PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 60, 10 July 1915, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Per JP»ii:sa Absooiauon. i Wellington, July 9. Thi Council met at 2.30 p.m. The following Bills were read •* drat time:—Statutory Compilations, Enemy Contract, Local Authorities Empowering, Arbitration Amendment, N.Z. Society of Accountants Amendment. Second readings were carried in the following Bills: Trading with the Enemy Amendment, Regulation of Trade and Commerce Amendment, Statutes Compilation. The Council adjourned at 3.5 p.m. until Tuesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE MEDICAL SERVICE. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Sir Joseph Ward asked the Minister for Public Health whether he would take steps to organise the medical profession in New Zealand on much the same lines as had been done in Australia. | Tlie Minister, in reply, said that if it were found possible to comply with the request he would do so, but he 'must confer with his colleague, the Minister of Defence, on the point. MILITARY CAMPS. Sir Joseph Ward asked if the Government would appoint a legal gentleman to represent the men's interests in connection with the Trentham inquiry. Mr Massey said nothing had been decided on the point. He would consult the Attorney-General, and if it was thought desirable to appoint a legal repesentative it would be done.. In reply to Mr McCallum, the Minister said he would be glad to have particulars of an offer of a camp site in Marlborough in order to record it. The Government had decide to shift I the camp at Trentham. and operations to this end had been commenced this (morning. It had been decided to establish camps, at Waikanae, TauhereJnikau. and two on the Foxton line [The showground at Palmerston North would also be utilised. Some of these kites selected might he unsuitable, and |he would like to have all offers available from which subsequent selections 'could be made. In these new camps | the men would be placed in tents. The sick men would not be *ent to the I new camps; they would remain where they were. Dr. Thacker asked the Minister of Public Health whether he was uwaie that 'measles were being distributed all over the Dominion by troopers beIjng allowed to leave the camp. The Minister replied that if contacts were leaving Wellington they must be sent back. DR, THACKER AND VANDALISM. In reply to Mr Mander, Mr Allen said the hospital ship was being equipped partly out of Government funds and partly by public subscriptions. He took advantage of the question to refer to the action of Dr. Thacker, who yesterday, while on the ship, cut open a pillow and a mattress and extracted part of the material of which they were made. The bull: of :the mattresses had been paid for out of the fund organised by the Government. Five hundred of them h.id iheen made by the Scoullar Company, i of Wellington. The hair and Feathers I-used had been sterilised ,and he was ! sorry an act of vandalism had been I committed by Dr. Thacker, who ought to have gone to the proper authorities and made his representations to them. Dr. Thacker denied he had committed an act of' vandalism, and if he had to he would do it again. WAR PENSIONS. The Military Camps Bill (Dr. Thacker) was introduced and road a first time. Amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Statutes Compilation Bill and the Trading with the Enemy Bill were agreed to. Mr Allen, moving the second reading of the War Pensions Bill, explained that the measure came into operation only when soldiers left the shores of the Dominion. The Bill went further than the Australian law in this respect. A comparison of the schedules with other Pensions A.trf was also in our favour. Sir Joseph Ward said they looked upon the Bill as a national one. He congratulated the Minister on the general outlines of the measure. He pointed out the difference between the superannuation and pennon scheme, and said that naturally a pension could not be made as large as a superannuation grant. Ho thought there should be a uniformity of pension paid to those who participated , in the South African war and those who were taking part in the present war. He hoped in dealing with vases of partial disablement the . boards would act generously. Mr Poland adversely criticised the i schedule. He contended that payments to privates did not go far enough, and he said we should be prepared to do ample justice i<» those who wera prepared to fight for the Km pirn. | Messrs Malcolm, Buddo, and r!et•her argued in favour of more genev- i »us treatment, particularly in the ;:a«e of disabled soldiers. The House rose at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr R. Fletcher suggested that the I

pension for r.'.on on the bofToni wng ' of the ladder should lie increased. The whole country would expect ParIlia ment to adequately provide lor j those who volunteered for service in the fighting line . , Mr H. A. Wright said that lie vas willing to pay any taxation necessary | to provide a generous pension. Mr L. M. Isitt said lie recognised the impossibility of the Government bringing down an altogether lavish scheme, and was convinced when the ;right time came the Government ! would lie just as ready as everyone [else to make more generous provision for those who had gone out to Ight jat the front. At the same time, he must raise his voice with those members who had already contended L'.'is nor week was altogether; inadequate < for a man who is totally disabled. Mr A. Harris thought the amount should be os per day. Mr A. Walker thought it' the scale was passed into law it would be fallowed by a falling oft' of recruiting. Mr G. W. Russell considered that the Minister had faithfully endeavoured to improve the pension law of the Dominion. Looking at 'nave after twelve millions of loans had been expended, he held that with collateral charges as the result of the war there would be an additional burden of two miliums thrown upon the Dominion. Thero'f >re, eaution was necessary. The amount of the pensions could later on ho incrensed if desirable. Messrs W. T. Jennings, I). Huiek, Witty, McCombs, Veitch, Br. Thacker, Webb, Anstey. Talbot. MacDouald, Hanau, , McCallum. McNab. Payne and Okey also spoke . The Minister, in reply, quoted figures to show that two years under the proposals there wpuld be required £898,000. He defended the rates of pension paid to officers as against privates. Clause 10 would be ..mended providing for proof of disablement being submitted after seven years. The second reading was earviod, and the House lose at 12.40 a.m.