PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 19 September 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, Bth SEPTEMBER. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Per Press Association. The Council met at 2.30. The Duliedm and. Suburban Gas Company Empowering Bill was read a second time, on the motion of the Hon. Sinclair.

The Hon. Paul moved for returns showing the number of cases in which, employers and employees have hion* charged with breaches of awards under> the Arbitration Aet since March, 1004,? number of convictions and dismissals,; the fines imposed in each case, the' number of slaughtermen's strikes, and the number of strikers in each indue-' trial district, the number of strikers prosecuted, the number of informations' dismissed and the reasons therefore,' and the amount of fines imposed, and' the record up to dvtc. l The Attorney-General promised to have the return prepared, unless there •were same insuperable difficulty in the way of doing so. The motion was carried.

The Borough of New Plymouth Electric Loan and Waterworks Loan' Validation Bill was read a third time n|ad passed. The Tariff Bill was r.-rvnd from the other Chamber, ni'd t'-« smnfl reading

was fixed for to-mrrrnw. The Nelson Institute was reported from committee with amendments, read a third time, and passed. The Attorney-General moved the see-.

o/nd reading of the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Acts Amendment Bill to validate certain orders made by registrars of the Supreme Court, who had been empowered in certain cases to aet in place of a judge of the Suprcime Court. Doubt had arisen as to the validity of orders so made) and the object of the Bill was to legalise the action of registrars. The Hon. Sinclair was of opinion tliat there were, some acts which a judge had power to do, but which nevertheless no judge would perform, and the Bill would apparently validate these acts. The Hon. Samuel said the Bill was only intended to validate the orders of Registrars as if (the same had heen made by a judge. It was, to his mind a very necessary incisure.

The second reading was agreed to, and referred to the Statutes" Rcvisioi' Committee. The Pure Poods Bill was rc-eommitteri, for the purpose of considering certaar 'clauses.

The Attorney-General moved an amendment to the interpretation of "drug" as follows:—A drug means any substance or mixture of substance used by man as a medicine, whether intermally or externally, and includes anaesthetics.—Carried. ThcJ Attorney-General moved ."the clause relating to the sale of bread by weight to read as follows:—Every person commits an offence who sells any bread the weight of which at the time of sale is less than the seller represents it to bo, or less than the weight which the buyer demands; (2) every person who sells any loaf weighing jess than four pounds, but more than three pounds at the timo of sale shall be I deemed to represent that its weight is lour pounds, unless he states its true weight to the buyer at the" time of sale; (3) every person who sells any loaf weiging less than two pounds, but more than one pound, at the timo of sale, shall be deemed to represent that it weighs two pounds, unless he states its true, weight at the time of sale. Progress was reported after considerable discussion, and the Council rose at 5 p.m.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Tho House met at 2.30. in reply to questions, Ministers stated that it is intended to bring down an amendment to tne Fricpdiy Societies Act this session; that it is intended to bring down tho ltailway Classification Act during the progent session; that ■t is proposed to relink the charge- of 10a for travelling expenses charged by ! the Inspector of Weights and Measures when inspecting shopkeepers' weights and measures, except in special cases; the question of returning forfeited, weights and measures will be consider-) _ ed in the event of legislation on the) subject being introduced at any time;; that so far the steps taken to sterilise; all imported bones are considered satisfactory; that every facility is afforded, rifle clubs, both defence and private, in obtaining ammunition at the same price as is charged to volunteers; efficient members of defence rifle clubs are also allowed to purchase 100 rounds of ammunition at the very low price of 5s per 100; the present base cost at the factory is £5 8s 4d per 1000 rounds, and the present sale price to volunteers and rifle clubs is £5 10 per 1000; it is not considered advisable to make further reduction in price; the procuring of samples of milk for analysis has not yet been carried out in any thorough manner; as the law stands, there are several difficulties; samples have been collected in Dimcdin, Christchureh Wellington, Auckland and Nelson; as soon as the Pure Food Bill now before 1 'Parliament (becomes law, it is intended to look more carefully into the question of the quality of the inilk consumed by the people. Mr Hanan asked the Premier whether he would introduce legislation on tTie lines of the Australian Commerce Act, with the following objects:—(l) to protect those traders who correctly describe their., goods from competitors who by false or misleading description 'deceive the public, to tho disadvantage of the hone f; manufacturer who may have estabished a reputation for a «oo'd article; (2) to protect the pifblic by requiring in raises where the (prope'ii maintenance of public health or public interest makes it expedient, that manufacturers shall irtdlcate on their goods the nature of ingredients or materials of which they are composed; (3) that I the purchasing public shall know the; i actual country of origin of imported, ! goods; (4) that the reputation of the, national industries of New Zealand may be maintained and probably increased hr insurinor that New Zealand productions of inferior kinds shall not beepermitted to masquerade under a description which is applicable only to the' host quality. J e stm r ?' cd t,iiit t»» ™r» v v heavy' Zl tlU ™ g the BeSsion W " n , eav y< an H no promise can 1» ffvon, but the protection of thmib ic re t' e 1 P«P«ed during tT, ,

The Premier, in reply to Mr Okcy, statelet: "My attention has been direct-' ed to various statements which havtl recently appeared in the Press respect ing dissatisfaction among railway em-' ployees. These statements require, however, to be reeived with groat caution. Where a large taff of men is concerned, such as the New Zealand' railway staff, which numbers about, 11,000, it must be expected that some grievances an) bound to exist. Where, however, these are represented they are gone Wo afc elosclv as possible, and reasonable relief given. Tt is not correct to sayfi>nt went, unrest prevails in the scrvice, nnfl the stafe'ment that vcs'n-nn,.-tious are being sent in so fast that the rnilwuvs will be run hv inoxneric.-/"-,? or inrannble men is an iinw.rrantnhlo .exnnwwntion. There are paces waW..-

mh-J I ''" railwav officers have fnVen ur| Writ in. nosifion, in other vnll-. op i; r ". lmt the si,„c n-nv 1m =-n'd r>f fPA officers in evevv ether State TVrrrtincut, and also of smart men in private! feved liottev nositions than those rh»v occunv. and thev consenuently accept' "goffers. The jwat hnlE' of m<m n-lio leave the railway service are, however, men who have been on m-o. hition, and have fsileiT to give s-tTsfV tion. or who during their probationary period find railway work distasteful, and leive to take up other emplovmpuf. There is no dearth of exnerience.V offl"«vs a nil. men in the railway service' and the groat bull? of officers and mciv'

now in the service will, I un.ve no doubt;) remain therein until tiiey are eligible, j for retirement under the Government! Railways Superannuation Fund Act." | The amendment made by the Council i to the New Plymouth Loan and Water-.-Works Loan Validation Bill, and the I Neson Institute Bill were agreed to. > The Foreign Tribunals Evidence Bill was read a, third time and passed. The House adjourned at 5.30 and resumed at 7.30.

The Premier moved to postpone the. Methylated Spirits Bill; Coal Mines Act) Amendment Hill and Factories Act Amendment Bill (in committee), in order ito take tlie Land and Income Assessment Bill.

Mr Massey raised nn objection to tins course, i's he considered the Pre* mier should hare intimated to him that ho intended to do so. He (Mr Massey) had on noting the position of the Assessment Bill on the order paper not prepared hi|mself for Idehating tie Bill, and other members, he knew, were similarly placed. '

The Premier ,y, ; \ that the hon. members on his side of the House bad as much right to complain as the Opposition' members. He explained that this was the first time the ortlers of the day had been altered this session, but it was not an unusual practice, and was done in every Parliament, He reminded Mr» Massey that, in answer to a direct question from the Lcofrler of the Oppo-' sition, he (the Premier) had intimated) that the Land and Income Assessment' Bill would be taken immediately the Tariff Bill was put through. The motion was carried by 46 to 111