HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 84, 30 July 1914, Page 8

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

A FTERXOON SESSION. The House r met at 2.30, p.m. In reply to Mr Hina,,,the. Minister of Public Wort, 1 , stated that Mr Furkerb's report on the light, railway system would he, printed on the table of the House. In the same way, Mr Short's report on the road-making system, adopted, in Australia would lie laid pri, tho .table. The, following Bills were introduced and read a first time:—Popular Initiative ,and Referendum Bill (Mr McCombs), Rnma.n,.,Catholic; Bishop ot Auckland Empowering (Mi* Bradiie.y). Jlunedi&.City (Waipori Falls) Land Vesting Bill (Mr Statljam), and the National Provident .Fund Act Amendment Bill (Mr Ell). THE LIBERAL SURPLUSES. The Minister of Finance moved to lay on the table a return showing the amount of revenue derived from land sales and paid into the Consolidated Fund, so augmenting the surpluses of the Liberal Government. Sir Joseph Ward sincerely condemned the return as misleading. The cost incurred in connection with land sold should also be shown. Mr Russell attacked the Minister 01 Finance for declaring the Liberal surpluses to, be, Unsound while in opposition, and without explanation using them in London to assist him in raising his loan. ..... Mr Massey, in reply to Sir Joseph Ward, claimed that the change made Ivy his Government was distinctly a reform in the interest of sound finAlice, The return showed £1,500,000 having been paid into the Consolidated Fund from land sales during the Lib»*ral term of officer/id surpluses had been augmented by that amount. Mr Isitt declared that political morality had dropped to a very low ebb when the Treasurer could descend to ivcii practices .as were described by the,member for. Avon, and have no better .excuse , than that "had lie done otherwise, he tyould/have been putting a knife to. his. own throat." Mr Forbes pointed, out. that money derived from the sale, of, lands wab not all profit. .The cost of survey and i'oading had to be taken into account. The proctice of paying ..revenue derived from sales into the Consolidated Fund was justified as recouping this expenditure j-;.i>**>&i«*u'> Mr Noswdrthy explained that he had iiofc consulted anyone before he asked for the rejturh.' He had not been the tool of tlie" Government. He; wanted the information for his own use, and intended to use it witli good effect. Hon. R. McKenzie contended that so far from the Minister being able to disparage the Liberal surpluses in London, lie dare not go there without £h!em. ■ >\ Mr MacDonald argued that the accounts had all been audited, arid ii the money had been wrongly paid into the Consolidated Fund, then it was the system aftd not the Liberal Government that was to blame. The debate was continued on these linos by Messrs. Ell, Witty, Atmore, MeAllum .and Wilford till 5.30, the motion thus .being talked out. . ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. In reply Ministers said— It was not intended; to introduce legislation this sessioy for the purpose of taking a plebiscite on the question of proportional representation! The result of the deliberations ot bhe Anglo-French Conference held to .l.iscuss the .working of the condominium in the New Hebrides had not been communicated to the Government. The introduction of a Bill to amend the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act was under consideration' No intimation pf the intentions of die Imperial Government. dispensing with the office of Inspector-General of the Oversea Forces had reached the Government. ''"'.■■ It was not a fact tbat any arrangement of any kind had been made with the boot maufacturers. under the Footwear Regulation Act. The Bill amending the Pensions Act would be introduced this session, which would contain the intentions of the Government. The Education Committee of the House of Representatives had decided not to continue-taking'evidence on the Religious Instruction in Schools Bill on Friday, being desirous of pushing .m with taking evidence on the Education Bill. .< FACTORIES ACT AMENDMENT. Resuuung.at 7.30, Mr Wilford moyod the second reading of the Factories Act Amendment Bill, a measure designed to reduce the working hours of women .and children in woollen factories to 45 hours per week. Mr Okoy intimated that he intended to move that the Bill be referred to bhe Labor Bills Committee, so that evidence might be taken as to the possibilities of the mill-owners being ivible to grant this reform. On resuming after the supper adjournment, the Premier read a report from the Labor Department, which stated that the concession asked tor aould not be given without serious injury to the woollen industry. He was

I personally not versed in\all conditions j connected with the work in mills, and 1 he favored the Bill going to the Labor j Bills Committee. ( Mr W. H. D. Bell said it was not a ( question of whether (bo industry could j carry on or could not carry on il this ! Bill were passed.- The question was whether it was a fair thing to ask j women to work the hours they wei * now working. ! Mr Wilford, in reply, said that d 1 the Bill were sent to the Labor Bills j Committee the Bill was dead. Members must clearly understand that fact before they voted to send it there. The second reading was carried on the voices. Mr Okey, on behalf of the member for Eden (Mr J. Bollard), moved that the Bill be referred to the Labor Bills Committee. On a division, the amendment was lost by 31 to 32, and the Bill was set down for committal that day joitnight. The House went into committee on the Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Amendment Bill, which passed with formal amendments. The House rose at 11.25 p.m.