HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 7, 7 August 1916, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SOLDIERS' PENSIONS. The House met at 2.30 on Saturday. Replying to Mr Glover, who brought under notice three cases in which allowances had been stopped by the Defence Department as noon as the men had been hilled at the front, the Minister of Defence said in the case nf widows, the, allowance was Pi six mouths after the ui:>ii liad : ' <"i' killed so that the pension could In; iixed up. Their pension dafled bach to the date of death. Willi regai'd to dependents, the case was different, as pay did stop on the deatli of a soldier, but if dependents were in need all they had to do was to sign a declaration to that effect and allowance was continued until the pension could be arranged. The Factories Amendment Bill was introduced by the..premier, and-.read a first time. ; 5 l -J J A Ji HO'l & J Jill® f '■ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL'S CONSTITUTION. The Premier moved the second reading of the Legislative Council Amendment Bill. He explained that the Bill proposed, to postpone the election of tlie ''Council for four years. This course was decided upon for two reasons—first, that the original Act dealt with extremely technical matter, and when the National Cabinet was formed it was agreed that it would be held over until further amendments could be made; ,secondly, there was considerable difference of opinion as to the principle of the Act, .and before last election he (Mr Massey) had promised to give the House an opportunity of reconsidering it before it came into operation. He did not wish to depart from his promise, but he asked members to say whether they were now in a fit condition to review the technical matters connected with the proportional representation.' Personally,' he was not prepared to undertake the task, and he did not think members generally were any more inclined to do so than ho was. It was proposed to keep the door open to nominate members, till Ist January, 1920. The first election of the Council would take place in 1921, when 24 members would be elected. The second election would be held in

1U27. 'i it the question arose as to what M uld happen between the years ]!)2i and 1927. His opinion was that with elected members, nominated members who still remained, and life members, the Council would consist of about thirty members in 1927, which he thought was about as many members as the Council ever consisted of. He had no idea how difficult it was to carry o ■; an election on the system of prop .. .mil representation until ho consulted with an expert who visited the Dominion two years ago, but the Cow:,.: ~-.i! sent an official to Tasmania to ail cud the last elections. He lirought b;.< i a great deal of information, which could be availed of later on. The tact that the last war election revealed a great many weaknesses, and the whole matter of representation would have to be th ■: subject of considerable amendment before another election is held. Messrs Payne, McCombs, Hindmarsh, and Webb adversely criticised the Bill as being an undemocratic measure. Mr Anstey said the proper thing to do was to reject this Bill, repeal the Act of 1914, and start de novo. The Act in question was quite unworkable in the present form. In reply to Mr Wilford, the Premier stated any future appointments to the Council would bo made by the -National Cabinet. FACTORIES' AMENDING BILL. Mr Massey moved the second reading of the Factories' Amendment Bill, bringing factories into line with the Shops and Offices Act in matters of heating appliances. Messrs Hindinarsh, Glover, and McCombs approved the Bill. The latter expressed the hope that it would Ik* properly administered. The Bill passed all its stages.

The Legislative Council amendment Bill was considered in committee, reported without amendment, read ix third time, and passed. The House rose at 5..H0 till 10 o'clock on Monday.