PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81864, 13 October 1906, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

FRIDAY, ..OCTOBER 12, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association.) The Council mot ai 2.30. The (jovernmi-m Advances lo Setlira Bill was read a third time and )assed 011 the motion of the Attor-luy-Gencral.

The amendments made by the House on the Training Ships Bill were agreed to. The Masterton Trust Lands Trust Empowering Bill was committed, reported unamended, and passed. The Council rose at 2.48. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. Mr Kaihau was given two weeks' leave of absence on account of ill health. LAND BILL. Mr Fisher (through Mr Aitken) gave notice to ask whether the Governmertt would, by ret/jon of the coining endowment policy, suspend the operation of the Land Board. ESTIMATES. The House went into Committee of

Supply. Class XXIII, Education.— A long discussion ensued on the first item, to which the Minister replied (reported elsewhere), and the House rose at 5.30. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. The Education vote, /,'So6(), for head office, passed unaltered. Vote £538,611, for public schools. After further discussion, the Minister further explained that in some districts the bad roads interfered with the conveyance of children to the schools; that there would be a vote on the Public Works Estimates for the Auckland Training College; that the basis of school classification, not teacher's salary, is the attendance, and that the difficulty of transferring teachers is caused by varialions of the attendance, especially in limited areas under divided control; that there must be in fixing salaries of certificated teachers much depends 0.1 varieties of circumstances. It was the case in all professions, in which the best qualified men frequently did not get the best salaries.

Mr Massey paid a high compliment to the Education Committee of last year and its chairman (Mr Baume) for the excellent work done with the two new Acts of the session. He would like to see better provision made for rural education after the manner of the Auckland Board.

The Minister said that special giants were offered to all the Boards of Education for this purpose.

'J'lio vote passed unaltered.

Secondary education, £45,075, and Technical education, £33,225, passed unaltered.

Public school cadets, £6oSs. Mt I'ield asked if the Department would co-operate with the Defence Department in re a camp at the Christchurch Exhibition. The question was not answered.

Native schools, £21,755. In reply to Mr Ngata, who had spoken highly of the abilities and devotion of the men and the difficulties of their position, and Mr Merries, who had sustained Mr Ngata, the Minister said 'hat the salaries would be raised and fmther promised to do his best in the matter of facilities for rural and technical education.

Mr Ngata advised the Minister 'o visit the native schools during the recess, and see, inter alia, if the natives would not set apart portions - f their revenues for assisting technical and agricultural education. The Minister said he would do so giadly. Mr Ngata promised to be his guide. The vote passed unaltered. Industrial schools, £25,174, scho. l for deaf mutes, £4134. school for the blind, £731, miscellaneous services, j£i2„S.3s, school buildings, £XG.(i5,', bringing with the rest the aggregate oi the Education vote to £783,204, passed unaltered

Class XXIV., Public Health £-s'j7-> passed without alierat'on.

Class \'XY|, Mental Hospitals and Charitable, £07,505 Mr Wilford appealed fur the betterment of the. condition of the female warders, who were poorly paid, working long hours, coarsely fed, and subject to tremendous and prolonged strain, lie sustained his ease by quoting from the last report of the inspector, contrasting the cases of these attendants and workers in factories, who are protected by the Factory legislation. Mr Gray advocated separation of mild eases, and ihe Minister said provision was being made in the PublicWorks Kstiniates. Mr Massey advocated the adcli'ion at VVaiiti of separation of epileptic cases

1 lie Minister said that the whole question was under Cabinet's consideration, of the classifictaion of mental cases With regard to the female attendants, he said he had not had an opportunity to go jnto tho matter fully So far as he had gone he knew the pay had been increased and the hours had been shortened. (Cries of "Too long' yet.") He promised to enquire carefullv Into the matter. He admitted with regret the coming severance of Mrs Neil's connection with the Department,