PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 34, 8 October 1915, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I'eii Press Association. Wellington, Dcluoer 8. In the Council to-day, Hon, G■ Tones called attention to allegations that parcels for soldiers at the I rout were not being received, and moved that prompt and effective steps should he taken to secure delivery of parcels to those lor whom they were intended. Hon. Sir F. H. I). Bell said the matter of investigation into these complaints had hern placed in the a hie j hands of Lieut.-Colonel IMiodes, and j hr thought that alter proper investi- ■ rations had heeu made there would j he little room for father objection. | He frit sure Hie Government was doing everything in this connection that ! could ho done under the circumstances. i Tim War B emulations Amendment ; Bill (No, T) and Municipal Corporlatioiis Amendment Bill wore read a. I second time. | Hon. Sir E. H. I). Bel! moved the [second reading of the Alien Enemy Teachers Bill. He denied that the i Bill aimed at an particular individual, , although the Bill was the result of ■ agitations*in collection with that indi- j vidnal. Hi' explained that the Government had no desire to he tyranni- j cal, hid its policy was that aliens not | naturalised could not lie employed in tin' Government service. Ho claimed the support of Parliament in carrying out that policy. lion. W. Hall-Tones approved of the Bill. Hon. .1. G. W. Aitkon, would not vote, against the Bill, hut thought it would have heeu wiser if it had contained a proviso similar to that of the British measure, giving aliens the right to declare on which side they were on. He was content to leave tho matter in the hands of the Government. i Hon. T MeGihbon cordially approved the Bit), and was glad the Government had taken the matter up. Hon. A. Met!iunity, a« a member of the Victoria College Council, said tho , resignation of Professor von Zodlitz was in the hands of the Council. He admitted the Bill gave the Government a necessary power, hut ho asked tho Council to consider the matter without reference to Professor von Zecllitz, with whom the Council of the University might he trusted to deal. The Bill was read a second time. The War Regulations Amendment Bill passed all stages, and the Counties Amendment Bill was considered and progress reported. The Council considered in committee the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, and Public Bodies Empower, ing Bill, which wore reported with one or two slight amendments and put through the final stages. The Inglewood Borough Endowment Disposal Bill was read a first time. The Mew Zealand University Act Amendment Bill was introduced, and the Alien Enemy Teachers’ Bill was considered in committee, and passed without amendment. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. | The House met at noon, when tho following local Bills were passed:— Tauranga Foreshore \ esting and Endowment ; Utu-go Harbor Board Empowering; Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Acts Amendments; Devon port Borough Vesting; Springs County Council Kechunatiou and Empowering ; Lyttelton Borough Extension. Progress was reported ou the following;—Ai.ua County and Mangawliero County. The Prime Minister gave notice to introduce the Arbitration Amend mono Bill, dealing with alleged victunwaiiou ou the waterfronts at Auckland and GreymoutJi, and lie gave notice to introduce the Factories Act Amendment Bill, permitting variation of the rules regarding overtime in milk-cou-deusiug lactones. The Prime Minister introduced the, industrial Arbitration and Conciliation Amendment Bill, which was read a iirst time, and lion. G. W. Russell introduced the Public Health Amendment Bill and Hospital and Charitable Aid Institutions Bill. Leave of absence was granted to Hon. Dr. Pomare on urgent national business. A Bill to consolidate the Magistrate’s Court Act was introduced by (I over nor ’ s Message. An amendment to the Post and Telegraph Act, introduced by Governor's Message, was read. COST OF LIVING. Sir J. C. Ward moved the second reading of the Cost of Living Bill, It I was needless to say the subject of food I prices was a complicated one, and he was satisfied that it was futile to try to fix maximum ami minimum prices. Every country that tried that system had Iniiud it failed The real object of the Bill was to prevent exploitation. As matters stood it was impossible for I a man with small wages and a family i to pay his way. Commandeering was one of the methods suggested as a remedy for this condition of atfitirs, J hut this could only he done successfnllv to a limited extent, because if ithe markets of the world fell the Government might have to maintain high prices, which would he ruinous. He j > r mr m .(> rJu"OWW WOT SLKfiBSKnRiatDP*I

Jiad been making inquiry into the matter, and while the cost of living had not increased at the same rate as in Australia and Canada, it nevertheless was considerable, amounting in case of food supplies to 31 per cent., and in rentals to 20 per cent. He could not say who the Hoard would be, but he did wish to say that the success of the whole scheme depended upon tho personnel of the Board. They would require to be able men and men of integrity,. well paid and free from political iniluence. He outlined the functions of the Hoard, and then proceeded |u travel's!' the recommendations of tin' Cost of Hiving Commission which sat in 15)12, sir,ting that the Hill was largely founded upon those recommends I ions. Mr T. M. Milford said he regretted to see that a Hill, which was the outcome of the condoned wisdom ol the j. National Cabinet, did not contain a single clause that would substitute I State control for bargaining in foodstuffs. He failed to see that the Hoard had any powers. There was •ample power to inquire and report, [hut nothing to empower it to do anything. The Hoard was only a cominis-( sion, and an expensive one at that. I I What this Hill achieved would depend | I entirely upon what the Government would do after the Hoard had report- ! jcd. The Board must have immediate pow er to act, without reference to any-j joue. The moment they discovered exIploitation they should have power to go to I h(> nearest court and have the exploiter by the heels. “You might,” said Mr Wilford, “as well expect to catch a flea in a rat-trap as to catch an exploiter under this Bill.” Dr, A. K. Newman said that on the first reading of the Bill lie had formed the conclusion that it was piffle, and he had not yet got very lar from that stage. He pointed to the fact that the State had intervened and kept down war risks. He cited what Britain had done at the outbreak of the war in purchasing siugar and keeping down the price, and suggested that if the State here had purchased 50,000 boxes of butter at, say. Is 4d, and put it into cold store, it could have been sold during the winter and so kept down the price o) this article. State trawlers would have brought cheap lisb, and the same could have been done in regard to wheat il action had been taken in time. Ho thought the Bill would do good, hut the whole success or failure would depend upon the men put in charge. Mr J. McCombs said the National Government, of wdiieh so much had boon expected, had failed miserably in grappling with the cost ol living. Mr C. H. Poole said a unmoor of members had hoped the Bill would have been brought down earlier in the session, as it was difficult fop members to give that close attention to the subject which it deserved. He hoped the Board of Trade would include one intelligent representative of the masses. He was disappointed that the Bill did not promise to give immediate relief to people from exploiters. Mr P, O. Webb asserted that tho extension of the principle of State ownership promised the best means of securing a reduction in the cost of living. Mr J. B. Hine said the Government could not control prices. Heavy war profits had been made last year, but tlie cost of production had uow gone up. For instance, the price of bushfelling and grass ’ seed had gone up 100 per cent. Mr L. M. Hsitt said that the products of the country were foodstuffs and wool, the very things that go up in value during a war. It was notorious that many producers had made large sums of money since the war commenced. He confessed that he was disappointed at tile proposals ini the Bill. The Government had done nothing to divert the 81 millions that wore expended in absolute liquor and horse-racing. In London “shouting.” under the new regulations had decreased by 10 per cent. It was a solemn duty on the part of the Government tp turn that money from non-product-ive to productive channels.