PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 245, 9 October 1908, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TIIUIISDAI, OCTOBER 8. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last >'i o 'ht. The Council met at 2.3U [j.in. ' I Tile Attorney-General reported that the conference of managers 011 Jie amendments made by the Council in tli-j Arbitration Kill hail been unable to come to an agreement. Tim Workers' Compensation Bill from the House was read a Ural time, ami the second reading set down for tomorrow.

The Attorney-General, in moving the third reading of the Public Bodies' Leases Bill, said tiiere was 110 doubt that a complete revision of the licensing powers of local bodies was necessary. It was a difficult problem to make a 1 compendium of leasing powers in one Statute, but because the task was difficult there was no reason why it should not be attempted. If a license wc..e available to the officers chiefly concerned during the recess it would be one of the tasks to which he would invite then. The lion. Mr. Anstey said it was something more than a mere draughtsman Bill. They had to give due consideration to several interests concerned —the interests of public bodies, tenants, and the general public—which was not altogether the case in the Bill.

The lion. 0. Samuel declared the Bill was most unsatisfactory and bristl'd with ambiguities, lie urged all local bodies to abstain from exercising the provisions "f the Act, n s it was less satisfactory from all points of view than that now in force. The greatest necessity of the leasing law was to try to supply security of tenure, as any lease which failed properly to protect the tenant could not be regarded ,15 satisfactory. The Hon. Ci. .Tones said the Bill was bad in principle, and would make leasehold unpopular. Tile Attorney-General, in defending the Hill, said it was an improvement 011 the existing Act. The third reading was agreed to on the voices and the Bill passed. The Farriers' Bill was further taken in committee. At the first clause, the title was altered to ''Shoeing-sniitiis Bill." A motion to report' progress w.ll negatived by 18 to !), and a subsequent motion that the chairman vacate the chair was also rejected by 18 to After a long discussion progress was reported. The Council adjourned to 4.35 p.m. Tlie Council resumed at 7.30 and adjourned till !).30, when the Local Bills passed by the Lower ltouse earlier in the day were received, read a first time and. except in the ease of the Thames Borough Gas Bill, referred to tlie Local Bills Committee. A point ivas raised by Hon. Callan as to whether t'lie latter Bill was viol, a private Bill.—The Speaker's decision was postponed.

Tim Council then adjourned until 11.H0 a.m. to-morrow. HOUSE OF HEPHF.SEN'TATIVES. Wellington, Wcdnesday. The following Hills were read a second time and put through their final stages: Whangarei Abattoir Site. (ionville mil Castleelifl' Tramway, Waimate North County, l Olago Dock Trust, Oliura County, Whakatane Foreshore Beclamation, Waikokn County, Auckland and "Manukau Canal, Miirchison County, Cliristcliurcli District Drainage, Otago Heads Native Reserve Road, Ilawera Teclinical School Site Exchange, Wel- | lington Harbor Board Reclamation and Empowering,

Wellington, Last Night. The Committee resumed at 2,30 p.m. The Thames Borough fias Bill (Mc(lowan), Wellington City Empowering Bill (Fisher), Hutt Valley Tramway District Bill (Wilford), Ross ColdfieHs Electric Power Transmission Bill (Soddon), Foxton Harbor Board Bill (Stevens), Carterton Borough Council Vesting and Enabling Bill (Hornaby), Napier Harbor Board Empowering and Municipal Public Baths Bill (Eraser), Auckland and Suburban Drainage Bill (Kidd), and Wellington City Empowering Bill (Fisher) were put through committee. All the Bills dealt with during the day were read a third time and passvvl. Tiie House adjourned at C p.m. and resumed at 7.30 p.m. The managers appointed to confer with the managers of the Council on the Council's amendments to the Arbitration Bill having reported their failure to agree, fresh managers were appointed. 1

LOCAL BODIES' SUPERANNUATION. 'J lie Premier moved the committal of the Local Authorities' Superannuation Bill, which is designed to enable local public bodies to establish superannuation funds for their employees—Sir ,lnevpli Ward said the scliome was financially sound. In committee he would move amendments to enable local authorities to establish a united fund.

Sir. iJiifsoy approved the principle of the Bill. Ho was not sure it was financially sound, but at any rate it was sounder than the Government's superannuation scheme.

Mr Davey urged that the iund should ■be State guaranteed. Messrs. M ilford and Laurenfon thought pensions should lie payable to old employees, and the latter imped to see all the funds merged in a great sdicme of national pensions. ilr. James Allen said there was absolutely no guarantee in the Bill that the scheme would be actuarially sound. While he approved of the principle of tile Bill, he held the Bill was ill-coiupid-ercd, there being 110 provision in the case of a. local authority which couid not meet the guarantee. He protested against an important financial measure 'being hurried through at the end of tile session.

After further discussion. the Premier, replying. said it was absurd to declare ithat tin* liill had been brought down without proper consideration, as every important Bill, except lite Old Age Pensions Bill, had been referred to a committee. As, to Mr, Allen's strictures on the soundness of the scheme, the lion, member was pitting himself against the opinion of the actuaries who had given evidence on the Hill.

Continuing. Sir Joseph Ward said, in further reply to Mr. Allen, that the Bill was not mandatory but optional. He could not ngrec that funds should be Sfate guaranteed. He admitted that the corollary of what was being done now was a wider system of national annuities, but this was a very difficult question, which required mature consideration, The Bill iiad <beoif- prepared, and would be circulated for the inform* at ion of members to-morrow. OTHER BILLS.

The House then went into committee on lllio Bill and tho Public Service Classification and Superannuation Bill. At clause 2 of the Public Service Classification Bill, Sir Joseph Ward, replying to Mr. Malcolm, suid the Bill only applied to State schools. Mr. Allvn said lie was quite satisfied I 'hat the leather temporarily out of emyloyinent was excluded, and I hut was ii great injustice

■Sir Joseph Ward said he was iH-ting upon tile Crown Law Draftsman's advice and was not prepared to alter the definition of 'vducation service." A motion to strike out tlve words: "2iTot less t'han 20 hours a week," was negatived by 42 to 15. At clause 1(1, Mr. Malcolm moved to amend tile clause in the direction of providing that where a salary has lately fallen through no fault of (h-e teadliur this shall be the highest average salary for three consecutive years of service.—The amendment was negatived by -12 to 13.