PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1922, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WOMEN AS JUSTICES. CONDITIONS IN THE MINES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. In reply* to Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South), Mr. Massey said he would take time to consider the position of the Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill, which provided for the admission of women, as justices of the peace and was rejected by the Legislative Council yesterday. If standing orders permitted it he might introduce it as a Government measure. In drawing attention to the fact that the Council had rejected the Bill, Mr. Sidey said he understood one of the reasons which influenced the Council was that the Bill was introduced by a private member. He believed that if the Bill was a Government measure it would have a better chance of success.:

Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland WestD' gave notice of a question asking the' Government whether it had been the practice to give Jewish civil servant* the benefit of the holidays of their race without a deduction from their annual leave, and, if so, whether it will se® that the practice is not discontinued.

The Hon. G. J. Anderson, as Minister of Mines, presented the annual report of the Mines Department, mining representatives taking advantage of the opportunity to discuss questions of local policy and requirements. The Minister, in reply, said there were no mine owners who treated their em-

ployees so well as the Goverame»t did at the State mine, yet he was sorry to say the men did not always reciprocate. He deprecated the practice of holding stop-work meetings as a protest against trivial differences of opinion. That WM not the way to settle these questions, and he appealed for closer co-operation between the men and the management. On the question of better housing for miners he said that as a result of his personal inspection he Jiad come to the conclusion that all blame could not be shouldered on to the companies. In some instances the men did not ehow much co-operation or gratitude. The remainder of the afternoon sitting was taken up with a discussion on the Public Health Department’s report. The Insurance Companies Deposft Amendment Bill (No. 2) was read a

third time and passed. The Hon. G. J. Anderson moved the second reading of the Weights and Measures Amendment Bill. The second reading was agreed to. The House rose at 10.30 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.