PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 265, 16 December 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL jfy Telegraph.—Frew Association. Wellington, Last Night.

In the Council this afternoon, the Statutes Revision Committee reported on the Destitute Persons Bill and Chattels Transfer Bill, that at this late period of the session time would rot suffice for the full consideration due to Bills of such an important character. Fifteen local Bills were committed, and discussion was proceeding -when the Council rose.

In the Council in the evening fourteen local Bills that had been received from the House were put through their final stages.

The Council agreed to the report r.f the managers respecting the amendments made in the Hospitals and Char' itable Institutions Bill. The Council rose at 10.10 p.m.

' HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES QUESTIONS AND REPLIES. .' In the House this afternoon, Ministers, in reply to questions, stated that owing to the changes effected and contemplated in various departments, it lias not been possible to complete the classification of the Civil Service, and as soon as the final departmental arrangements have been made the matter ■will be further considered; that Mr. Justice Edwards' remarks in connection with" The recent cases of usury in Auckland had been specially brought before the Prime -Minister, but the matter •will receive consideration during the recess; that it is inadvisable to restore the right of holders of small grazing runs to exchange their leases for leases-in-perpetuity which was given under the Land Act, 1805, and taken away by the Land Act, 1907, as the results of such' exchanges were not satisfactory; that a board will be appointed to make eiquiries in both Islands as to suitabl* localities for training camps, and representations that these be not less than five miles from a licensed house will be fully considered; that an amendment of the Old Age Pensions Act, exempting the cottages of pensioners from the limit of property allowed to be held, will be given effect to this session. The Premier gave notice that fee 'would introduce the King Country Licenses Bill, which he intended should be -passed this session. The remainder of the afternoon was occupied in discussion on answers to questions. The House rose at 5.30. • THE WORK OF THE SESSION. In the House in the evening, the Premier announced that he would make a statement regarding the work to be done during the remainder of the .session to-morrow forenoon. THE HOSPITAL BILL.

The managers appointed by the House to conduct a second conference upon the .Hospital Bill reported that they had .met the managers appointed -by the Legislative Council, and come to an Agreement ae follows:—The new clause 66 (a) he struck out and the following paragraph substituted: A hoard of the. hospital district in which a school of Medicine or surgery is situated may enter into an agreement with the governing body of the school for the appointment by the board of any of the professors or lecturers of that school as honorary members of The medical or surgical staff of any institution under the .control of the board, and as to terras and conditions on which the students of that school shall for purposes thereof be allowed access to such institution; ,(b) in default of any such agreement, jthe Minister may-appoint professors as hon. members of the staff of an institution, and revoke the same at any .time. In clause 69, sub-clause 4, whfch .provides that.a hospital and charitable *id board may contract for payment to it by any other board, institution, society or person, the cost of relief granted by the first-mentioned board, it was agreed to include the words "registered friendly 1 society or branch of friendly society." The striking out of clauses 71 and 72 by the Council was accepted. It wag explained by Mr. Fowlds that .clause 72 was put in the Bill on representations that friendly societies wished to be specifically mentioned, but in the opinion of the Law Office of the ■Crown subjection 4 of clause 6fl as •mended so as fo be at least as wide in its scope as clause 72 and the words "any person," would include wives and children of members of friendly societies. • Tie report was agreed to. COAL MINE BILL.

On the motion to commit the Coal Mines Amendment Bill, Hon. R. McKcnzie briefly indicated the objects of the Bill. Referring to clause 3, which oro.vidtftThat medical examination of miners shall not be required, he said if this ■were not agreed to hah the men work•ing in the mines would be thrown out of employment. The clause had nothing ,to do with "miners' disease" (pneumoconiosis), referred to in the Workers' Act of last session. : Replying to Mr. Herdman, Mr. Mejfenzie said the matter of the recent strike was outside the scope of the Bill, but he would say that the terms of agreement would be decided upon after he had personally visited the mine. On the motion of Hon. McKenzie, a 'new clause was added as follows:—"For the purposes of the principal Act, employment in or about a mine includes employment in connection with any operations carried on in respect of 'the working of a mine, provided that this clause shall not include carters "r railway servants employed in connec•tion with the mine." t The following new clause was moved by Mr. Colvin:—"ln any action brought «by workmen against the owner of a •mine for injuries sustained the amount to wWch workmen may be entitled under section 80 of the principal Act from the sick and accident fund or the coalviners' relief fund, shall, notwithstanding anything in section 55 of the workers' compensation Act, 1908, not lie taken into consideration in assessing ■damages. Sub-cection 8 of section 80 <of the principal Act is hereby repealed." . This was agreed to. ( : Mr. HeTdman moved an amendment for the placing of the Mines department on the same footing as a private flrre '* -"<»ard to accident occurring i-.i '. 'ig on. its various branches. The chairman ruled that the amendment was an appropriation clause, and it increased the liability of the Crown end was out of order. The Bill was reported, read a third time and passed. PUBLIC WORKS AMENDMENT BILL. The second" reading of the Public Works Anrnmlmoßt Bill was moved by Bon. R. McKenzie and agreed to. NATIVE LAND BILL.

In moving for the committal of the Native Land Bill, Mr. Carroll said the measure was mainly a Consolidating one and was a model of draftmanship. Mr. Carroll proceeded to outline the policy of the Bill, which dealt with such important matters as ascertainment, UeT » termination ana" registration of titles. « N The Bill would prevent much of the litigation which had been a curse in the past. (Left Sitting).