PARLIAMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 24 July 1916, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

' WELLINGTON, July 21. The Legislative Council met at 2-;$0 p.m. The Hon. G. Jones resumed the debate mi the second reading of the Legislative Council Act Amendment Bill. He stated his firm conviction that the Act was unnecessary and should be repealed. Ho asserted that a large number of beneficent laws which had been passed since the late Hon. John Ballance took office, and which had done so much to help the workers, had originated in the Council. The Hon. Barr's amendment was put and was lost on the voices, and the second reading was carried on a. division, by 22 to two. The Council then went into committee on the Bill. The Hon. Paul contended that the personnel of the Council should remain as it was until the Act was brought into force. The Hill was reported from committee without amendment. On the motion for the third reading, the Hon. Paul raised the question of the salaries paid to members, which ne considered were insufficient in the cases of members who, like himself, had to give up their daily work m order to attend the Council. He hoped that the Government would g've consideration to the matter. After debate, the Bill was read a third time and passed.

The report of the second conference of managers of both Houses on the Military Service Bill, was received and adopted. The Council rose at 5-20.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

DENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR RECRUITS. ,

The House of Representatives met at. 2-30 p.m. Replying to Mr.' Thomson, the Minister for -Defence said an arrangement had been made with th? Dental Association to attend to recruits' dental requirements on a hasis of reduced prices. In a general way the services of members of the association are employed, but there was no bar to tne employment of any qualified dentist who is outside the association. niue islanders:

Replying to Mr Poole, the Minister for Defence said he did not think it wise to allow any more Nino Islanders to enlist in the reinforcements. COLONEL RHODES' VISIT TO EGYPT.

The Minister for Defence laid on the table Col. Heaton Rhodes' report on his official visit to Egypt, Callipoli and Malta. He moved that the report be printed. Mr. Wi'ford spoke apprp''int:veh T '~' :

the work done by Colonel Rhodes, saying the information sent to New Zealand had been a great comfort to parents who, prior to his visit, were in grave doubt as to certain matters which Colonel Rhodes had been able to set right. The Minister, in reply, said a senior officer of the Postal Department was leaving shortly for France to take charge of the postal arrangements. He spoke in the warmest terms of the unselfish work done by Colonel Rhodes, whose report was a most valuable document. THE MILITARY SERVICE BILL. The Speaker announced the result of the second conference with the managers of the Legislative Council on the Military Service Bill. The Premier explained that the principal point agreed to by the conference was the provision under which a religious objector was compelled to do noncombatant service, not only in New Zealand, but beyond it if necessary. That was a most important amendment, a.s under it objectors would be compelled to go wherever they were sent. This raised a lengthy discussion on the rights of religions objectors, the report of the conference being finally agreed to, on a division, by 44 to 18. PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES. Ti e Premier then suggested that the Hous defer the rest of the formal business and proceed with the consideration of the Public Works Estimates.— This was agreed to. The House went into Committee of Supply to consider the Vote of £114,000 for the Public Works Department. The Hon. Eraser said the Estimates this year consisted mainly of last year's unexpended balances. This was necessitated by the fact that so little money was available, owing to the war. }n order to overcome the difficulty m whi ;h this might place local bodies, he proposed next spring to visit certain places in hte Dominion, when he could hold conferences with the bodies and discuss the question of which works were the most important, and arrange for a transference of votes where necessary. He was taking power in the Appropriation Act to do this. He defended himself against the charge that ho spent an undue amount on branch lines of railway, and that he favoured the South Island as against the North. Such criticism was quite unfounded. The House rose at 5-30. The House resumed at 7-30. In committee on the Public Works Estimates, considerable discussion took place on the first item, during which members ventilated the grievances and requirements of their respective districts The discussion proceeded without interruption up to the tsupper adjournment.