Labour Legislation.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 250, 26 October 1904, Page 4

Labour Legislation.

TOWN v. COUNTRY. LIVELY DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. (H.B. Hevald Special.) WALLINGTON, Thursday. Some of Mr Seddon's supporters got at loggerheads to-night during tine adjourned debate on the third reading of the Shops and Offices Bill, and the burning question of town versus country was once again much in evidence. J udginig from the tone of the debate, it is evident that the country party is likely to gain in solidarity, and the chances are that in the next Parliament, it will ■be a very strong combination. To-night, to begin with, Mr Lawry Strongly attacked Messrs Lauren son Taylor and Arnold. These men, te said, knew nothing about labour in ihe country, such as was Connected with the dairy industry. He believed that, if Mr Arnold was given a small dairy farm /his cows would starve, to death, and he would til™ bankruptcy court within twelve months. (Laughter.) H© allv wi/tih, conjtiiiunoihing% u t tout the^v, com I >lai n«l of what he l termed the intemperate -language used I v °H 0r '»y tihe member) for Ly ttelton (Mr Lauren son). He characterised it as "really cawtiin® Pecksmffian piffle." He son thought he knew all jail*>ut evciything under the su n . Mr A L. D. Fraser followed with a lemark about the strong feeling shown ow. tihis bill by a, small section of the House. He saad he wished specially to refer to Mr Taylor, but not to Mr Lauranson, whom he ibeueved was sometimes conscientious (Laughter.) Mr Taylor, he Uemen WaS th ° Se extrem « gen-

Mr McLachlan : Firebrand. Mr Iraser; No; one of'those extreme gentlemen who Oamnot deaJ with any subject in a temperate "tanner. He thinks in adjectives and expounds in superlatives. Mr Frasor then proceeded to defend Sir William Russell from the attack made on him the •other day by) Mr Taylor who had described the member for Hawke s Bay as an enemy of labour He (Mr Fraser) happened to be a constituent of Sir William Russell's, and he knew nearly every servant on his iarm and station, and he could tell the House that these men never left Sir William, and thojt they looked upon him as one of the -best employers of labour |in the colony. On the Labour Bills Committee, also, Stir William Russell 'had been om> of the truest friends of labour in the colony. I( the Labour Party listened too much to the voice of ithc, ag)ilia,t>" ors who were 'going about the country, the respectable section of the towns would rise up against them with the result that the Labour Party's prosperity would be put back, if not for all time, at amy rat® for many years. They had specimens of these labour agitators in, Wellifogiton, and they could now ibe seen going about in frock coats, long hats and theilr hair, and cigars in ttioir mouths. (Laughter.) Mr Millar denied that it was high time that labour legislation had a rest. On the contrary it was high time that country legislation had a rest. The country had been getting all the money a*nd the towns were getting none. Mr R. MacKenzie: What about your Dunedin railway station? Mr Millan said that if thiey |g»t itlon railway stations, they would n ot be getting what they were entitled to, and the towns were not going to be continually paying taxes for a few "back-blockers"—some eighteen thousand men, which was the sum total of the Crown tenants of the colony. If the country members went on as they were going, they would have town and country parties sooner than they imagined, and then there wouid not be (much 1 legislation mther for the town or the country. Mr SedSdoo having replied generally on the deibatc, got in ihis usual gag about the Opposition having blocked the bill at every stage. Mr Massey indignantly repudiated this statement, which ha said was diametacally opposed to the truth. The Speaker said such words were oui erf order. Mr Massey said he would withdraw them, and Say that the statement made by the Premier was absolutely contrary to fact. (Hear, hear.) Mr Seddon: It's proved by the number of members who spoke. Mr W. Fraser : On your own side. Mr Seddon : No. Mr Fraser : Yes, on your side. Mr Seddon : t know what has been [going on. Mr Fraser : Yes, so do I. I The third reading of the bill was then carried on the voices. Mr Fisher interjected, *' Dick ! Dick ! " and there were one or two cries of "Order" in consequence. The Speaker was proceeding to put the question that the bill so n o w Ilass, when Mr Seddon was hoard to ask his senior whip to call for a division. When the voices were taken' Mr Flatman was the only member to call "No" and there was considerable laughter at his expense, Mr Heaton Rhodes remarking, "We know your game. Mr Flatman was named as a teller for the noes, but there Was some difficulty in getting a second teller. Mr Houston' wias named, but refuted to act, aa ho intended to

vote "Aye." Eventually Mr Hall said tdv/would tell 1 . Both sides of the House then trooped Into the "Aye" lobby, the bill as it now stood ibeing a' v,ery different measure from the one originally introduced by the Government. The division was announced as—Ayes 61, noes 3 (the two tellers and Mr ICaihau, a Maori member). Mr Hall then rose to explain that he only aig ,, eed to tell because hod-id not want to see Mr Flatman left in the lurch. (Laughter). Mr Flatman then rose amidst much, laughter to explain that he was in favour of the bill. With more laughter, loud cries of "Oh !" and "800 !" the farce ended, 'and the House proceeded more solemnly with the next bill on the Order Paper.