PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 45, 16 October 1912, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1912. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. i -(Per Press Association.}' Wellington, October 15. The Council mfeHKaH; 2.30 pim.' ; ■ LOCAL BILLS. . '_ The Local Bijls passed on ; tlje previous evening by .the: House,, were recoiykidiktidl referred, to various committees. ■. . ; ' "'" ' . ',' ' ''"■ PUBLIC SERVICE BILL. I>l The Puhlic Service Bill was further considered in committee, and several clauses passed with minor amendments, and the Council adjourned. The Council resumed at 8 p.m. In Committee^wv.jtfyerrPublip.iger■vice' ''Bill,' clause , |4,, subjection; 2> 'allowing'"the Commissioner ip fine up £o' fifty, pounds, anyone, committing a minor ; offence, was,, on the motion of Mr Jenkinson, reduced to ten pounds. • - Clause "38 was amended to allow of all, candidates, whether in town or country districts, being afforded reasonable facilities for comr>eting for employment or passing examination. Clause 41, .section 4, providing for the permanent appointment of Legislative clerks having three years' service was amended to also include messengers under similar conditions.

Clause 50 was altered to extend to twelve months after the commencement of tli is Act the period for a Commissioner to take notice of the claims of candidates who have passed certain examinations when he is grading and promoting officers, and the list of examinations was extended to include technical, mechanical and. scientific examinations. Clause 60, dealing with the question of officers and public servants engaging in other employment, was extended to include trades as well as professions. Progress was reported and the Council adjourned at 11.35. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. TAUPIRI MINERS' UNION.

Mr Russelkasked the Prime Minister if the Government intended to take any action in connection with the dismissal of the executive of the Taupiri Coal Miners' Union reported this morning. This was one of the most important steps ever taken in this country, he said, and the action of the mineowners was calculated to bring to an imminent stage a matter which it v. as hoped could have been settled quietly. Mr Massey, in reply, said that the Government had not been communicated with, nor consulted, by those interested. He did not intend expressing, an opinion at that stage.* but had no objection to referring the matter to the law officers of the Crown. THE MOKAU CASE. The time limit for ! rngug up the report of the Joshua Jones Committee was extended for t<-n days. WIDOWS' PENSIONS. Amendments to the Widows' Pensions Amendment Bill were introduced by Governor's Message, the main feature of which was the repealing of that section excluding a child born out of New Zealand from the benefits of the Act. THE MOUNT LYELL DISASTER. The Prime Minister informed the House that he had forwarded a cable to Hobart expressing sympathy in connection with the mine disaster at, Mount Lyell. THE CONSOLIDATED FUND. Mr Allen laid on the table a statement of the receipts and expenditure of the consolidated fund (ordinary revenue account) for the -six months ended September 30, 1912. Compared with the corresponding period ior 1911 the receipts were: 1910, £-t,952,~

930; 1911, £4,812,954; an increase of £170,026. Expenditure (permanent appropriations): 1912, £1,879,832;, 1911, £1,774,206; an increase of £106,830. Annual appropriations £2,921,316 and £2,704,992, an increase t,f £216,345. After transferring £50.000 to the Public Works Fund, expenditure was: 1912, £4851,178; 1911, £4,479,198. The balance on September 30, 1912, was £939,078, and in 1911, £920,239. WIDOWS' PENSIONS. The Widows' Pensions Bill was recommitted to consider further amendments. These provided for'the-bene-fits of the. Act being extended'to »ll children born in New Zealand, where one of the parents had died. Provision was also made for temporary absence from the country, as in the care of the Old Age Pensions Act, and for the exempting of the furniture and effects of a widow from the definition of property, and permitting 'the expenditure of a certain amount as capital in any one year without prejudicing the pension claimed. These were agreed to, and the Bill was read a third time on the voices. DEFENCE BILL. The Defence Amendment Bill was committed, and the House adjourned. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Defence Bill was further considered in committee. Mr Witty, at clause 3, moved an amendment excluding military barrack prisons as places for the detention of military defaulters. Lost by 34 to 21, and the clause passed. ■ ; At clause 4, dealing with the discharge of prisoners detained, Mr Russell moved an amendment substituting the Minister for Defence for the Commandant, as the person authorising such discharge. The Minister accepted the amendment, which was,carried on the voices. At clause 8, dealing with the military training of those detained, Mr Russell moved to vest the power of prescribing such training in the Minister instead of in the Commandant.

The Minister agreed to insert the words "providing that the training prescribed shall be with the approval of the Minister," and the amendment was withdrawn, and the clause, as amended, passed. I In ,clause- 9, the Minister moved an amendment j vesting the power of the discharge,:of; an offender in-the, Minister instead of in the Commandant, and this was carried.

Sir Joseph Ward objected to clause 10, which i gives power jo recover,fines .imposed on offenders .under civil process, and. that a man's;;wages, could be attached for ,ttie payment of '& fine.- -<-}■-' ] . ] x »/.'.-•[ 11 (The Minister replied that the elimination of the clause would mean the wrecking. of the whole Act, and the clause passed. Sir J; G. Ward, at clause 11, said that he would vote against the clause, which provided that fines may be rc- ..■>. Jit :%< ,-MJ.H j j')7> - 'H'mIJ 01 <v'i"'l covered b\L -\i'ay of attachment of ivages. Efej would not agree to attst6hing: a man's wages,after they, had already passed clauses providing for fines .and '-imprisonment. , Mr Isitt contended thai the clause would irritate both' the man.and the employer. ' ' The Minister said that the clause was not mandatory. It simply said "may." He would look into the whole clause, and if an amendment was necessary he would have it inserted in the Upper House. The clause was carried by 38 to 25. At clause 24, Mr Witty moved an amendment to make the ago limit 21 instead of 25. Mr Allen declined to accept the amendment. He reminded the House that Lord Kitchener had advised raising the age limit to 25. He was not in favour of asking boys to defend their country. Mr Witty's amendment was rejected by 47 votes to 12. Mr Davey declared, at section 36, that a Justice of the Peace should not have power to impose the maximum of ten years' deprivation of civil rights. The Minister promised to look into the point, but pointed out that in some districts it was difficult to obtain the services of Magistrates. The clause then passed. Mr Isitt made a final appeal on behalf of conscientious objectors. Mr Isitt moved, to exclude a conscientious objector, provided that the equivalent of non-military service should be the alternative. The Minister said that the conscientious objectors could not be defined. The motion was lost by 44 to 10. The remaining clauses, including the schedule, were passed. Some new clauses were added by the Minister. One provided for the repeal of the present courts martial, and for maximum of imprisonment as three months. The Bill was reported with amendments and the House rose at 1.15 a.m.