Parliament.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 121, 15 October 1914, Page 8

Parliament.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. AI'THRXOCN SUSSION. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. Hon. Hardy resumed the diibato on the 1 committal of the Factories Act Amendmeni, Bill. lion, Moore withdrew his amendment that tile Bill be read six months hence. In the course of the debate Sir William Hall-J ones deprecated that a Labor .Bill which was stilt through from the House wiUiout one dissentient voice should be treated in stiiih a way. lie criticised the .findings of the Labor Bills Commit'icu, and said that women were not well treated in woollen mills. The Council adjuunied at 5 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. In reply to -Mr. Russell, the Minister of Defence said that the men of thu force had been paid up in lull ito ISoptlember tfeind. The allocation of wages to dependents had not boon taken out of the pay, because the men were on shore, and could make their remittances themselves. Tlie next 'pay was about, due, and a deduction would be imade in the interests of dependents. In reply to Mr. -Myers, Hon. Allen said that Mr. G. 11. Scholield had been appointed to act as war corruwond'ent at ■the front for the whole of the Press of the Dominion. He hoped there would he no disposition to regard the appointment from a party point of view, as Mr. Sohotfield was to act in the interests of all newspapers alike.. Sir Joseph Ward said he did not: wish to approach the matter from a part;. point of view, but there was a grave doubt as to what Mt. Schofiekl was going to do, and by whom he was going to be paid. He suggested tfliat the Premier should cable Home for (information as to what the position was. They all knew what had happened in connection with Samoa, and he did not want that sort of thing to occur again.

The Premier said he would cable Home for further information rcgaTdling Mr. Sehofield's position. In reply to Mr. Campbell, Hon. W. Eraser stated that he was making provision to relieve unemployment in Bawke's Bay.

EVENING SESSION. The House met at 7.30. Ten days extension of time was given to .tlhe Shipping and Freight Commission to report, THE EBUCATIIN BILL. Hon. Allen, upon the motion to go 'hito, committee upon ih« Education- Bui said 1 he did not propose lo go into more details regarding the Bill than necessary. District councils wore established for [ the purpose of advising Uie (Minister upon local matters. The setting, up ot ! the education council marked an impoit- [ ant sVuge in educational legislation. The centralisation of inspectors was- proposed, with a definite object. injjpectois would still remain advisers to boards, ibut there was a certain amount of overlapping, and centralisation would enable me (_>overninieut to supply inspectors Where ruquired. He pointed particularly to clause 157, which provides that eacJi y;ear the inspectors should gazette a litit of all teadliers classified und grad'ed. He saw no Mason why this system I of classification and grading should not I in time become complete. It would be a simple thing for the inspectors to [ pick oui from the top of the lists teach- | ers qualified for progressive employment. He Jioped also that classification of teachers would enable them to be appointed by any hoard in New Zealand, thus cutting out tho narrowing policy now prevailing. The Education Committee had decided not to fix the boundaries of the education board districts, but to leave the matter to a Commission. He hoped tho House would help him to increase the size of these districts. Continuing, Hon. Allen said he believed the time would come when New Zealand would be divided up into four education districts. Members had some- , -Vuing move to do than to look after I local inteiv.,ts. They had the general I education scheme of New Zealand to I consider. Greater opportunities would be g.'Vtu to teachers under 'the provisions of the Bill Mian any mere increase |of pay. lie outlined the schedule of grading, wh..ch shpwi'd 'that sulistairtial Jni-J'eases in salaries were proposed in all grades. It wan also proposed to grade inspector*' salaries in districts where there was a largn number of smlill si-hools. A larger amount of money would be provided to carry on school committee work. Better provision would be made for ipar.aaent of tmeliers in back blocks. There wa H some difficulty i:i arranging to pay married teachers the expenses of transfers, 'lie felt it was ra-Uher hard that a head teacher should havo a house allowance and a married assistant get nothing. He intended to ask tin; 'House to agree to an amendment, in the diivciitm of paying iiicrciused salaries to Married assistants, at the rale of jfcSJ pi'r annum. The proposals would mea.it an increase of £U,tWO per -annum. Dealing with the question of equal pay for equal work between nieii and women, he said thev could not judge ipaywnt Uv the work of the day. They had to take it as a life's work. Women left the service very nmnh earlirr than men lo enter upon more important work as wiv ( fc> and mothers, and he wanted cnale teachers to be in a position to keep their wives and families, at least in diceney. Til.- cost of increased salaries Would lie £I'O<),O;JW ]-iT annum. Wlien the present Bill same iu:.o operation the cost of education will be £s7.'!,(Wo. I lie saw no reason why the increases ishouhl not come into operation- in January, Ifflo. Ju oonclusion, he [ku,! a warm tribute to the work of the liuspcctor-Onural of .Schools.

Mr. Poland, wliile approving <rene--iilly of the BiH, .strongly objected to the csUilflLsluiH'iit of district crmnM-ils anil Mic reduction of education district*. The JSilI shelved iJi 0 ro.s|w>iHH>ilitv for the reduction of educational districts on t«> a C'o.imnirtsv(Ki, which w;k not .satisfactory. Tlifi House slnni'M decide Uie matter itself.

Mr. Guvhrie deplored th e stops taken in tli« direction of centralisation of the administration of education, saying the aholiliion of board districts -would sap local enthusiasm, reduce the prospect of promotion for teachers, and generally operate against the furtherance of the causa of education.

Mr. AkOlluw held' the opinion- tJhal aiwney spent upon education was tetter spe tiuin ail toe money expended upon roads and bridges. Mr. iSidey congratulated tlwj Minister upon making provision for the eeniiralisatioii of ithe inspectorate and increased salaries.

Mr. <J. M. Thomson said the- great majority of the teaching profession wag satisiied with tho Bill The substantial increases showed the earnestnujw of the Minister to better the condition, of tJie teachers. He JidUl that the day was noL far away whim further increases should ■be made. They should place the teaching profession in such a position lihat it would attract the Imghest of the jouth of thu Dominion. . iSiir Joseph Ward said the Bill had been considerably improved by the Committee, but he was of opinion that teachers wore not gainer to benefit as largely as the Minister and the House supposed. He could not see how some teachers could be expected to live on the salaries paid them, simply because they were in the Education Department. Mr MeCombs contended that 7S per cent, of the women teachers would not gain any advantage from the Bill. Mr Craigic was opposed to centralisation and the wiping out of small boards. (Left sitting.)