GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2699, 16 August 1894, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. OONSPIEACV BILL. The Conspiracy Bill was committed. _ A new clause was agreed to, its effect being to punish persons employed by municipalities who conspire to affect the supply of gas, electric lighting, or water.- —The Bill as reported was amended. ADULTEBAT lON OB BBBAD BILL. The Adulteration of Bread Bill was read a second time. Its provisions are to compel bakers to give full weight, no matter what the class of bread may be. ■ DESTITUTE PKBBONB BILL. The Destitute Persons Bill passed Its final stages. The Council then adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. BECIPKOCITY. The Tariff and Industries Committee reported on the petition of 1162 Southland farmers, for an import duty on Victorian horses similar to that imposed on New Zealand horses in Victoria. The Committee recommended that a representative should be at once sent to Australia to arrange for intercolonial reciprocity, and that in the meantime a duty oh Australian horses, cattle, and goods, similar to the duties on New Zealand live stock and goods, in the respective colonies, should be imposed in New Zealand. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to questions it was stated that the new £1 postal notes would be issued in October and the new £5 notes at th|e beginning of next year. In both cases the issue would be limited to £100,000,; that during the recess the Government would carefully consider the advisability of creating another grade in the Telegraph Office classification list,, to meet the case of men who had been in the service fqr twenty or twenty-five years*, that when the Insurance Bill was before the House an opportunity would be given for moving in the direction of compelling theatrical companies, lecturers, etc., to contribute a percentage of their takings to charitable aid or homes for the-poor and needy; that the Government had under consideration the advisability of assisting settlers in new districts in the establishment of dairy factories and creameries; that when the Railway Bill was before the House any member would have an opportunity of moving in the direction of establishing a Court of Appeal for railway servants; that under the peculiar circumstances of the colony it was was not desirable to constitute a State monopoly for the manufacture of tobacco; that a Bill was

being prepared in the direction of limiting the maximum rate of interest legally chargeable by 1 financial institutions or persons; that steps would be taken to prevent speculators from' buying native land along the North Island Main Trunk Railway route; that the Railway Commissioners hoped to be able to increase the hours of work in the railway workshops within the naxt three mouths if circumstances warranted it ; • that the Railway Commissioners could not make reductions in the fares of labouring men travelling in search of employment through the Labour Department. In reply to Mr Flatman, the Premier said that enquiries would be made as to the, accommodation provided for a constable at Fairlie, and on receipt of the report he would forward it to that houi. gentleman. In reply to Mr Flatman, Mr Ward said that tenders would be called for an extra postal service to the settlers of Black Forest, Mackenzie Country, with a view of ascertaining what the service would cost. In reply to Mr Flatman, Mr Ward said that it would cost £135 to erect a telephone station at Beaconsfiold, and as the receipts would only amount to £B, there would be a P 6 *- annum. He promised that if a subsidy of £43 was guaranteed he would have the telephone lino constructed. lu reply to Mr Maslin the Premier said that the Railway Commissioners did not see any necessity for erecting a railway siding near Belfield Village Settlement. The settlers were very well served by the Orari station, and the Commissioners could not see their way to erect another siding one and a-half miles from that station, TUB EDUCATION act. In the course of a discussion raised by Mr Houston oil the local school troubles, Mr Reeves said that he was in favour of an amendment of the Education Act, providing for a Court of Appeal for teachers, and for a colonial system of inspection, and of teachers’ salaries. There was no doubt that reform was wanted in the way of centralism. INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION BILL. On the motion of Mr Reeves, the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, in tfco direction of providing payment for members at Conciliation Boards, and preventing trades unions from holding more than one acre of laud, wore disagreed with. Mr Russell, Mr Pinkerton, and the mover were appointed a Committee to draw up reasons for disagreeing. All the other amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Bill were agreed to, including the amendment striking out the words m District Judge ” from the constitution of the Arbitration Board. Mr Reeves said that he found that tfom * aß strong opposition shown to h District Judge being on the Board. The House rose at 5.30 p.nl. and resumed at 7,30. TUB COMPANIES AUDIT BILL. The Companies and Accountants Audit Bill was passed through committee without alteration. THE HARBOURS BILL. The Harbonrs Act Amendment Bill was committed. To clause 2—Harbour Boards may borrow money by overdraft, the following was added ; “ The limit specified in this proviso not to be interpreted, however, to affect the right of any to be repaid out of the funds of the moneys advanced by the bank to such boards.’ The clause as amended was agreed to. A new clause .was added giving boards the power to make by-laws providing for paying harbour improvement rates on all goods or merchandise discharged at or shipped from the porta. Another new clause was added s'ipulating that no board should be responsible for any act or omission of its harbourmaster in case he shall be a duly qualified pilot. Another clause was added dividing harbour rating districts into electoral districts. The Bill was ordered to bo reported with amendments. shop ani> shop assistants’ hill. The House went into committee on the Shop and Shops Assistants’ Bill. Mr Hall moved to insert in the interpretation clause “ shop means vehicle, storo or other contrivance.” Lest by 35 to 22.

Mr W.. Hntohison moved to include bats of hotels in the definition of shops. Mr Reeves hoped that the amendment would not be accepted. If the House considered that; hotel bars should be closed on any particular day that could be dealt with specially. He thought that; it would be a great mistake to encumber this Bill with amendments of this description, which would endanger its passing into law. • Other members pointed out that this Bill would place large numbers of young people in idleness and if the hotel bars were not closed when the shops wete closed the amount of drinking would be greatly increased. The division on the amendment resulted in a tie—Ayes, 27 ; Noes, 27. The chairman said that in order to give the House an opportunity of further considering the matter he should give his casting vote with the ayes, and declared the amendment carried.

The clause as amended was agreed to on the voices.

Clause 3—All shops to close on one working day at 1 o’clock. Mr Reeves moved ah amendment, to, provide that all shops in a city, borough or town district except those where is carried on exclusively the business of a fishmonger, fruiterer, confectioner, coffee house-keeper or eating house-keeper, shall be closed in each week or afternoon of one working day at 1 o’clock. Captain Bussell said that it should be made compulsory to* close all shops on Saturday afternoon, and he should move to that effect when the proper time arrived.

Mr Reeves appealed to those who were desirous of seeing the Bill pass to stick to it as it is now. If Captain Russell’s proposed amendment were carried the Government would have nothing further to do with the Bill. He should be ho party to inflict a cast-iron Saturday half holiday bn the whole colony. Captain Russell moved to strike out the words fishmongers, fruiterers, and confectioners from Mr Reeves’ amendment, so that those shops should be closed with the other shops. ■ Lost by 43 to 9. The proposal to exempt poulterers, tobacconists, hairdressers and chemists, were all lost, and Mr Reeves’ amendment was agreed to without alteration. Mr Duthie moved that Saturday should be the half holiday. Mr Beeves strongly opposed this.

The motion was under consideration when the telegraph office closed at 2 a.m.