PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Council resumed tb-da t v. Dealing 'with the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill, nml the proposed amendments received from the Statutes Revision Committee, Sir Francis Bell stated that, as to magistrates being the final arbitrators, they were so fully occupied at the present time that it was not feasible for them to occupy audi positions. The recommendations of the committee were adopted, including the alteration of the date 'of the coming into operation of the Bill from Ist November to Ist December. The Bill, with other minor amendments, passed all Plages,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30. LAST MAN OFF THE FARM. Sir .las. Allen read a series of circulars setting out the policy of the Government on the subject of taking the last man off the farm. The Government did not want Uie last man taken. He, believed the Military Service Boards thoroughly understood the wishes of the Government in this respect, and he believed they were carrying out these wishes. There might be individual cases where this was not being done. If so, he asked members to supply him with the particulars of Buch cases and he would have them inquired into. 02 RE-EXAMINATIONS. Sir Jas. Allen stated that up to September 30 the result of the re-examina-tion of C2 men had been very satisfactory. There had been <517 men examined, 121 being passed A (fit for service), 7 passed as B1 and 82. and 204 as CI, who would given special training to fit them for service, while 282 previous rejections had been confirmed. This meant that out of 617 men formerly rejected, the department had obtained 136 for certain as soldiers, and the possibility of obtaining another 204. ESTIMATES. The House then went into Committee of Supply to consider the estimates. Education Department ( £1,483,051). — Mr. Witty moved the reduction of the Vote by £l, as an indication that insufficient money was supplied to school committees for the upkeep of schools. The Minister replied he was - recommending to Cabinet that an additional sum be provided to meet the increased cost of material and labor. The amendment was lost by 39 to 17. Mr. MeCalluin said he was sorry he could not join in eulogising the administration of the present Minister. There was a policy of drift going on —the worst drift that, had ever taken place in tho history of the Dominion. Tho best offl j kiers were being forced out of the de parlment. What good, he asked, result" e.l from shifting inspectors, somo of whom gave way after the pistol had been placed at their heads? The department, under the present Minister, had no sympathy with education in the hack-blocks, and he made a direct charge of maladministration of his department against the .Minister. The Minister said he would at once deal witli this malicious attack upon himself. The origin of it lay in the desire of the lion, member to have a school in his district removed. There was a party dispute about this school, and when ho looked into the question lie found he could not give effect to the lion, member's desire and at the same lime do his duty. That was the secret of the lion, member's hostility. On' the subject of the oncers leaving the department, lie contended that every ofiicar must do his duty; if not, he must go, That, was tho position of the officer re ferred to. -Xo proof had been given that a policy of drift had set in. The assertions tt- this effect were nothing but a series of wild statements

On the House resuming at 7.30, the discussion on the education estimates was continued, members availing themselves of tlio opportunity to ventilate local grievances regarding the condition of school buildings and grounds, the Min j | ister'-j reply being in elfeet that lie was unable to do as much as lie would like to assist the boards, owing to the shortage of funds due to the large war expenditure. In reply to a question, the Minister made a declaration that primary education he'd the first place in his policy. 110 recognised that by far the greater number of children could hope to puss only through the primary schools. Therefore their needs deserved the greatest consideration. For all that, secondary education was not being neglected, many improvements being in hand and in contemplation. Mr. Walker deprecated the waste going on in printing school books, and suggested that the best articles should be selected from School Journals and at the end of the year printed in book form, thereby making an excellent school book, which could be used for years. Dr. iNewman complained of ill-venti-lated and ligl(ti>d schools. He appealed ttftke Mir'.ster to endeavor to get the school architects to make the interior of schools more cheerful jn appearance. Mr. Jennings expressed the hope that the Minister would establish a school for detyctivs school children in the North Island.

The Minister replied that arrangements were being made to establish such a school at Mount Albert, near Auckland.

The vote was passed, after 3J hoursdiscussion.

The vote for the Land and Siiryey Department (£248,731) was passed without debate.

On the Labor vote (£33,585), Mr, Veitch complained of the administration of the b'.w regarding tho erection ol scaffolding. A .stiffening of the regulations was necessary. The Premier replied that if this was found to he so legislation would be introduced next session.

Pieplying to remarks by Mr. Hindmarsh, the Premier said the Government was doing its best to so arrange matters that accidents on the wharves yrtjuld be less frequent in the future than in the past. So far as workers' dwellings were concerned, lie agreed that more of such dwellings might well lie built, but the eost of material had to be taken into consideration. Notwithstanding this, last year they erected 65 cottages, at an expenditure of £33,961, and during the past five years they had erected 533 in all parts of the Dominion, and 11 were now in course of erection.

Replying to Mr. Walker, the Premier said the publication of the Labor Journal had been suspended owing to tha abort-

age of paper and for general purpose# of economy. This, however, would not affect the publication of awards, which would be supplied-to the persons coin-* cerned. The vote was passed. State Forests (£36,682) .-Mr. Hindmarsh urged that more should be done in the way of State forestry. The university should', b« ask(jd to establish a degree for knowledge of New Zealand forest- trees. Mr. Massey said more was being don# in the matter of re-afforestation than was generally supposed, He admitted more might lie done, but everything could not be done at'opce. He proposed asking the Houso to provide a large sum of money for tliis purpose, and before long he proposed to place this department under the charge of a special Minister. Mr. EJJ a spirited policy of tree planting along the Canterbury river beds and waste lands. i Mr. Massey replied that they recently purchased Balmoral estate of <5589 acres, which they intended to plant, as well as a reserve of 1047 acres alongside of it, ■ \