PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 250, 23 October 1901, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, 22nd October. The Conncil met at 2.30. p.m. In the debate on the second reading of the Egmont National Paik Bill, Hon. W, T. Jennings hoped Mount Egmont would not be scarred by the removal of stone and gravel as had been the case with the hills about Auckland. Such scars were not necessary, as all ballast required could bs obtained by tunnelling. The Taranaki Scenery Preservation Society was a rtal live body, and he hoped that the mountain would be spared and that the bosh scenery of the Mobau river, which be considered more beautiful tban that of Wanganui, would also be preserved. The Minister for Education replied that there were sufficient safe-guards in the Bill and in the principal Act. Local bodies bad representation, and no regulation could be made without the content of the Governor in Council.

The lecond reading was carried on the voicf s.

The Council rose at 5.30 p.m

JEOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

(Cmilimied from Monday).

The debate on the second reading of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards Election Bill was continued by Mr FMds, who urged that the Bill, after second reading, should b* circulated among countiy local bodies, and thtir opinions invited, so that members would be better able to legislate on the subject n>xt session. Hon. Hall-Jones, in reply, said the Bill made every provisioa for the j elections except specifying who would be eligib'e for election, to which the principle of one man one vote ought to apply. Toe proposed scheme would be very inexpensive, and he csuld sea no reas3n for not parsing the Bill this session. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. It was decidad to disagree with the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Trustee Amendment Bill. The seoond reading of the N« w Zealand Ensign Bill was agreed to on the voices. The House rosa at 0.30 a.m.

Tuesday, 22nd October,

The House met at 2.30 p.m

The committee on the Counties Bill reported having resolved not to pro-j ceed any farther with that measure. A lengthy debate ensued, in the coarse of which it appeared that owing to outside pressure, the smaller local j bodies had b j en reinserted in the Bill, which would therefore require redraft-1 ing, f-.r which tbere wis no time this session. Eventually the >eport was ordered to lie 011 the table, and the evidence to be printed. With regard to the petition that full inquiry be made into certain allegations as to exce&ive drinking indulged in by Maoris in the Taranaki district at tangis etc., the Public Petitioos Committee reported as follows " That the evidence given before the committee shows that alcoholic liquors are largely consumed at tangis and huis by natives in the Taranaki district, that there appears to be no difficulty in obtaining liquor is large quantities; that the orgies which sometimes occur at tangis and huis are disgraceful, and the general effects are physically and morally degrading to the native people." The committee therefore recommended that legislation be introduced, with a view of restrictions on the sale of alcoholic liquors to the native race. Replying to questions, Ministers stated tbae they would be only too pleased to hear the opinions of small fanners collectively or individually regarding the Commonwealth tariff, and the fullest consideration weuld be given to their suggestions; that the Government intended to put th 3 Public School Teachers Salaries Bill through all its stages this session ; that the Government had represented to the Colonial Office that it would please the people of this colony if Lord Raofurly's term of office as Governor could be extended (Mr Seddon could not say yet whether the request would be granted, but -be hoped it would be); that the i Government did not intecd to] cancel the appointments of members of Parliament on land boards, but in view of tbe resolution carried by the House when the Estimates were being dealt with, the question of their reappointment would be considered when the term of tb'ir present appointments expired; that it was not deemed necessary to introduce legislation defining the public positions for which Minister of the Crown and members of ParliomenK are eligible, but Mr Seddon considered that the Disqualification Act required alteration in so far as it affected payment of members of Parliament for the public duties fulfilled outeidd of their ordinary Parliamentary work ; that no steps would ba taken in vegaid to the pi oposal to impose an export duty on baulk timber until aftor the sawmill- rb' coifeietce had considered the question; that it was the jtitenti: n i t the G veinmmt to feubmic i reposals to the Hi use fir a Ike of stenneis to run between N>w Zealand and South Ahiia. If the Home went 66 far &s to mbsidisoihe ]:ne to thn extent of £30,000 a tl e service wculd 1 e worth it. The Goverr me tit was in vi e meantime as.cettainiup whnt cf'Uid ke donr. VesIs of the " tramp " class were wanted, no. f - passenger bout-. It would also be ntceseary to istablish cool sti refc at the Cape; that the Government v*as tot in a pisition at present to state what s'eps it p opostd to tafee to meet the alteied p- s'tion of small farmers m tin outcome of the Commonwealth taiiff; tbat by-laws were beicg passed by tie Maori councils to enable them to put a stop to excessive drinking among the nauv. s at tangis, etc. It might be t.ecf Srary to an act this session giving Mami •councils more power in that le-pert, ;and Hon. J Can'll *~ou O makepoi►oad rnquirits into the mutter atifcr the <Mese of the se-sion, and ciscuss tie with natives. ■ t i\rSeddon reart the following teecram be bad received f?om G«u.-ral HecrJUcDonaid: »Y- urkind wtre iae given me muc s p'e sure, end I tb nk y ii vety for tie ht; r y welcome of tb* Gve .ran •nd •of New Z-al»nd, which 1 fully app.e•ciate, end shall ever .reu-ure.- Mae 'Djriald." The House rose at 5.30 p.®.

Evening SITTIKO. 'The House teßuniul at 7.30 p m. Mr McLacblan was granted « 'weeW'd leave of absence on account a! -serious illnera in bis family.

The Deputy-Speaker ruled that the P.iriroa Native Reserve Bill contained an appropriation clausi and must, thenfotv, be intruducd by Governor's mes.i.'gage. Thethiid reading of the B l! "-us accordingly postponed. The Deputy-Speaker atinr uncel that on ai d pfterto morrow he would allow bills to be tiken through all tbeir stag n s at one sitting. teachers' salahifs.

Mr Seddon moved the second reading of the Public Teachers Salaries BUI. He said tbat in the interests of the rising generation an improvement! was cecfsaary in teachers' salaries, and) in his opinion the countiy ripe for, and Parliament was willing to approve of a national s<"ile. At the present time the Government was paying an equal capitation grant, but th 9 distribution was not all fair or equitable.' That was not the fault of the Education Boards, but was due to the different conditions extVing in various districts, and things had drifted until no system at all existed. The Bill was an honest endeavour to meet the situation. Under the Bill the salaries of women teachers were raised to a standard that had never before been reached in the history of cbe oolony. More considerate treatment would be given to teachers and children in outlying districts and it could not be denied that children of our pioneers should receive every facility and encouragement to obtain proper education. The Bill would not interfere in the slightest with the gereral functions of Education Boards, who would hail with delight the fixing of salaries by Act of Parliament. He paid a tribute to the work of the Ro> a! Commission on this question, and said that the Commission bad placed the position in such a way tbat the House could, with confidence, follow the lead it had given. He asked the House to pass the Bill and allow the defects to bs remedied afterwards. He bad ! known tome female assistants to be equal to first male Assistants.

Mr. Hornsby: Why not give them equal pay for equal work ? Mr. Seddon said he had cited exceptional cases. Women were not physically equal to the work of male teichers. He said the total of salaries under the first scale of allowance to the Boards corresponded to a capitation of £4 on tbe total average attendance in all the schools of the colony. The Government bad been asked to give a further increasa, and that recommendation would be given favourable consideration. Under tbe second Fcale the capitation would be £i 2s 6d on average attendance. He with confidence recommended <h« House to pass the Bill this session as it was his deliberate opitiinn that to postpone till next session would cause b«art burnings among teicbf-rs. Mr, Hogg considered that under the Bill school teaching profes«ion would be elevated and made more attractive, The Bill would leave a freer scope for Education Boirds.

Mr. G. J. Smith hoped the principle of • qml pay f<w equal work Mould be given effect to when the Bill was in commit'e?.

Mr Buddo complained that the Bill did not fix a minimum salary for teocherg of aided schools.

Mr. Jap. Allan opposed any impairment of powers of Education Boards and School Committees. Mr. G. W. Russell paid the effect of the Bill would be to greatly increase the number of new schools and the cost. He traced in the Bill a future attempt to centralise the administration.

Mr, Massey considered the proposed scale would be grossly unfair to country schools under 20.

Mr. Laurenson considered the failure to recognise anything higher than a D 1 certificate wes the most sarious fault in the report of the Oommissiea, Mr. Bollard thought it unfair that teachers in coun-ry districts should depend on the average attendance for thfir silarie.".

Mr. Thop. McKeczie regretted that the Government hid not accepted the £4 2s 6 i scale. The £i scale was inj adequate.