special funds—a depreciation fund, a sinking fund, and a reserve fund. / ■•■ Mr; J. SI'COMBS (Lyttelton) said I-β hoped the House would keep in mind the fact tha.t the first purpose of the State schemes was to supply cheap'current. The building up of profits should not bo- attempted. The Bill was read a first time. \ islandlrade

THE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT

INTERESTING DEBATE Mr. C. A. WILKINSON (Egmont), on behalf of the Industries Committee; pre. sented a report dealing with the Pacific Island trade. The committee reported that . trade with the Islands was capable of a great deal of development, and urged that the steamer communiction should be improved. Mr. Wilkinson sakl the committee had satisfied, itself .that the Island trade was not being developed effectively. The eheip and abundant fruit of Ihe Islands

was not being made available in New Zealand. Onnges (hat grew wild in the Dominion's Pacific dependencies were costing threepence each in ibis counlrv. The ]>hosphatic deposits of (he Pacific Islands wore capable of development. The present steamer service'was) not satisfactory. Samoa and Tonga had no direct communication with New Zealand, the steamers going via Fiji.' The commit'-' tee considered there should be a line of steamers between Fiji and Wellington. It was not desirable that all the consignments of fruit should be landed at .Auckland. The completion of the wireless station at Earotonga was of great importance to the fruit trade. Tho Islanders at present had no means of 'earning in" advance of' the arrival of steamers whether or not there was space for their fruit,'arid many consignments were taken to the ports and then went to waste. Sir. A. E. GLOVER 1 (Auckland Central) said that the. Island, trade was going back as far as New Zealand was concerned. The , reason was the inadequacy of-the-steamer connection. The steamers had not a regular lime-table, and they were not suited to the quid: transport of fruit. New Zealand was losing trade that : ought to be preserved, while the Australians were active and enterprising. There.. was plenty of fruit all the year round at the Islands, but the people of this country were prevented from obtaining ' it. The steamer service was not merely inadequate;, it was too expensive. Tho freight charges were 100 high.- The Islanders were willing to send as much fruit as New Zealand would accept, and they would take commodities in exchange, so that the. trade was well worth developing from all points of view. .Air. C. 11. POOLE (Auckland West) said he did not think the Government had realised fully the magnificent reeources of the Pacific Islands. The whole .of. the trade of.Fiji was slipping away to Australia. . The ships formerly engaged in. the trade between the Islands and Xciv Zealand had been taken for transport work; and had not been adequately replaced. Tlie Sydney shipping people, on the other -"hand, were sending good ships regularly to tho Islands, and trade that had. belonged to this country γ-iis being captured. He hoped that in the future' Now Zealand would be able to control tlie trade of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and: the Cook Group.

! ■■ ■ ■ An Island Federation. The PRIME .MINISTER (the Kiglit Hon. .W. h\ Slasso'y) said the committee had" produced an important and interesting report. The wireless station at iiarotonga was in hand. Material was to be forwarded to Barotonga u.-i early sis possible. The storage battery fur this station had been lost at sea, but was being replaced. Tt was not possible to do much in the way of developing Island trade during the war period, owing to the shortage of shipping. He had visited Fiji whilo returning to Zealand from London, and had taken the opportunity' to discuss trade matters with local people. Ho had been lold that the steamer- connection with Sydney was better than the connection with Auckland, and that goods could bo landed in Fiji more cheaply from Sydney than from Auckland. The constitution of Ihe .Pacific Islands had been one of (he subjects disMissed" at.' fiie ' recent Imperial Conference. A very important change was Inking place owing, to Iho opening of the Panama Canal. The islands of the Pacific were being brought into more direct communication with Europe, and ho had met in London men wlio were looking with very great interest to the possibilities of the Pacific Islands. The" position of'tho Islands a quarter of a century heiicß would lie very different from Iho position of to-day. He himself had said nt tho Imperial Conference that the Pacific Islands ought to receive- attention. Ho had referred to the special possibilities of Fiji, and had indicated Iho imIKirliuioe of some of tho Islands to Now Zealand ami Australia. He would menlion that tho British Government would bo very glad if New Zealand would lako over the control n[ Pilcairu Island. Up agreed with llio Iheory first put forward bv Sir Gcorgo firey many years ago that New Zealand was destined by Nature tr> bo the centre of an Island' federation, conhiinins* tho Fijian and Samoan groups, Tonga and the Cook Islands. It was doubtful if this generation would see the Islmifis comb together, but ho believed they would be joined politically iu ypors to come.

Sydney Versus Auckland. Air. (J. J. PARE (Eden) said that, Sydney was seven days from Fiji, while > Auckland was only four days, but eighty per cent, of the trade went to Sydney. Hβ put tho blame for that fact on (lie apathy of the New Zealand Government.

The Australians had been 'up and doin» in regard to Fiji. " Mr. Massey: Fiji will not go io Australfn. Mr. Parr said the merchants of New Zealand had not been as active as they should have been. Hβ hoped tlio dream of Sir Ueorgo Grey would be realised. New Zealand was entitled by geographical position Io be (he head" of a Pacific federation. The Hon. D. BUDDO (Kaiapoi) said (ho development of the phosphate islands of the Pacific was of enormous importance to Now Zealand. Oilier sources of supply had been cut off or wore too far away, and the wheat-growing districts were feeling the shortage. Mr. A. HARMS (Wuitemata) said that Narew Island contained millions of lons, of phosphate rock. Thus island was stiil technically a German possession, though in British occupation, and liO hoped it would bo retained after Ihe war. . Strong representations ought Io be. made to the Imperial Government on that point. . Mr. Massey: They have been made.

Mr. L. 51. ISlTT.tChristchureh North) said the trade of The Islands had Btif-

feral owing to the existence of a shipping monopoly. .Ha hoped the. Government would lake aclive steps' Io develop the trade.

Dr. A. Iγ. .VEWMAN (Wellington East) said that the trade of the Islands politically attached to New Zealand should not. be allowed to drift away to Australia. The Dominion would need all the trade it could secure after the war. The Government ought to provide an adequate steamer service. The value of the Islands was not generally appreciated.. New Caledonia, for example, was one of the most valuable mineral islands in tho world, and he would like to see it owned by New Zealand. Jlr. Mnssey: It : s not being lost sight, of. Dr. Newman said the Chatham Islands were Capable of great development. Mr. T. M. WILFORD (Hutt) referred to tho problem of indentured Indian labour in Fiji. He urged the Government to come to tho rescuo of market gardeners, who were suffering from the lack of potash and other manures at the present time. The price of potash had risen from £U to £50 per ton during the war period. The Hon. Dr. M. POMARE said the Government hnd >not neglected the trade of the Islands. The trade between New' Zealand and the Coolt Islands had increased five-fold since tho Dominion took control. Land titles in the group were being individualised, and an cxperimen. tal farm had been established. One of the difficulties in the development of trade with the y gronp had been the protests raised by local''producers. Tho islanders had started to send cheap tomatoes to New Zealand, to behold at Gd. per lb when the local price was 2s. The homo growers had complained at once.

Mr. E. JKCALLUM (Wairau) said that the discussion' had been for the benofit of Auckland. With a number of/Auckland members it was Auckland first and the Dominion a very poor second. The fact was that the Auckland Members wanted a monopoly of this Island trade, and wanted the Government to taks all the risk of enterprise.. Mr. H, G. ELL (Christctnirch South) said that the question was not purely an Auckland one.

VENEREAL DISEASES

BILL MAKES SLOW PROGRESS. The Social Hygiene Bill was committed. The Hon. B. Heaton Rhodes moved to change the title of the Bill to Venereal Diseases Bill. Mr. R. M'Callum followed with a dissertation on the name "Social Hygiene," declaring that it was a "high falutin'" title not at all descriptive of the Bill. The Hon. G. Wj Russoll justified the title, saying that it had been carefully selected. Ho said that the Bill dealt with health, not only of ilia individual, but of the community. Dr. Newman, supporting the amendment, said that the properl title of tho Bill was that suggested V Mr. Rhodes. It was the title used in the House of Commons. The term "Social Hygiene" was used with a much wider connotation.

After an hour o, division was taken, and the amendment was lost by 35 votes to 18.

At 8.15 Dr. Newman moved to report progress, on the ground that the Bill had been hastily drawn, that it was strongly opposed by women, and that such a Bill ought not to be pressed through in the dying hours of the session. A "Stonewall." The motion to report progress was rejected on the voices after-debate. The discussion was continued during the evening, on "stonewall" lines. The Minister of Public Health spoke briefly uvo or three times, but nearly all the talking "was done by a small group of members opposed to the Bill. Sir John Findlay (Haivke's Bay) said that tho Bill was simply a re-enact-

ment of the CD. Act in a new guise. He realised the Minister's good intentions, but had found.for himself in 1910 the difficulties in tho way of legislation of the kind proposed. The Minister denied warmly that his Bill had any resemblance to the CD. Act. . The Bill provided merely safeguards. Tho powers it proposed were already on the Statute-Book in other Acts, and. would be put into operation wjthin a month if the Bill were rejected by the House.

A Compromise, At 12.30 p.m., after the''first clause of the Bill had been under discussion for five hours, the' Prime Minister suggested a compromise. He said he was not acquainted fully with all the clauses of the Bill, but he believed? despite the opposition shown towards the Bill, that a largo majority of members favoured its main principles. He suggested that tho Houso should pass the short title on the understanding that some arrangement would then be made to facilitate its further progress.

The Hon. G. W. Russell said liewould accept tho suggestion. If the Bill was not passed, then the existing law would remain. The existing law provided all tho powers proposed in the Bill, and failing the Bill he would tako steps to gazette • regulations, under tho otlier Acts at once. He would be prepared to confer with members regardiii" the Bill.

Mr. A. H. HLndmarsh (Wellington South) protested against the proposal. Ho said that Parliament had failed too long lo do its duty in this matter. Thousands of "innocent women and clildren were suil'oiing tragically under present conditions, and the House ought to have (be courage lo deal with this horrible problem of venereal disease.

The Committed passed the first clause of tlie Bill,, and progress was then reported.

THE LIQUOR BILL

A NEW CONFERENCE. The Prime Minister at 1.5 a.m. presented the report of the conference between managers of the two Houses , on the Sale of Liquor Restrictions Bill. He mentioned several • amendments which had to do almost wholly with making tho terms of the original clauses inserted more explicit. Altogether they dealt with .interpretation clauses cliielly. One of flio most important clauses was to givo wholesale houses two extra hours in tho morning—the hours being, fmm 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.—to enable them to sell or deliver liquor earlier, in order to catch steamers and trains. Mr. Massey announced, also, that there had not been complete agreement. Mr. Massey then moved for a .new conference, the managers for tho House to be the Hon. W. D. S. MncDonald and Messrs. Witty, Parr, and the mover. The Houso roso at 1.13 a.m.