PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 111, 26 September 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1912. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL By Tfciagrnph.— Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. On (die motion of the Minister in charge u f the Council, a Select Committee was appointed, consisting of the lions. Anstcy, George, Luke, Paul and Pigg to inquire into the petition of Joshua Jones of Mokau and to report within 21 days. The Dunedin District Drainage and Sewage Amendment Bill (Paul) and the Mokau Harbor Board Empowering' Bill (Samuel) were read for the second time. The Aged and Infirm Persons Protection Bill passed its iinal stages. The. Births md DBaths Eegistration Bill was reported willi amendments, and the Council rose.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. PROFIT SHARING AND PARTNERSHIP. Mr. Wilford asked the Prime Minister whether he would obtain information relative to profit sharing and to partnership. Mr. Massey replied that be would look " lt o the matter and give effect to the resolution passed last session in connection with it. VARIOUS BILLS. The Comities Amendment Bill (Herdmiin) mid Public Trust Office Amendment Bill (Herdman) were read for the first time. THE ELINGAMTTE ENQUIRY. The Chairamn of the Public Petitions Committee reported that the Committee had reported on the petition presented on behalf of Captain Atwood for consideration.

The Committee strongly and unanimously recommended the petition to the Government for its favourable consideration.

-Mr. Wilford, who had presented the petion, thanked the Committee, for its report. Captain Atwood, he said, had suffered a monetary loss of £2llO, but the captain's feelings could not be estimated hi cash. He deplored the. apparent antagonism of Captain Blackburn in the course of the inquiry, and he asked the Government to be generous iii the matter.

Mr. nerdmaii said that the Government would give serious attention to the recommendations of the Committee. IMPREST SUPPLY.

The Imprest Supply Bill of £514,300 was brought down by Governor's Mes-

Mr. Hanan asked where was the Land Bill. He thought that the Government was going to hack down on its platform professions. He could not understand the Government's attitude in .holding 1 this Bill back until the end of the session, unless it was to push it through at the last moment. He was sure the Government would run away from some of its proposals, so far the Government's record was unrivalled for vacillation, backing down and indecision. This session, lie added, would be the most barren from a legislation point of view. Mr. Young urged the Government to carry out a thorough system of roading throughout the country. Mr. Davey urged an inquiry into various matters connected with the State coal mines.

The House then adjourned. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The debate on the Imprest Supply Bill was continued.

Mr. Pearce oposed the co-operative system on public works, and advocated the small contract system, deferring to jrimiiiijr he. urged the Government to bring in a Bill to abolish bookmakers, who were still rife. lie also urged the granting of permits to Hunt Clubs. Mr. .). (.'. Thomson urged the Government to push on the purchase of large estates in Southland while the price was low. lie aleo advocated a vigorous immigration policy.

Mr. Payne said that the actions of the present (iovernment over the Waihi strike would lie weighed by the workers at the next general elections. He said that the strike 'was caused by fifteen enginediivers out of forty seceding from the Miners' I'nion. The men sentenced at Wailii could have been sentenced to seven days' imprisonment if it was necessary to sentence them at all; or they could have been warned. The workers had already subscribed £lfj(H) for the strikers, and they were prepared to continue to subscribe.

Mr. Fisher, replying, said that when t'hev came into office they found at Waihi not capital lighting labor, but labor lighting labor. They found a prosperous town bankrupt, the town paralysed, and women and children suffering.' Mr. Payne interjected: They're glorying in it. Mr. Usher, concluding, said that any of the strikers in gaol could be free tomorrow if they -wished to. No minority should be allowed to break any law which was made for the benefit (if the community. The Government had to see that the law was carried out, and (his carrying out of the law gave the Government no 'Satisfaction.

Mr. Robertson expressed the belief that the strike was a blunder, hut it was not a difference between two sections of the Labour party. The strikers believed that the new Union was formed with the connivance of the employers, and considered that it would tend to divlroy the effectiveness of the existing Union. He did not think the conduct of the strikers justified the inllux of a large body of police. There had been worse conduct at general elections. The dispute at Waihi was between capital and labor, and the police went to Waihi at the request of those interested in the Waihi company, to guarantee the safe employment of free laborers.

The Speaker at tliis stage announced that Mr. Wilkinson had been returned as member for Egmont.

Mr. Laurcuson said that Mr. Masse v hail blamed I lie late Government for not ending the strike after it had been in progress for two weeks. It was a .mistake to send such a large, bodv of poliee. The federation id''Labor 'had met the shipowners and conn' to a peaceful agreement, and lie hoped that the strike would lie ended with the minimum of friction and soreness. Mr. .Anderson, said that the strike wa ; n mi-dake. and ilie men had aided fool-:-hly. 'lie advocated encouraging immigrat hm of men prepared to go upon

ihe hind. lie could not understand -V- >h- Slate Coal Department .had been allowed to continue to be run at a !os>. ?.';■. i-ill *aid that he thought that the Vv'ai'ni .-Inke had been connived at and fomeulcd by capital. The Waihi Company knew what wart going on. lie ■Mlviwate! setting the men free, as they ! ad bcai warned, and also as an indication thai the Government refused, to i-.'ep tliepj while t'nev refused to 'work, Mr.'TiU saiil that the totalisator was an engine of national destruction, and he hoped that the Government 'would have the courage of its convictions and resistth" (it tempts to increase the number of oer-iiU. Mr. K. W. Smith said that the strikerwould lind that they were wry much mistaken if they thought lhat Ihey war" going to domineer over the people -;ffin'i' on the Government henehes. The Government's course was justified, and thev would do the same again under similar circumstances. The sending of extra police was a necessity. Mr. Hind-

marsh woivvreJ why the Prime Minister had not given the House a lead in the matter. He had seen a. deputation wait upon the Prime Minister in connection with a dairy factory in Southland which worked its employees 98 hours a week.

Mr. Ngata introduced the question of native schools and the health of Maori children. Mr. Brown said that the land which would be opened by the Napicr-Gisbomc line was virgin land, and although owned by wealthy squatters was eminently suitable for closer settlement.

Mr. Witty asked if the Government was going to borrow money to advance to settlers to pay off their mortgages. The Minister replied that the Government were borrowing whenever they could get it. Mr. Russell said that the Government was not doing much for advances to settlers. Mr. Massey said that £12,000 had been set aside for workers' homes. (Left sitting.)