IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 294, 6 May 1911, Page 5

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

REFORM OF THE LORDS. FUNCTIONS OF THE SECOND CHAMBER. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, May 4. Mr. Barnes' amendment to reject the preamble to the Veto Bill was defeated by 218 te 47, the Opposition abstaining from voting. Mr. Barnes said that the elected second chambers of the dependencies were more obstructive than the hereditary chamber of Britain. The scheme foreshadowed by the Government would involve Parliament and the country in a long and bitter controversy, during which the Government might be destroyed. Mr. Asquith said he could not rest iwith the second chamber as at present constituted, but he was satisfied that in the interests of any democratic country a second chamber was desirable, provided it was clothed with definite and limited functions in no wise competing as an organ of the popular will with the elected representatives of the people and was invested with the functions of revision, consultation and delay. The Government considered it obligatory, time permitting, to propose in the present Parliament a scheme for the reform of the House of Lords under the tVeto Bill. Mr. Balfour declared that consultation, revision and delay ought to be the main functions of the House of Lords, and deprecated the Commons holding the destinies of the country. The Bill passed through committee by 265 votes to 147. The Times suggests that many Ministerialists favor passing the Opposition's Bill for the reform of the Lords on condition that the Veto Bill applies to the reform chamber. ■ INVALIDITY AND UNEMPLOYMENT. MR. LLOYD-GEORGE'S GREAT SCHEME. SICK PAY AND PENSIONS. London, May 4. Mr. Lloyd-George introduced the Invalidity and Unemployment Bill. It provides for the compulsory deduction from wages of from fourpence per week for men and threepence for women, down to n. penny. Employers will contribute threepence and the State twopence. He explained that the voluntary scheme admits members at a payment of sevenpence weekly. Those over 45 pay more weekly. All will receive medical attention. The Government will devote £1,500,000 to assist in building sanatoria for consumptives, and a further £1,000,000 yearly for patients' maintenance. The sick allowance will be 10s weekly for the first three months, 6s for the next three months, and 5s weekly thereafter if permanently disabled, but the 'benefits to women will be slightly less. The surplus after fifteen years will permit of old-age pensions being given at 65 and increased pensions to those working over 65. HOW THE MEASURE WAS RECEIVED Received 5, 9.45 p.m. London, May 5. The Unionist Commoners are delighted with the Sickness and Invalidity Bill, though less emphatic in their approval of the unemployment provisions, believing it will add to the cost of manufacture and should be accompanied by some form of protection against goods produced under other conditions. The Liberals are enthusiastic over the whole scheme. The Laborites generally approve of it, but regret that the unemployment insurance is not more general. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. London, May 4. Unionist members of the House of Commons have decided to oppose the payment of members. WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE. London, May 4. Mr. Asquith, in the House of Com- j mons, said he had received the Austra- ] lian Senate's resolution declaring that female suffrage had acted beneficially in Australia. He regretted the minds of the Government were still divided regarding the expediency of female suffrage. MINISTER UNFOLDS A GREAT SCHEME. A BONUS IN MATERNITY CASES. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND MILLIONS OF MONEY. Received 6, 12.5 a.m. London, May 6. The House of Commons was crowded when Mr. Lloyd-George, who was greeted with general cheers, spoke for two and a-half hours unfolding his National Insurance Bill, which is proposed to come into operation on May 1, 1912. Mr. Lloyd-George paid a tribute to Mr. John Burns' services. His scheme was that in the first year the employers would contribute £9,000,000 for sickness and insurance, and the workers £11,000,000. The State in the first year would find £742,000; in the second year £3,359000; in the third year £4,563,000. The first year's benefits would be '£7,000,090, and would rise to £20,000,000 in 1916. Accidents were not included in the scheme. County health committees would be formed to administer the sanatoria. Thirty shillings maternity benefit would be allowed, with a provision that a woman should not return to work within a month. No sick pay would be given when illness was due to a man's misconduct. The doctors would Be paid above the friendly society scale, and medicines obtained from the chemists. The Bill applied to men and women not liable to income tax. He estimated that

there would be 9,200,000 men and 10,900,000 women compulsory contributors and 1,600,000 persona voluntary contributors. the latter including waiters, cab drivels, aiul boys and girls under sixteen. Special arrangements would be made for soldiers and sailors.