THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 29, 29 October 1917, Page 7

THE HOUSE

AN IMPCJRTAM BILL

i The House of' Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. on. Saturday. The Statute Law Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor-General's Message and read a first time. Mr. SPEAKER presented the communication from the Legislative Council that it had passed the Now Zealand Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill, with amendments, in which, it asked the concurrence of the House. ■„,-„, Amendtaents made in f-ho Hutt Road Amendment Bill (Mr. Wright) and the War Legioiatioa Biii (the Hon. A. L. Herdmoji) were agreed to. The Hon. J. A. KANAN moved the second reading of the Statute Law Amendment Bill without remark. The Hon.' I). BUDDO (Kaiapoi) pro--tested against the introduction at such a late hour in the session of a Bill dealing with so many. important and contentious matters. , , r ~. Mr. L. M. ISITT (Christchurch North) ask the Minister to introduce into the Bill a' clause to provide that committees should not have power to refuse to clergymen the right. to use a school after school hours for religious purposes. .It was not right, in his opinion, that, tho few men comprising the commh»\6 should have the right to decide these matters. Mr. A. H. HINTJMARSH (Wellington South) said he thought the Government should have introduced the BUI earlier, and referred it 'to the Statutes Revision Committee. „. „~ Mr. R. A. WRIGHT (Wellingon Slurbs) said that the Minister would get himself into trouble if he followed the advice of the member for Christchurch North, because sohool committees would be jealous of an infringement of their privilege;. He was glad that the capitation allowance to sohool committees was to be increased. < _ Mr. E. M'CALLU'M (Wairau) urged the Minister to amend the clause in the 19H Education Act to provide for giving clergy permission to give religious instruction in schools. Ha attached supreme importance to the teaching of religion, and the clause as put in the Act was not suitable. He upbraided the Minister for not having consulted the Education Committee abput the education section of the Bill. ~,,„' Mr. C. J. PARR (Eden) said that the great defect- of' our sohool system was that teachers were required to teach too large classes. After the war sufficient money' would have to be provided to give the schools sufficiently largo 6taffs. In spite of the pica of urgency, honourable members discussed the Bill at s\me length on the second reading, anu at greater length in Committee. Several very important amendments were added in Committee by the Minister, and other members had amendments which they wished to move. These Mr. Massey promised to consider. None of them ■ were added to the Bill in the meantime. The Bill was reported with amendments, and read a third time. The House rose at 11.10 p.m.