PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 18 July 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Press Association. The Council mot at 2.30. Hon. Mr SCOTLAND moved tint mvmuers of the Council ought to receive the same rate of pay us memberof the other chamber. Jf there should he. a living wagy for workers, there should he a living \vagc_ for members of Parliament.

J lon. 0. SAMUEL expressed regret thfct the motion had boi-n brought forward, and to prevent the motion from being put he would move the previous question.

This being acquiesced in, discussion was killed. The Standing Orders Committee directed to have the orders amenuVd so that the Speaker and Chairiuin of Commutes would ")e elccl-d in u more busi-ness-like manner than at' present. ADDKESS-LY-ItEPi.Y.

The Hon. DKKIiIAN resumed th; debate on the Adilress-in-Repiy. lie criticised the lion- Jlr lligg's speech on labor «t some Irngtli, disagreeing with his views. Proceeding, he suggested that

prisoners at. tree-planting stations should also be employodnt \vh?at growing. He contended that something -houhl be done to prevent undesirable persons perpetuating the species The ATTORNEI'-GEXERAX said lae dch.],te had not been surpassed for s om e years. On the labor question, he emphasis! the point that the rights of the individual had to rank second to tfiose of the community and the State N T o employer should be allowed to enfiipe help at a rate that would destrov the moral well-being of the workers Jlr Rigg had said he could not suggest I means for enforcing awards but I opinion there was a way which h>- believed would be accepted when the time enme to state it. If it was absolutely necessary to enforce obedience, oven by ' imprisonment, it should be done. There should bo some distinction between a living wage for single and married mrn. and though he admitted the complexity of the question, he thought it would yet be done.' The labor legislation of this country had done more to quicken the humanitarian instincts of its inhabitants than anything else. Thev did not want to raise class distinctions, hut to work out n scheme that would be for tfc benefit of the great mass of the people.

Hon. Mr McLEAN wis pleased that the Attorney-General had stated his views of labor. Where awards were made they should be obeyed- Re was a supporter of the optional tenure, and believed in the limitation of area.

The Hon. Mr PAUL rose to reply at 4.40, and the Council adjourned at 4.58.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Tlir House met at 2.30. MINISTERIAL REPLIES.

Ministers ,in reply to questions, said thaffit is quite impossible to supply a satisfactory meal in the dining cars on trains under 2s, and the charge for light refreshments cannot by reduced. A liiil to amend the Fire Brigade Act will shortly be introduced. It is intended to submit this session amend-d legislation relating to Friendly Societies. The proposal to give a small capitation grant to Sunday Schools of all denominations, allotted according to attendance, cannot be entertained. Firewood cannot be. carried on the railways at a cheaper rate than at -ptwent. The Government had no intention of creating a separate constitution for railway employees, school teachers, and public servants generally, to enable members of the House to consider questions concerning public servants from an independent standpoint. The Government will not introduce a Bill for a referendum vote on the question of (he abolition of the totalisator. Legislation on gambling gynerdtfy will be submitted to Parliament, where the matter can be tested. Provision is made in a Rill now in preparation to enable holders of land und'T the Mining Act to liorrow money for the. inirpose of erecting residences. The Government will consider the desirability of amending the law so as to provide that persons trading as companies should be compelled to register the names of partners in the same way as companies are required to furnish the Registrar with a list of shareholders and members. The Government is considering the que-tion of amending the Law Practitioners' Acts. The Government will undertake to communicate Willi the American Consul for N:'W Zealand at Auckland as to whether be would approach his Government with a view of relieving exporters in New Zealand from the necessity of submitting invoices, etc., to consuls, consular agents or vice-consuls. The alternative of preventing Consular agencies being held by residents of New Zealand is one respecting -which no indication can at present be given; such a course might embarrass the action of the Rrilisli Government in foreign countries. If possible a tri-il will be hinde next session in one county of taking actual threshing machine tallies, with a view to ascertaining wheth-r that would be a belter method of tnkins grain statistics than the present system. Trie question of amending the Manual and Technical Instruction Act to give the same power'to Boards of Governors of High Schools as Education Boards enjoy, will be considered in connection with an amendment, of the Education Act which the Minister proposes to submit this' session. The Government cannot yet say whether i( will reintroduce th'Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill this session. NOTICE OP MOTION*.

Mr MASSET moved for copies of all correspondence between Mr and Mrs Eusfacc Lane, of Jlawke's Bay. -.mil the Lands Department, with reference to the transfers of Crown lands, and all documents relating tTieroto.—Carried. _ Mr J. J. ALLEN 7 moved that it is desirable to have an actuarial investigation of the- Railways Superannuation Fund before .'tlst March, IAOB.

The Hon. Mr CARROLL opposed, as very studied consideration had to Up given motions of the kind before being acceded to. (in a division ilie motion was negatived by 34 to 20.

Mr ISAKCf.AY ,„„,,,! () lnt lh(1 ))IV . sent system of dealing with t | K . nuos . tions is unsatisfactory. n.i.l that (heold syslcin nf asking questions and receiving answers at (lie time be resorted to. Th" discussion was interrupted at 5.30.

UVEXINO RITTIXfiS. Mr iroitXSBT moved tlie second readin- of (lie QUACKERY PREVEXTfOX DILI,, which he explained was similar to the Hill of lust ses.iiou. He congratulated the (ioveriuiient ou its action which had the dleet of checking the evil through the j,o,t oflice. lie gave a list ot analyses of a number of pills on the market. Soap Wined an ingredient of several of "these. The hill would not ufleet any honest manufacturer, lie asked members to a-ist him in making the measure a useful and workable one m the interest of sull'ering humanity. The second reading was agreed' to without debate, and the Hill referred to a select < mittee.

Mr MA.IOK moved tin- second reading of the

Pn.(i,lC AND HANK. HOLIDAYS BILL, which, he briefly explained, provided that whenever any holiday pursuant to ih» Act would fall on any other day than .Monday, the following Mondav should be- observed. Mr. T. MeKEXZIE said (he Hill would not lie perfect until it dealt with the hours of bank clerks. The second reading was agreed to on the voices and it was referred to the l.iibov Hills' Committee, Mr MAJOR moved the second rending of the FARTHERS' BILL. It provided for examination and repNtratiou of farriers, so as to give, a guarantee of their filness for the performance of their work. . The second reading was sierecd to without debate. 1 Mr xTA.HITt moved Ihe second reading of the • LAMPS OX VEHICLES BILL,

the object being to require all vehicles on highways throughout the colony to carry lights during darkness. The motion was agreed to without discussion. THE XOXIOUS WEEDS BILL was committed. On the first clause, Mr GREY moved to report progress. After a long discussion the motion was lost, Jlr WILFORD moved to limit" the 'operation of the Act to provincial district of Nelson.

[ Jlr Wil ford's amendment was put and | carried by 31 to 27.

Mr Colvin moved to report progress. Discussion was interrupted by the slipper adjournment. Upon resuming, the question of reporting progress was the subject of further debate for nearly half an hour, when the motion was agreed to.

THE PURE FOOD BILL was further considered in committee. At clause 12, olicnees under the Act. section 1, "Every person commits an oiience who scl.s any adulterated food or drug without fully informing the purulwaer at the time oi sale of the nature of adulteration,"' Jlr FOWLDS moved an amendment, "i.hat the clause should be subject to such exceptions as may be prescribed by me Oovciu..„i-.in-Cou<u'il."

The amendment was carried, and the clause passed. Clause 13 provided that it should be no defence that the offence was unintentionally committed. Jlr FISHER thought the clause too drastic, and moved its elimination. The MINISTER replied that the clause embodied the decision of the highest courts in the Empire. Considerable objection was taken to the Hill on the ground that it pressed hardly on the honest retailer. The clause was struck out by 29 to 28 and progress was reported. The House rose at midnight.