PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 54, 30 October 1914, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. £Pbb Pbeii Afleofluxiow.] Wellington, October 29. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The inspector of Machinery Act, Taumarunui Hospital District Bill, New Zealand Loans Amendment Act, Wost Coast Settlement Reserves Amendment Act, War Contribution Validation Bill (No. 2), Friendly Societies Amondment Act, Mortgage Ex. tension Amendment Act, No. 2, and Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Amendment Bill were all read first and second times without discussion. The Legislative Council Bill was received from the Lower House with amendments.—On the motion of the Hon. H.* D. Bell the Council disagreed with the amendments. The House reported that it had disagreed with the amendments made in the Education Amendment Act.— On the motion of the Hon. Bell, the Council resolved to insist on its amendments.

The Wages Protection,-and Contractors' Liens Amendment Bill was further considered in committee. —Hon. Duthie moved the addition of the following new clause:—Section 48 of the principal Act is hereby amended by inserting after the word "sub-contrac-tor" at the end of the definition of "contractor" the words, "and includes any person who supplies any material used or brought upon the premises to be used in connection with the work." Hon Bell opposed the amendment, holding that the, Bill was mtended to bo for* the benefit of the worker, while the proposed amendment Had for its object the placing of all sub-contractors in a better position than anybody else.—Hon. Duthie iucimated'that in view of. the opposition of the Leader of the Council he would not press his amendment, and the Hill was reported with slight amendments to the definition section as moved by Hon. Barr, read a third timOj and passed. The Land Laws Amendment Bill was taken in committee, : passed with amendments moved by the Hon. Bell and the Bill was read a third time, and passed. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland Empowering Bill passed through, committee with machinery amendments, and was read a third time and passed. The Taumarunui Hospital District Bill, West Coast Settlement Reserves Amendment Act, Friendly Societies Amendment Act, Patents, Designs .uid Trade Marks Bill all passed through committee, were read a third time, and passed. The Wellington Milk Supply Bill was read a first time, and at 5 o'clock the Council adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr Hiudmarsh presented a petition containing 6700 names protesting against the Religious Instruction in Schools Bill. In reply to Mr Isitt, tho Premier promised to make enquiries into the conditions under which liquor was sold to the troops in Apia. Hon. Herdman, in reply to Mr Sykes, .said there was no foundation 'whatever for the rumor that the Government intended to reduce the salaries of all civil servants hy 10 per cent.

Sir Joseph Ward made a strong pro. test against the condition of the rolls. He was confident that the system would result in the disfranchisement of thousands of people.—Mr Massey said that everything possible had been done, and would be done, to bring the rolls up to date. Hon. Fraser said he hoped he would be able to lay the report of the Huntly Commission upon the table to-mor-row, and the debate on the Coal Mines Bill on Friday instead of today.—Sir Joseph Ward urged that a reasonable amount of time should be given to read the report. He did not think it wise to take the two debates simultaneously.

Upon Hon. R. H. Rhodes moving for leave to introduce the Mental Detectives Bill. Sir Joseph Ward asked if the Premier would say when he proposed to bring the session to a close.—After the first reading of the Bill, Hon. Massey said that he proposed to bring the session to a close on Saturday if members would assist. He proposed to deal with the Public Works Estimates that night, and would consult the Leader of the Opposition as to what time lie would go into Committee of Supply. The Mining Bill and the Huutly Commission report would be taken to-morrow. The Washing-up Bill would not be*so large as usual. After the Washing-up and Mines Bill bad been dealt with, the Bills on the Order Paper now woidd be put through. The Supplementary 'Estimates would be taken on Saturday. j Hon. Allen made a statement regarding the rumor.that there had been 152 desertions from the expeditionary forces. The force was short of one officer and 152 men.. Of these the greater number had been sent ashore from illness, and 17 were left behind, but u 0 did not think any one of those was a deserter. He also stated that it Was quite untrue that any German spy had escaped from Somes Island. «A large number of petitinos and committee reports were presented. A message was received from tho [legislative Council, insisting upon its amendments to the Education Bill, and a committee was appointed to hold a conference with the Council., on the matter.

A further message was received from the Council, stating that it objected to the House's amendments in the Legislative Council Bill. The, House

decided to in&ist on its amendments, and a committee was appointed to consider reasons for so insisting. The Pensions Amendment Bill was put .through all stages without amendment. The Public Works Amendment aud Cook Islands Bill were read a third time. The Public Works Amendment Bill was • considered in committee.—On clause 2, dealing with the restriction of the right to compensation in cases where laud is taken for purposes of public works, Mr Russell took exception to it being mado retrospective, and moved an amendment to>.niake it deal only with future cases.--Hon. Fraser intimated that he was willing to drop the clause altogether, and this course was adopted, and the Bill reported as amended.

The Cook Islands Bill was taken in committee.—Mr Glover made an appeal for better political representation for the residents of the Cook Islands. Discussing the proposal to take tho Bill through committee in sections, Mr Forbes protested against a Bill of such magnitude being pushed forward in the dying hours of the session.—The Prime Minister protested against the insinuations that the Government was trying to drive the House. If members were prepared to stay another fortnight he would be quite happy, aud he asked Mr Russell to withdraw his motion because the Bill was urgently needed. The motion to report progress was defeated by 35 to 24. Very slow progress was made. At supper time, the discussion had not gone beyond the title, when tho Prime Minister moved to report progress and asked leave to sit again. This" was done.

After the supper adjournment the House went into Committee of Supply upon the Public Works Estimates.— Class S4lll, railways construction and addition to open lines, £1,460,000, was still under discussion at 11.30.—At that stage Mr Wilford moved that the vote be reduced by £lO, as an indication that the had not made adequate provision for the deviation of the Rimutaka incline. The motion was defeated by 31 to 22. The vote of £960,000 for railway construction, and £500,000 for additions to open lines, totalling £1,460,000, then passed. —Class X4lll, Public Buildings, £538,000, made up as follows:—General £IOO,OOO, judicial £45,000, postal and telegraphs £115,000, agriculture £SOOO, mental hospitals £50,000, hosptial and charitable institutions £6OOO, school buildings £125,000, workers' dwellings £92,000, was then taken.