HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 28, 26 September 1912, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. Profit and Sharing and Partnership. Mr Vftlford asked the Prime Minister whether he would obtain information relative to profit sharing and to partnership. Mr Masisey replied that he would look>intp the matter and give effect to the resolution passed last session in 'connection with it. , Various Bills. The Counties 'Amendment Bill (Herdman) and Public Trust Office Amendment Bill (Herdman) were read for the first time. • ■• Tho Ellngamlte Enquiry. The Chairman of the Public Peti : tions Committee reported that the Committee had reported on the petition presented on behalf of Capain Atwood for consideration. The Committee strongly and unanimously recommended the petition to the Government for its favourable consideration. Mr Wilford, who had presented the petition, thanked the Committee for its report. Captain Atwood, he said, had suffered a monetary loss of £2llO, but the captain's feelings could not be estimated in cash. He deplored the apparent antagonism of Captain Blackburn in the course of the inquiry, and he asked the Government to be generous in the matter. ' Mr Herdman said that the Government would give serious attention to the recommendations of the Committee. Imprest Supply. The Imprest Supply Bill of £814,800 was brought down by Governor's Message. Mr Hanan asked where was the Land Bill. He'thought that the Government was going to back down on its platform professions. He could not understand the Government's attitude in holding this Bill back until the end of the session, -unless it was to push it through at the last moment. He was sure the Government would run away from some of its proposals, so far the Government's record was unrivalled for vacillation, backing down and indecision. Tbis session, lie added, would be the most barren from a legislation point of view. Mr Young urged the Government to carry out a thorough system of roading throughout the country. Mr Davey urged an inquiry into various matters connected with the State coal mines. The House theh adjourned. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The debate on the Imprest Supply Bill was continued. Mr Pearce opposed the co-operative system on public works, and advocated the small contract system. Referring to gaming he urged the Government to bring in a Bill to abolish bookmakers, who were still rife. He also urged the granting of permits to Hunt Clubs. .-..:,

Mr J. C. Thomson urged the .Government to push on the purchase of largo estates in Southland while the price was low. He also advocated a vigorous immigration policy. Mr Payne said that the actions of the present Government over the Waihi strike would he weighed by the workers at the next general lections. He .said that the strike was caused by fifteen enginedrivers out of forty seceding from the Miners' Union. The men sentenced at Waihi could have been sentenced to seven days' imprisonment if it was necessary to sentence them at all; or they could have been warned. The workers had already

subscribed £ISOO for the strikers, and they were prepared to continue to subscribe. Mr Fisher, replying, said that when they came into office they 'found at Waihi not capital fighting labour, but labour' fighting labour. They found a prosperous town bankrupt, the town paralysed, and women and children suffering. Mr Payne interjected: They're glorying in it. Mr Fisher, concluding, said that any of the strikers in gaol could be free to-morrow if they Wished to. No minority should be allowed to break any law which was made for the benefit of the community. The Government had to see that the law was carried out, and this carrying out of the law gave the Government no satisfaction. Mr Robertson expressed the belief that the strike was a blunder, but.it was not a difference between two sections of the Labour party. The strikers believed that the new Union was formed with the connivance of the employers, and considered that it would tend to destroy the effectiveness of the existing Union. He did not think the conduct of the strikers justified the influx of a large body of police. There had been .worse conduct at general elections. The dispute at Waihi was betAveen capital and labour, arid the police went to Waihi at the request of those interested in the Waihi company, to guarantee the safe employment of free labourers.

The Speaker at this stage announced that Mr Wilkinson had been returned as member for Egmont.

Mr Laurenson said that Mr Massey had blamed the late Government for not ending the strike after it had been in progress for two weeks. It was a mistake to send such a large body of police. The Federation of Labour had met the shipowners and come to a peaceful agreement, and he hoped that the strike would be ended with the minimum of friction and soreness. Mr Anderson said that the strike was a mistake, and the men had acted foolishly. He advocated encouraging immigration or men prepared to go Upon the land. He Could not understand why the State 'Coal Department had been allowed to continue to be run at a loss.

Mr Isitt said that he thought that the Waihi strike had been connived at and fomented by capital. The Waihi Company knew what was going on. He advocated setting the men free, as they had been warned, and also as an- indication that the Government refused to keep them while they refused to work. Mr Isitt said that the totalisator was an engine of national destruction, and he hoped that the Government would have the courage of its convictions and resist fibe, attempts to increase the number of permits. < I

Mr F. ,W., Smith said,thai the strikers would find thaii they were very much mistaken if they.,thought that they were going to domineer over the people sitting on -the- Government ■benches. The GovieiJtiihient's course was justified, and they woidd do the ,same again under .similar • circumstances. The sending of extra police was a necessity. • Mr-Hindmarsh won"dered why the Prime Minister had not given the House a lead in the matter. He had seen a deputation wait upon the Prim.e; Minister,, jn (connection with a dairy factory in Southland which worked, employees ;98 hours a week. Mr Ngata introduced the question of native schools and the health of Maori children. Mr Brown said that the land which would be opened by the Napier-Gis-borne line Was virgin land, and although owned by wealthy squatters .Was eminently suitable for closer settlement. Mr "Witty asked if the Government was going to borrow money to advance to settlers to pay off their mortgages. The Minister replied that the Government were borrowing whenever they could get it. Mr Russell said that the Government was not doing much for advances to settlers. . ' Mr Maesey said that £12,000 had been set aside for workers' homes. Wellington, September 25. After the telegraph office closed lastnight Mr 'Allen.said, in' reply, that the Mr Allen said, in reply, that the Reform Party ' did not continue the. practice of their predecessors, and put ridiculous things into the Supply Bill, when they were not wanted. He could say that the Government did not intend to reduce amounts for Advances

to Workers, "'Advance's to Settlers, ■ or Loans to Local Bodies. He hoped to* lay on the table a statement of the exact position of loans to local bodies. When they took office, they found the country had been committed to £2,152,195 on account of the Advances Department; of that amount £1,481,700 had been paid on the 31st August, £700,000 had not been met, and that amount was still on their shoulders. They had been paying £40,000 a week for Advances to Settlers, and the country could not afford that. They hoped in the course of a year, when they paid off their liabilities, to remove the £SOO restriction to loans. He would show the House that £116,000 had been advanced to one borough instead; of the money going to needy county councils. He would show other similar instances of maladministration. The Bill passed its third reading. The Aged and Infirm Persons Protection Bill was received from the Legislative Council and read a first time. The House rose at 1.40 o'clock.