PARLIAMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9795, 19 October 1917, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY’S SITTING LEGISLATIVE COUHGIL SALE OF LIQUOR RESTRICTION BILL. Tho Legislative Counc.il met at 2.30 p.m., the Acting Speaker (the lion. AV. C. F. Oarncross) ia the chair. A Alessngo was received from the House of Representatives to tho effect that the House had disagreed with the amendments made to the Sale of Liquor Restriction BUI and had appointed managers to confer with managers representing tho Legislative Council. sir Francis 801 l moved that the Council insist on its amendments and that tho Hon. J. G. VV. Aitkeu. tae Hon. J. .McGregor, tho Hon. U. Samuel, and the mover bo appointee! managers. Tho Hon. u. Samuel regretted ho could not place himself at tho disposal of the <„.'ouncU. The fact that clause 2 of the Bill had been accepted by both Houses placed him in the position of haying to discuss a clause which would plainly be passed and to which he was entirely hostile. Sir Francis Bell then proposed .that tho Hon. R. H. Simpson be appointed In Mr Samuel’s place. The Hon. .1. Barr .said h© was going to object to Air Samuel’s appointment as a manager as it was contrary to tho constitution of Parliament as shown in past records of the Chamber. The Committee of Managers was then passed as amended. The War Purposes Loan. Bill (No. 2) was put through all its stages and passekl» The Council adjourned until 2.30 p.m. to-day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BAY. FIVE BILLS COMMITTED. Tho House of Representatives met at’ 2.30 p.m. yeaberday, the Speaker (Sir F. W. Lang), in tho chair. STATE HYDRO-ELECTRIC BILL. The Hon. W. Fraser (Minister for Bublio Works) gave notice or his intention to introduce the State Supply of Electrical .Energy Bill. SHOPS AND OFFICES AMENDMENT BULL. Prol'ijminaxy 'business was all disposed of by 2.-13 D.m. and tne.House uich went into Committee on the Shops and Offices Aauondmeait Bill Air A. H. HindmarS-h. Wellington South), the Hutt Road Amendment Bill (Alp R. A. Wright, Wellington Suburbs), the Industrial iron-* oiliabion BUI (Mr A. Waiter, Dunedin Nortn), the Definition of Time Bill (dir T. K. Slduy. Dunedin South), and the Maori AVar Medal Bill (Mr R. A. Wright). Air T. At. AVilford (Hutt) congratulated the hon. member responsible for tho Bill upon its introduction, and was glad that the Prime Minister, as Minister for Labour, was giving the Bill his support. Uo regretted that the exigencies of the war during the past three years had prevented the attention being devoted to labour legislation that its importance called for. ThS Bill, which proposed tp limit the hours of marble bars, etc., vo 10.30 p.m., would have his hearty support. Mr G. J. Anderson (Mataura) strongly supported the measure. Ho regretted that they had not been able to reduce to H p.Tn., instead of midnight, the hour to which the girls could be employed in hotels, marble bars, and restaurants. It was true that the bill required that when women and girls were employed after 10.30 p.m. proper sleeping accommodation had to be provided tor them in the marble bar, hotel, or restaurant, or in a suitable building adjoining; but he doubted whether, even when sleeping accommodation was provided, girls s,hould be. employed as late as midnight. (Hear, hear.) The hours of women and girls in marble bars, hotels, and restaurants were limited to 58 a week, hut those hours could be spread over 14 hours a day. He thought that the time would soon come when they would have to require that the hours of women and girls so employed should), he worked continuously. (Hear, hear.) Ho believed that "these ladies should be employed in shifts." (Loud laughter.) Tho bill marked a considerable advance on the , present state of affairs, and it had his hearty support. (Hear, hear.) Mr H. J. H. Okey (Taranaki) supported the measure, but he thought II o’clock quite late enough for any girl to have to work. Still they had to, remember- that when picture, halls and theatres closed at 10.15, the interval till 10.30 did not give the people much time to get their supper. A member: "Let them go without.” Mr J. Bayne moved an amendment to provide that 10.30 p.m. should be tho limit to which women and girls should be employed in the ordinary course. He would like tho limit to be absolute. A number of girls going homo late from their work had been assaulted, and the welfare of tho girls should be tho first oonside-nttion. (Hear, hear.) Still ho thought the bill a happy compromise. Mr C. J. Barr (Eden) said that the late employment of women and girls in the towns and cities of the Dominion had become a crying evil. Half-past 10 was late enough for man or woman to work in this country. (Hear, hear.) Dr Thacker (Christchurch East) and tho Hon. D. Buddo also supported the principle of the bill, but Mr Buddo objected to the clause allowing women and girls to be employed till 12 midnight, if sleeping accommodation mas provided. ■Mr A. Harris (AVaitemota) said that they had to be careful that their legislation did not have the effect of preventing girls being employed in marble bars and restaurants altogether. Air L. AI. Isitt (Christchurch North): "All the better." ("Oh!" hear, hear, and laughter.) Air Payne: "The boys would not go there for their suppers then." (Laughter.) Mr A. AValker (Dunedin North) heartily supported the measure, fie would like it to go further, but it was a good deal better than nothing. FOB "AFTER THE AVAR.” Mr Hindmarsh said that the midnight limit of employment for women and girls sleeping on the premises had been adopted because it was suggested that after the war was over a great many smoking concerts would bo held, and thqy did not want to cut them out altogether. At present women and- girls sleeping on. the premises could be employed till 1. 2, or 3 o’clock in the morning. He moved an amendment, which he hoped the Brim© Minister would accept, though the Labour Department seemed to object to it, providing that the Govcrnor-General-iii-Council may make regulations to prescribe all mattee® necessary to secure proper bedroom accommodation for the women and girls. Mr Massey said that he had no objection to the amendment. (Hear, hear.) Nor had the Labour Department any objection. All they urged was that the powers they already possessed were sufficient. FURTHER AMENDAIBNTS. Air Isitt moved an amendment to the bill in tha direction of compelling chemists to doss one afternoon in the week but allowing them to remain open from 7 till 9 n.m. the same evening, such not to nppl- to any chemist outside of a. two miles radius of an emergency pharmacy. After a short discussion a division was

taken on the amendment* which was carried by 52 rotes to S. A further amendment was proposed by Mr Massey that tho amendment just passed do not apply to emergency shops. ’I T ho amendment vras carried. . lit C. E. Btar,'ham proposed a Turtnor danse providing that it would not be unlawful for chemists who resided on the premises to supply certain, meaical relief. Mr Masser said ho would prefer to haye time to look into this clause, and if m order it might bo added at a later stage. Mr Statham agreed to this. Thin bil’ was then passed as amended. HUTT ROAD AMENDMENT BILL RATEPAYERS’ OR LOCAL BODIES’ RESPONSIBILITY ? Tho Hutt Read Amendment Bill (Mr ■Wright) was discussed in its committee stage. _ . Xu answer to a question Mr Wn£Ut said that although tie bill had not been bot'ore committees of tbe HonSo it bad been submitted to all local bodies, who were unanimous in support of it. Mr Wilford: “With the exception oi Miramar.”

Mr Wright: "Yes, but more because of the charges than the principle.” Mr J. Payne considered that in no eircusmatanocs whatever should ratepayers bo called to bear certain charges as proposed in the bill without their being consulted. He moved an amendment in the direction of having a poll taken on the question. Sir Joseph Ward said he had iinndo special inquiries on this aspect of the oill to see whether the Treasurer could step in and interfere. He considered that if members adopted the proposal that the ratepayers should bo consulted then they would kill the effectiveness cf the bill. As far ns ho eould gather the ratepayers would be called upon to pav nothing in the way of rates on the road. Something required to bo done to the road—this was beyond question. If this were, not done then, the burden would be thrown on local bodies. Air J. Vigor Brown said that tho ratepayers should bo consulted in every case of raising money. Tbe Government should discountenance all borrowing by local bodies. Mr Wrigbt said that tho cost of the road would come back on the ratepayers in anv case. The Hutt road had been a white elaphnnt. The Government instead of shouldering tho responsibility in connection with the road “shoved” it on to local bodies. Mr Massev; "Oh, no.” Mr G. V. Pearce (Patea) contended that the bill was a measure that ought be,have gone before' the Local Bills Committee; and said that it seamed a, suspicious circumstance that tho member in charge had not wished it to do so. Tho hsn. member had said that the bill could not go before the committee as it amended a public Act, and, therefore, could not be an ordinary local bill, but had to be a private member's bill.

Mr Wright: “That is tho ruling; oi the Speaker.” Mr Pearco said that a harbour Bill before the House amended a public Act. It was often done, he argued.

Mr Wright; "Then, I will raise the point when the bill comes up, and see what is the result.”

Mr Pearco said that the bill proposed to raise .£30,009. and should be subject to the ordinary safeguards of a local bill. It should be advertised for a month, as a jocal bill had to be. so that tho people of the districts concerned could know its provisions. A private member could bring in a bill at his own sweet will, without the people of the locality knowing anything about it. He did not say that that had bteii done in this case, but it should be safeguarded. He urged that the , member in charge ehpuld amend the bill to provide for a poll of ratepayers concerned. That might facilitate its progress through the House. In tho meantime, ho should report progress and Consider tho matter. A member (laughing): "He would have plenty- of time to do so. ’and would not make much progress.” (Laughter.) Dr. Newman (Wellington East) approved the object of the bill, but strongly urged the. acceptance of the amendment. The bill, as it stood, was a clear case of dodging the ratepayers; and, besides that, it proposed to rais« the reauired funds in a very unfair way. There should be a Poll of the ratepayers.

A STONE-WALL FOR A STONE BO AD.

Mr W. Nosworthy (Ashburton), D. H. Guthrie (Oroua) and other country members opposed tho bill in its present form, amid chaff from Mr Payno suggesting that they were more concerned with the Daylight Saving Bill. The Hon. A. L. Hordman said that it was a groat pity that the bill should be imperilled by the anxiety of hon. gentlemen to interfere with the prospects of a bill lower down on the Order Paper. Wellington Oitv now had an opportunity. with the assistance of hon. members, to make a really fine road out to the Hutt, and ho hoped that hon.members would allow the measure to pass.

Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont) followed with a lengthy argument in favour of a poll of tho ratepayers. Sir J. G. Ward said that ho could not understand the attitude of hon. members with regard to tho demand for a poll of the ratepayers, seeing that the local bodies concerned wore agreed on the matter.

Mr Payne: "We have noi evidence of that.”

Sir Joseph Ward: "We have had evidence in the legislation they have already agreed to with regard to the upkeep of the road." The road, he added, was in a very unsatisfactory condition, and he should bo very sorry to see tho bill jeopardised in any way whatever because pf tho fear of members as to facing a .good daylight proposition a little later on. (Laughter.) Dr. Thacker (Christchurch East) said that the people were asking for a stone road, but members were giving them a stone-wall. (Lauguter.) It made him vary suspicious to see the "butter-fat representatives’” supporting the amendment moved bv tho hon. member for Grey Lynn. (Laughter.) Air Payne: '~olu w 0 understand each other much better now.” (Laughter.) At 10.55 p.m. the discussion on the amendment concluded and a division was called for. The amendment was lost on the voices.

Dr Newman moved that the rates charged on vehicles owned in Miramar bo one-fourth of those prescribed in tbe schedule. At 11.50 p.m. Mr Anderson moved to re port progress, but the motion was defeated on the voices. Dr Newman’s amendment was similarly disposed of. Mr Wright recommitted the schedule clause, with a view to substituting a fee of £5 instead of £lO for iron-tyred vehicles. The amendment was carried, and at 12.15 the bill passed through committee as amended. At 12.25 a motion was carried to report progress on Mr Walker’s Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. The House then resumed. The Shops and Offices Amendment Bill and th» Hutt Rosd Amendment Bill were put through Die remaining stages, read a third time, and passed. SALE OF LIQUOR BILL.

It Tie reported by Governor-General’s Message that tie Legislative Council insisted upon its amendments to the Sals of Liquor Restriction Bill. The Prim* Minister moved that a conference between the two Houses bo requested, and that Sir Joseph Ward, Sir John Findlay, Mr C- A. Wilkinson, and himself ba the managers for the House of Representatives. The motion was carried.

to questions, Mr Mafstj .stated that no sitting would ho held on Satnrdav. and that the business for tolar's sitting irould probably bo the committee stare of the Social Hygiene Bill. The House adjourned at 12.35 a.m.