House of Representatives.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 314, 23 November 1910, Page 5

House of Representatives.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. EDUCATION COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Education Committee reported on petitions praying for improvement in the classification of country schools, and expressed an opinion in favour of the existing condition of affairs. With regard to boards not using the powers they possessed to carry out the improvements necessary the committee recommended that, if necessary, the regulation should be altered to give the inspector greater powers of classification in smaller schools, so as to remove the sole teachers of such schools from local influences. On the motion of Mr Sidey the report was referred to the Government for consideration.

NATIVE LAND DISPUTES BILL. The Native Land Disputes Bill, introduced by Governor's message, was read a first time and a second time pro forma.

SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL.—IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS.

The House went into committee on the Shops and Offices Bill. Clause 2, defining hotel and restaurant, was amended, on the motion of the Minister, to read as follows: —"Hotel means any premises in respect of which a publican's license is granted under the Licensing Act, 1908, and restaurant means any premises, other than hotel, in which meals are provided and sold to the general public for consumption on the premises, and whether or not lodging is provided for hire, for the accommodation of persons who desire to lodge there in, and includes tea rooms and oyster saloons." Clause 5, specifying the hours of employment, was amended by reinstating the word restaurant (struck out by the committee) and providing that the hours of assistants in restaurants shall not exceed 62 hours (exclusive of meal times). In the case of males over 16 the hours are not to exceed 52 hours in any other case following new sub-clause was added: "Neither the wife nor children of the occupier shall be deemed to be shop assistants within the meaning of this section." A new clause was added providing that notwithstanding any thing in the Act, any award of the Court of Arbitration relating to hotels or restaurants in force on the passing of the Act, shall continue in force for the period for which it was made. A new clause was proposed by the ■ Minister providing that every shop shall be registered by the proprietor thereof with the Inspector of Factories, in the name of one person as occupier, and except in the case of husband or wife any other person engaged in the shop shall be deemed to be a shop assistant. The Minister explained that the clause was introduced to prevent Chinamen competing unfairly with tobacconists as at present. The House rose at 5.03 p.m.

The House met in the evening. The discussion on the Shop and Offices Bill was resumed in committee. The Minister carried a clause declaring that all persons, except housband and wife, if occupiers of a shop, are to be deemed shop assistants. On the motion of Mr T. E. Taylor a provision was added to the schedule, restricting the sale of tobacco in hotels during statutory halfholidays to boarders. The Bill was reported. The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill was reported from the committee.

The Stamp Duties Amendments, Slaughtering and Inspection, Hawke's Bay Rivers, Crown Suits Amendment, Census and Statistics, Pouka\va Native Reserve, and Workers Dwellings Bilh, passed through committee.

On the motion for the third reading of the Shops and Offices Bill, Mr McLaren moved to re-commit the Bill, with the object of reconsidering clause 7. The motion was defeated by 36 to 15, and the Bill passed. The following Bills also passed throuhg their final stages:—Hospitals and Charitable Institutions, Stamp Duties Amendment, Slaughtering and Inspection, Kawke's Bay Rivers, Crown Suits Amendment, Census and Statistics, Poukawa Native Reserve, and Workers Dwellings. The House rose at 2.20 a.m.