LABOR M.L.C.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 July 1924, Page 1

LABOR M.L.C.

Speaking in the Legislative Council oil Friday, the Hon W. 11. .Mclntyre expressed his disappointment that the Consolidation of Coal Miners Act had not been mentioned as one of the bills to be brought forward this session. The Hon .Sir Francis Bell: It will he. Tin- Hon Mclntyre: It is needed, for the present position is a veritable nightmare. Many ot the sections do not refer to present day mining at all and should he omitted.

The speaker went oil to state that he hoped that a hill would he introduced amending the Licensing Act. The present hours of hotels should he altered. He did not suggest that thev should ha extended: but that they should he altered to suit the convenience of the people. Six o’clock closing was all very well for the cities, hut mil for the country. New Zealand should follow the Mother Country. where the hotels wore closed front 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.. and opened from II a.in. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tin’s would give the men who wished io obtain drinks reasonable time in which to do it.. OPTICIANS ADVOCATED.

Another need was for a number of qualified opticians to examine the eyes of school children. The Dominion now led the way in the matter of dental treatment and the eyes of the world were upon it. And if this were so how much more important was it that facilities for care of the eyes should he given children.

The Government should extend the benefits of the maternity allowance to include more people. He did not believe that, the payment of the allowance had the slightest effect on the birthrate. Evidence went to show that the poorer the district the bigger the family. And one thing which had a detrimental effect upon the birthrate was cost of education. As the arrangements for the granting of the maternity allowance stood it was restricted too much. MI NEKS’ PENSIONS.

Finally he urged the Government to establish a miners’ pension fund. No one was more entitled to a pension than the miner who produced the very life's blood of the community, and every miner was entitled to one when lie was past the earning ago. The scheme which ho proposed would not cost the Government anything, and therefore he had hopes that it might he put into effect. Mining in Now Zealand was more dangerous than in England, and indeed, was tho most dangerous calling in the Dominion. He suggested that the Government should introduce legislation to constitute a miners' pension fund, and for this purpose they impose a levy of Hi on each ton of coal mined, and Id on each ton imported, and that they should collect Is per week from each miner. THE ANNEAL YIELD. This would mean that they would have annually C17,00(1. which would he more than sufficient to establish the pensions. He suggested till per week as the pension for a married man, I'2 for a widower or single man. Forty year- should bo the full lime for workers, and if a man served less time be should receive a corresponding decrease in his pension. Mar service should he counted double. There was not. a country in the world which had .a fund for miners and Use Government Imre had a unique opportunity. A levy of Id per ton would not put the industry into the bankruptcy court. It would, however, yield CTI7S on last year’s figures. On last year’s imports Id per ton would yield L'litW; and Is per week, collected Irom liiii miners, would give L'll.sfiT. He hoped that the Government would take the matter in hand.