PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 28, 28 October 1919, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

EDUCATION MATTERS

SAFETY OF MINERS

..The, Legislative Council met at 8 O'clock last night .The , Marriage Amendment Bill was read a second time pro forma and was referred to tho Statutes Revision Committee. SIR FRANCIS BELT, moved tho second reading of the Hull Railway and Road Improvement Amendment Bill, which is designed to permit tho installation of an electric tramway on the Htttt Road. Tho Bill vn* read a second time, and later was put through its final stages and passed. Tho National Provident Fund Amendment Bill was put through its final 6taees and passed without amendment. The Council rose at 8.2G p.m. THEHOUSE The House of Representatives mot at 7.30 p.m. LAND LAWS AMENDMENT. The Land Laws Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor-General's liesedge, read a first time, and referred direct to the Lands Committee. SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION. Tho Shearers' Accommodation Amendment Bill was introduced and read a first time.. MAORI REPRESENTATION. • Tho Prime Minister gave notice to introduce the Maori Representation 'Amendment Bill. '. , PUBLIC HEALTH AMENDMENT. 'The PRIME MINISTER moved that the House should agreo to tho amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Public Health Amendment Bill. H9 said that the amendments made some improvements in the Bill. The motion was adopted. EDUCATION BILL. SIR JAMES ALLEN moved that an hmendnient made by tho Legislative Council in the Education Amendment Bill should be disagreed with in order that he might have an' opportunity to consult the Minister of Education regarding it. ■ The Hon. W. D. S. MACDONALD /Bay of Plenty) said the amendment provided that an' education board might hold meetings at any pines within its district appointed by the" Minister of Education. The object of this provision was to let the Hawke's Bay Education Board meet three times a year at Gisbome. Tho people of Gisborne were entitled to this concession. Mr. R. M'CAT-LUM (Wairnu) approved the principle. He thought the Wellington Education Board should meet at least once a year in Blenheim. ' The Hon. J. A. HANAN objected to the proposal. Education boards should, not meet away from their offices and record?. The change would benefit nobody and it •would be wasteful.

Sift JAMES CAEfIOLL (Gisborne) said Mr; Hanan's argument suggested tliat one education board would snfficn for the TV-hole country.' Local interest and local knowledge were important factors in education. ' Mv. G. J. ANDHRSOr? (Mataura) thought the proposal,a ridiculous one. It would lend to "joy riding" at the expense of the public. Members of education boards would meet all over the. country. Mr. T. M. WILFOUD HTutt) ashed the House to disregard, tiie old traditions and precedents, and do tho fair thins by the Gisborne district. Ho" pointed out that the request, that meetings be held in Gisborne had enmo from tho School Committees' Association in Gisborne. The Ministrr was to he reserved the right to grant permits for such, meetings. He hoped that tho request .would be granted. The South Canterbury Case. Mr. J. CKAIGIE (Tiinani) nut in a plea for South Canterbury. The area of Canterbury was too large to bo ndministered by one board, ami (here wns little or no community of interest between Tiniaru and Christcburch. Tho South Canterbury Board had been one of the best in the country, and should never have been abolished. He urged that the Canterbury Board should n'ect in South Canterburv three or four times a year. Mr. S. G. SMITH (Taranaki) said he hoped the amendments would not bo agreed to. Mr. Talbot: Ton have your own little board. 1 That's whv. Mr. Smith said lie* feared that if the amendments were carried elections of members to education boards wnuld.be fought out on tho issuo of the holdin;' of meetings away from the principal town in the district. He mentioned objections to thi? practice. : 'Mr. TALBOT (Temuka) welcomed t'>e amendment as being p. step toward" the restoration .of the Soiith Canterbury Board. He did net think tlvre would bo any "ioy-riding," as had been suggested. Members of education boards .were business men with no desire to •waste time. Even at present South Canterbury members of the board had to so to Chrisfchurch to meetings, and ihad to lose most of a week to attend a meeting. He did not aprrco that large 'districts made for economy. This certainly had not been achieved by the abolition of the South Canterbury' Board. The clause had been inserted because it was being found impossible to run education boards as at present, and this provision was intended as one step to•■wards the restoration of smaller districts. . Mr. W. A. VEITCH (Wanganui) said that the arguments for the amendment .were the strongest that could be urged .against the adoption of it. He thought .that the claim of Gisborne. based on thn Fpecial circumstances of tho case, might be justified, but he did not support the bigger demand of other districts. The clause was too important, to bo dealt with in this hurried fashion. If the Government adopted it. the clause should be'introduced nest session as a Government measure.

Mr. J. A. ANSTEY (Waiinki) supported the amendment as an inslalmont of rectification of the "retrograde legislation" which cut out the small boards. Minister Withdraws Objections. Slit JAMES AIJ.EN. in reply, said that the amount u J1750 to lie granted to boards ior assistance to school committees would bo increased to ,£lOllO, and provision for this would be made on the Supplementary Estimates. (Hear, hear.) Regarding the amendment, he said thai; ho had had an opportunity of consulting, the Minister of Education' (Sir Erancits Bell) who was anxious to have the clause added to the Bill, lie (Sir James Allen) felt bound to support his colleague, and lie asked leave to withdraw his motion that the amendment, be disagreed with. The unanimous consent of the House was necessary for I his, and Mr. Hunan 'and some others called "No." • . A division was tiken on the original 'question that the amendments be disagreed with,'and the Minister and Iris colleagues voted ".\'o." • The motion was defeated bv d 0 votes •to 10. The Minister then moved that the amendments, be agreed with', and this motion was carried on (he voices. THE MINING BILL. SIR WILLIAM F.HASEI! (Ministo of Mines) moved the f-eeond reading of the Mining Amendment Bill. He said that certain clauses were being withdrawn with tho object of taking contentious matter out of tho Bill in order to expedite its passage. There were clauses )ii it which would l;e of advantage. They could bu pawed, mid tut contentions matters dealt with next year. Mr. H. POLAND (Ohincimiri) said tliat the BiV. wa.s a small one, not intended to bo a full revision of the mining laws, but it was an important Bill. He hoped that the. full revision would be made next session. He congratulated tho Minister on having intiodiice:! the Bill, and on having stood by it in focp ef opposition from mine owners, and even improved it in committee, in respect o; ' those clauses for t'ao protection of the health of ths miners. Particular.}- important would be. the clauses providing that the water-feed drill should bo used In mines after October 1, 1920. This

would protoct minors from phthisis. If tho smaller companies could not afford to substitute these-, niodom drills for tho old patterns, tho Government might como to the assistance of the companies. Mr. R. SEMPLE (Wellington South) congratulated the Minister of Mines on having dpcided at last to make compulsory the uso of water-drills in tiie quartz mines. Ho asked tho Minister to accept a new section providing that "rises" in tho mines should not exceed sixty feet. He said that: rises were dangerous and unhealthy, and the rule in Australia was much moro severe than the amendment ho now! proposed. The Reef ton miners had determined net to work in a rise exceeding Sft feet in height. He asked also that the workers' inspector should have a right to inspect cages and ropes. Tho Hon. W. D. S. MACDONALD (Bay of Plonty) said it had been arranged last year that a mining engineer should be'sont to Australia and America to gather information for the Mines Department. Ho understood that the present Minister of Mines was carrying out this arrangement. Tho Department had not neglected mining during Hie war. He had been handicaptyd by lack of men, but it had worked in many directions. He 'agreed that a revival of mining was necessary. Tho Government had recognised that fact, and the Bill covered part of the ground that needed attention. Mr. H. HOLLAND (Grey) supnorted the of "rises." Mr. T. E. T. SEDDON (Westland) advocated a bonus on the production of gold, in order to stimulate the gold miniivg industry, which was declining. Ho welcomed the protection given to miners by tho compulsory use of tho water-drill in quartz mines. The Bill would help to give stimulus to the industry, but a substantial increase ought to be made in the prospecting subsidies. Mr. A. "GLOVER (Auckland Central) urged the Government to iinderinke the development of Hip Tlmme* goldfields. Mr. T. W. RHODES (Thames) said that mining had suffered through nonexpert Ministerial control. SIR WILLIAM. FRASER (Minister of Public Works), in reply,* said he was prepared to meet in Committee some of tho objections that had been urged against tho provisions of the Bill. Tho limiting of rises was a matter for regulation. His present idea was to limit rises to 80 feet. The Bill was read a second time and committed. Sir William Eraser accepted an amends ment providing that the workmen's inspector should test safely appliances and winding gear with the mine manager at least one a week. The Bill was read a third time and parsed. The House rose at 0.50 n.m.