PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1876, 4 October 1906, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

The Habitual Orimlnols aod Otlouders Bill was road a third time and passed. The Coucoil rose at 8 40 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tbe House met at 2.80 p m. Tho Makaro County Bill was r ead a first time. THE SNEDDON CASE.

The rfporfi cl the Poiilions Committee was brought up by the Oba'rmsu. Is was to the eff-ei tin! the claim of Mr Sneddon be referred to the Government for coiv eidersticn. It was a oltiun lor overtime. The House disoassfd it at seme length The Minister toot all the p lints for the claim with a denial- Mr Sneddo l , ad milted by all to 1 o an excvl'ent woikmaD, became foreman at the Makohine works. He was supplied with all necessary expert assistance. There was no need for the long hours and the numerous shifts, and the claim bal not been made till years afterwards. A hard working, practical fitter, he bad been paid £8 a week, for which ho bad left a position of £5, in the employ of Messrs Aadev-00, of Christchurch. The Minister, after a recital of these faota, did not see that the olaim could be well grounded. Mr Buddo, the chairman of the emmittee, pointed out that the custom of engineering firms was lo pay a boons on the completion of any work of urgenoy, and that Mr Sneddon, who bad been treated aooordir gly by the Messrs Anderson, was under the impression that be would reoeive the same treatment from the Government. At the same time he did not support any claim for overtime. After further discussion the report was referred back lo the oommittee lor reconsideration

QUESTIONS.

Questions wore e-sweted as Dsoal on Wednesday. The chief answers were : State farms will be comprehensively dealt with daring the recess, bnt ihere is no sobsme of State workshops contemplated by the Government

In the matter of referring private members’ Bill other than local Bills to the Standing Orders Committee, the Minister thought this to be a matter that required very oarefnl consideration. Tbe Government bad no desire to onrlail tbe existing rights of private members, though at times indifferent progress in their Bills Was undeniably made. . In the Shops and Offices Aot the Government have no knowledge that it has been found impossible for trades in com-

bined districts to t3ke advantage of eeo (lon 21 of the Aot. All that is required after a requisition has been drawn np and signed by shopkeepers (either in one or more trades, or for all shop-) is for each looal authority to certify that they repre-.

sent a majority Id tbe district, Tbe effect is that the shops in one of the dislrote cannot be compelled to cloee at tbe in-

stance of another district. Another effect is that tbe shops under one local authority cannot be oompolled to close at the in

Btaocie of shops under another local aotho rity, so that what may be regarded as inconvenient is in reality a safegua d

against one diatrioS being compelled to close by shopkeepers of another.

CLASSIFICATION OF LANDS. Mr MoNab gave today the following elaseifioation oi land : Fitst-oiara land is that wbioh is suitable for division into areas not exceeding 610 aores, and usually includes either purely

agricultural land or mixed agricultural and pastoral country, wish ao unimproved Capital value of £1 an acre or ovtr. Second-class land is that which is capable only for the sub-division into aie*s exceeding 640 aores, but not over 2000 aores, and generally comprises pastoral otountry, the minimum unimproved o ipitfi

lvalue of wbioh is 5s an aero. “ SUPERANNUATION,

With regard to giving Uoiversity professors the bem fit of the educational superannuation scheme, the Minister is unfavorable, because (1) the professors wish to get the benefits without retiring at 65 ; (2) the professors do not desire inclusion ; f) it is hardly naoessary to help men who a in a position to help themselves,

LICENSING RAFFLING,

The New Zealand Exhibition Commissioners applied for permission to dispose of painliogs by reffl-s, and a license was granted in accordance with the law. as provided by section 18 of 11 The Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881.” SPRAYING POTATOES.

Arrangements have been made to carry out a series of experiments in spraying potatoes during the incoming season.

A STATE LEYER,

Government thinks that the right of the Advances Department as mortgagee to select the Fire Insurance Company in which the mortgaged buildings are to be insured should be exercised in favor of the State Fire Insurance Department The general principle will bo carefully reconsidered. OTHER REPLIES.

The Minister had read the resolutions which were proposed last week by Mr R. Lee, Chairman of the Wellington Education Board, and which are still under discussion by tho Board, and does not con* Buier it advisable to set up a Commission to consider the resolutions. Tho Minister does not sec tho necessity for public enquiries into all railway accidents, and points out that employees under suspension may give evidence. First assistants have been treated as well as other teachers, all things conreport of the Classification Board of the Civil Service is under consideration by the Government, who were shortly to lay it before Parliament. ' Government has no knowledge of any refusal of any bank of New Zealand to pay in gold It only knows that the banking reserves are largo enough to enable them to carry on the whole of their business in a sound and satisfactory The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants offered to give a sutn of *IOOO as a contribution to tho railway superancuntion fund on condition that broken nime should bo counted in reject to those members of the society who were on the sooiety’s official strike pay sheet in 1890, and who are now contributors to the railway superannuation fnnd, and in reply the sooiety was ioloimed imat the admis--sion of the principle uf counting broken (service would overload tbe fund to suoh on extent as to jeopardise its etabil.ty, but apart from that aepretof tbe question the sum of £IOOO which was offered as an induoemeDt to depart from the principle of continuous service was quite to recoup tho fnnd for tbo additional liability, end the rffer could not therefore be entertained. “In connection with this matter 1 would again,” stated the Minis ter, “ emphasise what has tern repeatedly stated, namely, that the stability of tho fund being of paramount importance, and every contributor tbeteto having joined jhe fund under a oontract wbiuh they fully understood at tbo time of joining, no alteration whatt.yer can bo made without the oonoorrenoe of every contributor to tbe fond. It ia neither tqdtable noi just to make any arrangement to disturb the equilibrium of tbe fund, which ull, ‘

Vl?*~

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. tress association. Wellington, lasi night. The OoudoH met at 2 30 p m. The Government Valuation of Land Act was committed and reported, with on amendment providing that assessors appointed by tbo Icosl authority shall not be cfHofals of such body. Hon. J. Jerikioson moved iho stoond reading of tho Immigration Restriction Aot Amondmoni Bill, brought down fiom tho House. The Attorney-General approved of tto Bill in the main, thoogh thoro wore, ho said, some committee amendments dosir* able. ; Tho seoond reading was agreed to. The Havelock Atheuuum and Meobanioe’ Institute Incorporation Aot Amend- I meat Bill (Hon, Bar Bolt) was put through I tho final stages, ®Th O Waimumu Strfam Draineg) Bill (Hon. Mr Feldwick), Waimnkariii Harbor Board Loan Bill (Hon, Mr Jerkinson), and Otago Dock Validation Bill (Hon. iUr Boh) wore read a sooond time. I

ma'oly result in on inorenso of contributions, or a dimhiation of bonefi s already provided for, without tho cououirouoo of tho sovon thousand odd contributors to tho fund.” MOTIONS.

Four uuopposod motions passed,

On iho motion proposed by Mr Barolay that tho tinia has arrived for tho Sta'o to take over all industries oouncotod with tho supply of tho noco.-sarics of life to tbo people,” "tho previous question” was moved by Mr Wilford, with the result that Iho question was put without disou-siou, and lost by 41 to 14. A motion by Mr Wilford dealing with tbo Midland laiUvay oompousntiou was not moved by Mr Wilford, who was present.

Tho Premier gavo notioo that ho would bimeolf m no it Inter, in order to rnsko a n.oossary explanation.

LAND OWNERS. Tho i: toriupted debate on Mr Bauma’s motion l.u- a return of tho names of the land holders of .£50,000 and moto unimproved Viinr, was uisoussed, aud tho motion wrs agreed to on tbo voioos. FARRIERS BILL. This Bill was reported and read a third timo.

DIVORCE BILL.

Tho seoond reading cf tho Divorce Act Amendment Bill was moved by Mr Major, in tho absence of Mr Lsurensou. Mr Luurenson, lo'urniug, spoke in support of his Bill. Tho Homo divided—ayes 30, noes 19. Tbe House adj iuined nt 5.80.

Tho House resumed at 7.80,

Among the answers to questions was tho following : A 13 II has boeu prepared by the Government to oiercomo the defects recently pointed cut by tho Supreme Court Tostatois’ Family Maintenance Act.