PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 197, 29 November 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

1 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL By Tuitgia|.li.—l'i'cvs Awofiul ion. Wellington, Last Night. In the Legislative Council this afternoon, the Attorney-General gave noticv to move that the Hine charges eonneetwitli the Hon. T. lv. Macdonald be taken into consideration on Wednesday next. The Council rose until 8 p.m. Iji the Council this evening the Public Holiday Bill was reported with an amendment excluding Empire Day, as the matter is to be discussed at the Imperial Conference and action would be taken here after based upon the decision of the Conference. The Bill was passed. The Wellington Harbor Empowering Bill was read a second time. The Municipal Corporations Bill was committed. Hon. Callan moved to exclude the directors of newspaper companies from the operation of clause 10, disqualifying persons having a contract with a council from sitting on the council. After discussion, the amendment was lost by 11 to 6, and the Bill was reported with amendments. The Council rose at 10.50 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Monday. The House met at 10.30 a.m.

The House agreed, after a division, by 37 to 23 to the amendments' (made by the Council in the Education. Reserves Amendment Bill. The Public Works Amendment Bill was put through all stages, and the Thermal Springs District Bill was read a second time and committed. The House rose at 1 o'clock. Wellington, Last Night, j The House met at 2.30. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bijl, No. 2, came up for the second reading. Mr. T. E. Taylor asked that a clause providing for a weekly half holiday for carriers be embodied in the Bill. Messrs, Poole and Glover supported Mr. Taylor's suggestion. Hon. J. A. Millar said he would pre-1 fer to get the opinion of both sides before doing anything. The Bill was read a second time. j Hon. J. A. Millar moved the committal of the Factories Bill. Mr. T. E. Taylor asked for legislation prohibiting Chinese laundry-keepers from employing white girls in their laundries. He also mentioned that one boot-manu-facturing company in New Zealand that he knew of was putting a poor class ot boots on the market, which were mainly composed of brown paper and cardboard, and a clause was necessary to prevent such fraudulent practice and deception being forced on the public. Messrs. Wilford, Hogg, Poole, Russell (Christchurch), and Arnold supported the Bill. The motion for committal was agreed to. A message was received from the Legislative Council, insisting that the amendments in the Dentists Amendment Bill were necessary to prevent a succession of examinations. A conference was appointed to confer on the amendments. Hon. R. M'Kenzie, in moving the committal of the Tramways Amendment Bill, said the Bill provided for the safety of the men working cars and of the passengers, the lives of the public in streets, overcrowding, an efficient system of brakes, supervision of machinery, and a speed limit. He thought the Bill as near perfection as it was possible to get it. Mr. Herdman objected to the Bill on the grounds that it was an effort on the part of the Government to obtain control of the tramway systems of the Dominion. Mr. Luke regretted that the Government had seen fit to attempt to take the management of the tramways out of the municipal councils' hands. If the Bill liad applied to Auckland alone he could have understood it, but there was no necessity to interfere with the present management of other tramways. Mr. Wilford said the Cabinet had in this Bill altered its publicly declared policy in regard to local government. He particularly objected to clause 5, specifying regulations controlling the running of tramways which would mean the raising of additional funds by municipalities owing to provisions against overcrowding, which would mean providing additional cars. The public had not asked for the Government's interference in regard to control of tramways.

■Mr. Poole approved the Bill generally, which would not interfere with local administration when it was efficientlycarried out. Mr. McLaren supported the Bill on the ground that it established an appeal board for bearing of cases of dismissal and matters of dispute. He desired to see the rights of municipalities safeguarded, but he also desired that the safety of life and limb should be provided for. He could not understand the opposition to the Ball. Mr. Fraser said the Bill would take from local bodies the power they had at present to control their tramways, thus destroying their sense of responsibility. He would rather favor giving local bodies further powers, and allowing them to work out their own salvation.

The debate was adjourned, and the House rose at 5.30.

In the House this evening the debate on the Tramwavs Bill was resumed.

Hon. E. McKenaie replied to the criticism of the Bill. He said the Bill had been asked for by the people of the country, and he denied that the Bill was intended to take the control of tramwavs out of the hands of municipalities. The motion l for committal was agreed to. Hon. R. McKenzie moved the committal of the Coal Mines Amendment Act (Xo. 21. which was agreed to. The Mining Amendment Bill was committed on the motion of Hon. R. McKenzie. The second reading of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Bill was moved by Hon. R. McKenzie. who said in response to criticism by Mr. Herries, that he would have preferred to see the Bill referred to a special, committee, as he had not the necessary local knowledge to deal with the points raised by Mr. Herries as to rating area. The Bill was read a second time.

Hon. J. A. Millar moved the second reading of the Government Railways Bill. The Minister announced that he I would drop clauses 7, 8, and 10, dealing with leave of absence and fixing of salaries of officers by the Governor Several members objected strongly to clause 2, which, inter alia, amends the principal Act so far as the definitions of member and probationer are concerned. This was criticised as inimical to the interests of the railway workers. The Minister eventualy agreed to withdraw the clause, and the second reading was carried. The adjourned debate on the amendments made by the Council in the Land Settlement Finance Bill was resumed, and it was decided that Sir Joseph Ward, and Messrs Reed and 'Fraser be a committee to confer with the committee of the Council on the matter. The Reserves and Lands Disposal BUI

(washup Bill) was introduced by Governor's message, and read a first time. Sir Joseph Ward moved the second reading of the Law of Libel Amendment .Bill. He said that the Dominion was far behind other countries in regard to the law of libel. The Bill did not go as far as English law. As the law stood, Press reports were not privileged, except so fur as parliamentary and court of justice, reports were concerned. The Hill was intended to give the Press privilege in regard to reports of meetings of public bodies and to prevent "chain" actions. ;

Mr. T. E. Taylor moved that the Bill be Head this day six months, (The newspapers of the Dominion were doing very well. He referred to the Press Association as one of the fattest monopolies in the country. No one had asked for the Bill. He did not believe any injustice had been done to single individnals for want of such a Bill. If the House had any time to spare, let it turn its attention to land or labor legislation. The amendment was not seconded.

Mr. Massey opposed the Bill for reasons different to those of Mr. Taylor. He resented the attempts that were being made to rush the Bill through at the close of the session. It ought to have been brought down months ago. In replying, Sir Joseph Ward said the Bill had been asked for. He read a letter from the New Zealand Institute of Journalists, hoping the Bill would pass into law. The Bill could be dealt with in half an hour unless members desired to block it for the sake of blocking it. The question of the Press Association had nothing to do with the Bill. He hoped the majority in the House would support a Bill which embodied a necessary measure of reform. On a division, the second reading was carried by 53 to 18. The Native Land Claims Adjustment Bill was committed on the motion of Hon. Mr. Ngata. Sir Joseph Ward, in referring to the Stamp Duties Amendment Bill, said he proposed to ask the House to recommit the Bill, and strike out clause 7, which had been objected to, so that the remaining clauses could be passed. He proposed to hold over clause 7 (which imposes duty on the goodwill of sales of land) for consideration till next session. On his motion the Bill was set down for committal, and the House went into committee on various bills.