PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1919, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. ' The Hons. G. Carson and W. D. H, Baillie, on account of ill health, were granted leave of absence for the let mainder of the session. INTERNATIONAL LABOR. Replying- to Hon. J. T. Paul Sir Franc!b Bell said the Government had received an invitation to send delegates to the International Labor Conference in Washington on 29ta October, but as the United States had not yet ratified the Treaty of Peace, which, as part of the League of Nations, provided for the holding of the conference, it was not clear how the gathering could be held on 2Bth October as suggested. A DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE. The Hon. O. M. Thomson moved to the effect that the time had arrived for the setting up of a IDepartmient of Scientific Affairs. He said no less than seven departments at present dealt with scientific matters, the chief of these being the Agricultural Department. The latter might well form ine nucleus of a Scientific Department. The Hon. C. A. C. Hardy supported the motion. Sir Francis Bell urged the Hon. G. M. Thomson not to press the motion. A Board of Advice for the use of departmental officers would be useful, but a new .department was not needed. The Hon. 0, Samuel supported the attitude of the Leader of Council, while the Hon. G. Jones suggested that even if the full proposal was not adopted it would be well to pass the motion, as he thought good would come out of it. The Hon. G. M. Thomson withdrew the motion. On the motion of the Hon. 0. Samuel it was decided to print the reports of the Statutes Revision Committee on the Board of Trade Bill, together with the minutes of the proceedings and evidence. .NEW BILLS. The Education Purposes Loans Bill, the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Amendment Bill, and the Manawatu Gorge, Road and Bridge Bills were received from the House of Representatives and were read a first time. A minor amendment made in the Mortgages Extension Bill by the House of Representatives was agreed to. Sir Francis Bell moved the second reading of the Fishing Industry Promotion Bill. The Hon. G. M. Thomson said the Government ought to tackle the problem of providing proper distribution facilities. p The Bill was read a second time. The Council rose at 3.50 p.m. The Legislative Council met at S p.m. to receive the report of the managers 1 appointed to meet members from the House of Representatives in connection with the disagreement over the Women's Parliamentary Rights Bill, but no report was made and the Council adjourned at 8.1 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr McCallum, Mr Massey denied there was any collusion between the P.P.A. and the Reform Party. While deprecating the introduction of religion into politics he hoped and believed the Reform Party would, in the coming election, receive support from every branch of the Christian church. He warmly repudiated the suggestion that there was any connection between the Reform Party and the Rev Howard Elliott, and any inference to that effect drawn by any newspaper was mistaken. Replying to Mr Anstey Sir James Allen said all persons who paid land and income tax and who had not contributed to the War Loan would come under the compulsory clauses of the Act and would have to pay according to law. He knew of no class who would escape. Replying to Sir Joseph Ward Mr Massey said he was not aware that Italy had yet signed the Peace Treaty, but if she had done so then they have only to wait for a Gazette notice which would officially end *ne state of war with Germany. Replying to Sir Joseph Ward Mr Mas6ey said he had would probably introduce the Railway Bill to-day. D 3 list was contingent on the schedule of the Rill and could not he issued until the Rill was passed. The Bill would be widely circulated before it was considered by the House. Replying to Mr Hornsliy, Mr Massey said lie discussed with the ValuerGeneral the question of hiffh values being _paid in process of "war speculation" in land now going on and whicli he feared would not result in a benefit to the Dominion. The Valuer-General had informed him he did not, in valuing land, take notice of excessive prices paid. Replying to Mr Witty Mr Massey said he thought no opportunitv would arise this session of amending the Land Agents Act. Replying to the Hon. G. W, Russell, the Hon. J. B. Hine said the Government was giving serious consideration to the position of funds now held by patriotic societies. Replying to the Hon. A. M. Myers Sir James Allen said he could not go into details as to the position of the War Loan, but he wished to reaffirm what he said a few days ago that the loan was assured. Replying to Sir .Tosenh Ward Mr Masspy said Lord Jp]!icoe"s non-confidential report would he tabled to-morrow.

ENDOWMENT FOR AGRICULTURE. The Hon. W. Nosworthy moved the secoml reading of the Josiah Howard Estate Bill. He explained that the Bill vests in the Public Trustee land comprised in the estate which is made a permanent endowment for purposes of agricultural education under the name of the Howard estate. Revenue derived from it is to be devoted in accordance wrth a scheme to 'he approved by Ordcr-in-Coiineil to the establishment and maintenance of a school or institute of agricultural education, to he known as the Howard Agricultural Institute, which is to he under the control of the Minister of Agriculture. By authority of an Order-in-Council the Public Trustee may transfer to "any or all of the next-of-kin of the said Josiah Howard, or to any other persons connected with him hv blood or marriage, any portion of £fes Jrogerty of the ji aid Josiah Howard

(other than the Howard estate), or pf the proceeds of realisation of that property in such shares or amounts as may be determined by that order, but the aggregate value of property or proceeds so transferred shall not exceed the sum of £25,000." The Bill was read a second time without discussion. GRANTS TO UNIVERSITIES. Sir Jas. Allen moved the second reading of the New Zealand University Amendment Bill. He explained that the Bill proposed to give an additional £2500 per year to each of the four University Colleges, and £2300 to the Otago University School. Mr Sidey said he feared the whole of the money would be absorbed in increases to the salaries of professors and there would be nothing for lecturers. 1 Sir Jas. Allen, in reply, said it must be left to- the college authorities how the money should be spent, whether on professorß or lecturers. The Bill was read a second time. POST AND TELEGRAPH. The Hon. .T. G. Coates moved the second reading of the Post and Telegraph Bill, which, he said, was almost entirely a machinery measure, dealing with the administration of the Department. The principal clauses of public interest were:—Clauses 16, authorising the payment of the amount at credit of a deceased depositor in the Post Office Savings Bank without requiring probate or letters of administration in eases where the amount docs not exceed £IOO. Clause 18, autnorising the establishment by the Postmaster-Gene-ral of a Bafe deposit system. Sir Joseph Ward supported the Bill, but suggested that a change which he proposed to introduce should be introduced into this Bill, namely, that tele- > grams might be put iu addressed' to a telephone number and when the telegram reached its destination the addressee was rung up and given the contents of the message. He approved of a safe deposit system proposed to be established, hut he thought the Post and Telegraph staff was not being fairly treated by the Government in the matter of bonus. He made a promise to the men, and he regretted that that promise was not 'being kept by the Government. Mr Massey said there was evidently a misinterpretation of the Cabinet minute on the subject. He suggested referring the point to the Public Service Commissioner.

THE EVENING SITTING. The House of Representatives resumed at 7.30 p.m. Continuing the debate on the Post and Telegraph Bill Mr Veitch contended that the Government was bound by the promise given by Sir Joseph Ward on the subject of a war bonus, because the reclassification recently made was based on the fact that the promise was given. He urged the Government to reconsider their decision, otherwise members of the Post and Telegraph staff would be placed in a less favorable position than other members of the public service. The Hon. W. H. Herries said his impression was that the bonus system was to come to an end with the end of the war and that whatever was done in the way of increases was to be in the way of inereast?? to salary, which would be in substitution of a bonus, and that these increases would be ante-dated to Ist April. There was no suggestion that this system was to apply to one department more than another, but the system was to be general. He was clear on the point because he was fighting to get that, system established in connection with the railway department a? soon as necessary and it could bo passed, and he was confident it was not intended that the Post and Telegraph Department was to be treated differently to others. ' Mr Ell put in a plea for better postal and telephonic communications in the back blocks and for a more generous supply of slot telephones, which was the poor people's telephone. Mr Field (Nelson), the Hon. D. Buddo and Mr Mander entered what the latter called "a mail of complaint" against clause 28, placing restrictions upon private telephones in country districts. Mr Wright condemned tlio proposal to set up a system ot snfe deposit which did not make the Postmaster-General responsible fur the safe custody of documents or other valuables deposited except in the case of wilful default or wrong doing of any post officer. That practically gave the public no security and thev might as well keep their valuables themselves. On the subject of a bonus he considered that if Sir Joseph Ward as Postmaster-General made a promise that a bonus would be given that promise should be redeemed by the , present Government. The Hon. A. T. Ngata said it looked as if the Government bad entered upon . a campaign to annoy the baekbloek settler. He condemned clauses 23 as im- . posing hardship on local bodies and 2S , as an interference with private telephone?, an all important requisite to countrv settlers. i Mr Hudson spoke on similar lines. Mr Reed defended clause 2S, contendj ing that private wires should be under Government control. Messrs Mac Donald. Jennings, Luke. I Wilkinson and R. W. Smith addressed i themselves to the Bill from the point of view of the requirements and experiences of their respective districts. Mr Massey said the debate had been ' unduly prolonged. It was purely a de- ' partm'ental Bill, and should not have provoked so lengthy a discussion. The House must get on with more important ' work. He therefore, proposed to ask ! one of his colleagues to move the ad- ' journment of the debate. , Hon. Guthrie moved the adjournment ' of the debate, which was agreed to. The House then went into committee i on the New Zealand University amendment and the Howard Estate Bill, which passed without amendment, were read a third time and passed. Mr Massey announced that the de--3 bate on the Post and Telegraph Bill 1 would be resumed, which was done by Messrs Sykes, Holland, Dr. Newman, 3 Field, and Fraser, all of whom urged " the Government to honor the promise ■ made by Sir Joseph Ward to the Post " and Telegraph staff regarding the bonus. i The Hon. J. G. Coates, in replying ° quoted from Cabinet minutes which he c claimed supported the Government's o view that bonuses would not be paid i where increases in salaries had taken i- place. Nothing, be said, would give d him greater pleasure than to pay meme bers of his Department a bonus but he f was faced with the Cabinet minutes '- which put limits to his desires. As to the y Bill in general he was prepared to agree '■- to amendments in Clauses 23 and 28, but o the Department must have somo Bay n where private telephone lines are to be if erected, because in cases where gales d blew them down they often eons iate

contact with the public system aSty throw the whole system out of gaa/. . As to regrading of the staff, ae &»* , sired to say that when that operation had been completed a committee WM ■ ) appointed to e.varaine the mults, ano| .'' they reported that the salaries of thw ", Department co-ordinate with the salarleu > paid in other Departments of the Pub«! lie Service. Any reasonable amend-, ments would be considered, because it -' being a departmental Bill it was, detbed * to make it as acceptable to the people A as possible. • ) Sir Joseph Ward, by way of a iter*, ,' aonal explanation, said he thought ft reversal of thp QabincW* minute ot December 5, 1918. had been affected i ( by a minute of April 15, 1919, when he* was out of the country, and he ''. that he might have an opportunity examining all papers in connection jritb . V the matter. 'To this, Mr. Massey said there w ' no objection. • / The Bill was read a second time, audi; ' the House went into committee on the, \ . measure. \ Clause 23 imposing the liability of re«, : moving electric lines on account' of anJ alteration of a road or street on tfceJ . controlling local authority was (taickj) -.- out on the voices. I "i Clause 28 dealing with privatef linen was struck out on the motion of. the! Minister, who promised to have ft/JieWJ > clause drafted and inserted in lative Council. }■'■ The Bill was reported with Mmmfa . ments and read a third time udtypMjttdwc ; The House rose at 12.54 a.m.