PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1922, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. R. Moore continued the Ad-dress-in-Reply debate, uring the desirability of going slow with borrowing and hoping the Government would not buy high priced lands near the cities for soldier settlement. He regretted there was no mention of an amendment to the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act on the lines of the commission’s report, and he supported the compulsory notification of venereal disease. If preference to unionists was not used properly the time would come when it would be abolished. The Hon. J. Barr combatted Mr. Earnshaw’s statement that the minimum wage was a curse. The minimum rate was the only safeguard against an employer who had no regard for the welfare of his employees. The Arbitration Act was one of the best on the the statute book and to repeal it would be one of the greatest mistakes. The Government should pass unemployment legislation similar to that of Britain.

The Hon. C. H. Izard said the country had been suffering from extravagance. Many works should wait until they could be concluded, at a cost which wotild give, a fair return. Sir William Fraser promised to bring the question of unemployment insurance before the Government. The debate was adjourned and the Council rose at 4.56 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr. D. Jones (Kaiapoi), the Hon. W. Nosworthy said he was making inquiries with a view of having the freight on linseed reduced to the same amount as the freight on oats and wheat. In reply to Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition), Mr. Massey eaid he would consider the question of setting up a committee of the -House to consider Samoan and Raratongan affairs. He said he noticed that a few days ago a petition had been presented, to the House from residents of Samoa. He was not sure as to the position and he had asked Mr. Speaker if he would look into the point and see whether the House was competent to consider petitions from Samoa. ADDRESS DEBATE CONTINUED LIBERAL AMENDMENT DEFEATED. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was resumed by Mr. T. D. Burnett (Temuka). He expressed the opinion -that the country had not yet reached the limit of economies and suggested that future cuts in public service salaries should fall most severely on young women in the civil service, and so discourage avoidance by them of their true function in life. Discussing agricultural matters the speaker declared the standard of our sheep flocks was rapidly deteriorating through the breaking up of our big flocks, and consequently our sheep were loosing the fine straight lines that built up the reputation of New Zealand mutton. It was to be one of the functions of the Meat Control Board to have meat graded and he hoped they would be adamant on this point. He also put in a plea for the preservation of the few remaining merino studs.

Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) said no explanation which Ministers had made could dispel from the minds of public servants the impression that while their salaries were cut a gift of many thousands was made to large landowners by way of the rebate on land tax. Small farmers had not benefited to any extent and it was unfair to make the small farmer an excuse for giving substantial concessions to the Bank of New Zealand and wealthy merchants. On the subject of unemployment he declared that if there were a thousand men out of work the Government took on twenty-five in the hope of keeping the remainder quiet. The Government was responsible for the existing state of affairs and it was their duty to rectify it by statesmanlike action. In his opinion the Government was doing its best to create a labor revolt in this country.

Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said he came into the House as an Independent, but he found he had no option but to support the Massey Government. The Liberal Party had no policy of its own and was busy stealing planks from the platform of the Extreme Labor Party. The division on Mr. Wilford’s amendment was then taken, with the following result: For the amendment, 20; against the amendment, 37. Following is the division list: For the amendment.—Atmore. Bartram. Edie. Forbes, Fraser, Hanan, Horn, Howard. Tsitt, Jennings, McCombs. Masters, Munro, Parry. Poland. Sidey, Sullivan. Thacker, Veitch. Wilford. Against the amendment. —Anderson. Bitchener. Ballard. Burnett. Craigie. Dickson P. M., Dickson J. S., Dixon, Guthrie. Hamilton A.. Hamilton J. IL, Harris, Hawken. Herries, Hoekly. Hudson. Jones. Lee, Luke. Lysnar. McLeod, McNicoll, Mackenzie. Malcolm, Mander, Massey, Nash. Newman A. K., Nosworthy, Parr. Potter. Rhodes Sir R. H., Rhodes T. W., Stewart, Sykes, Uru. Young. Pairs: For amendment. —Witty and Savage, Seddon and Mitchell. Holland and McCallum. Statham and Smith R., W. Ngata and Smith S. G. Against the amendment: Glenn and Hunter, Williams and Pomare, Coates and Campbell. Wright and Newman E.. Tau Henare and Reed. *The debate was adjourned on the tion of Mr. H. Holland and the House rose at 9.45 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.