PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 36, 12 October 1915, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

j TO-DAY'S BUSINESS. Fsh I'rkbs Association. Wellington, October 12. The House met at 10. M. An amendment made, by tho Legislative Council in the Public Service Superannuation and Classification Bill, bringing the measure into force on Ist January next was agreed to.. The .Minister of Internal Affairs stilted that lie had received £IOOO from Otago for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland Relief Fund, which he had forwarded to the High Commissioner for expenditure, as lie thought it desirable. Replying to .Mr Witty, the same .Minister said the Public Health Department was carefully watching the outbreak of smallpox in Australia, and everything possible would he done to protect the people of this Dominion. ■ In reply to Mr Anstey, the Premier said that we ought to grow enough wheat for our own use. Farmers should receive every encouragement to grow its many cereals as possible. In reply to Mr Wilford, Sir Joseph Ward said it was true a certain quantity of bullion was brought back recently from Samoa in the process of replacing German coinage by British, and the loss on the change would be about £14,000. New Zealand would j not pay the loss, In reply to Mr Kll. Sir Joseph) Ward said the Administration at Samoa was, :in Imperial matter, not a New Zealand concern. .Many of the stories heard concerning , the Administrator had to be discounted. When the Islands were taken over, he bad to do what lie considered advisable under the circumstances. One of the things he did in this emergency was to guarantee the German notes, as German money was the only currency in circulation. The necessity for this could scarcely have been forseen and provided against when the Expeditionary Force left New Zealand. The matter had now been put on a proper footing, and the coinage placed on a British basis.

In reply to Dr. Newman, the Premier said that by arrangement .with the Imperial authorities the, Government had appointed a gentleman who, would make his headquarters at Samoa, and whose special duty would be to watch German trade and the employment of labor in the Pacific. This officer would he under the control of the Administrator. • ' Implying to Mr'jWili'ord, the Premier said he did hot favor the short .amendment in the Arbitration Act enacting that providing a man is of good character, he should have the right" to join a union, and if he reins-, ed, he to have the right of appeal. They had no right to force a man upon a union if it felt that such a man would be the. cause of trouble. He favored lujlding the Arbitration' Hill over till ifext session so as to give all parties a chance of appearing before the Labour Pills Committee next ses-j siou. : \ ■ The Appropriation Bill passed its second reading. without debate. i In committee, Dr. Newman took ex-j eeption to clause 25, authorising ex,-| penditure from the Hospital" Ship, Fundi contending that in consequence: of money subscribed for the first hos ; pital ship being diverted to other purposes, the people were not.subscribing to the second hospital ship as generously as could be desired. Power should not be given the Governor to spend this money as he liked. ' Sir Joseph Ward explained that the Governor had.uo power to spend money as he liked. The ,fund was administered by: the Department of Internal Affairs, Vinci the Governor's name was only used nominally because- of his close association with the hospital ship movement. Dr. Newman also complained or clause 26 preventing local bodies borrowing money without the'eonsent of the Governbr-ih-Couueil. I Sir Joseph Ward explained that it was necessary in the interests of local bodies to prevent them rushing on to the money market and borrowing at high rates of interest d ring the war time, .t was necessary to prevent local bodies running riot. Mr MoCallum objected to clause 24., which contained a vicious principle oi paying fees to retired civil servants in receipt of superannuation. He expressed the hope that no retired civil servants would be in future appointed on Commissions as in the caseol ,the Education Boundaries Commission, t Mr McCombs asked the Premier; »o ma ke a full complete statement regardinß the State's wheat purchase. The transactions were in such a position (hat. no one could ever understand how matters stood. The discussion was interrupted by the one o'clock adjournment.