PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8485, 12 July 1907, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

(Abridged from Press Association Report.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, July 11. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 o'clock. The Hon. C. M. Luke (Wellington), resuming the debate on the Address-in-Reply, said that he was not so sanguine as Sir Joseph Ward respecting the 21 days service between Vancouver and New Zealand, and did not expect to see 25 knot steamers running between these ports for the next 20 years. The speaker then went on to deal with commercial matters. He regretted that the Government did not intend to appoint a committee to deal with the tariff question. Although there was industrial prosperity here there were industries which for lack of encouragement did not participate in the prosperity and he contended that, with proper encouragemßnt, many commodities now imported would be manufactured in the colony. Touching lightly on land legislation he averred that any Land Bill that provided for endowments for the support of the great departments of the State was step in the right direction, and he condemned the attitude of those who wished to acquire the freehold of their leaseholds at the original value as iniquitous. * The Hon. G. J. Smith (Canterbury) said that he hoped a 21 days between New Zealand and England would be effected within the next five years. Referring to the tariff, he did not think that manufacturers should ask for protection beyond what would place them on a level in competition with other lands. He entirely approved of the reservation of Crown lands for endowments. He advocated giving more encouragement to the volunteer force. The Hon. H. F. Wigram (Canterbury) spoke briefly of the slaughtermen's strike, which he condemned. The prosperity of the last few years was, in a measure, due to the increase of the gold production of the world. Undoubtedly the workers were not getting their fair shai-e of the prosperity of the country, and by workers he meant civil servants, teachers and others who were receiving fixed salaries. The Hon. R. A. Loughnan (Wellington) moved the adjournment of the debate, and the Council rose at 4.25 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. A NEW BILL. TiieaNew Zealand and South African Customs Treaty Ratification Bill was read a first time. TRUSTEES ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The Trustees Act AmendmDnt Bill passed its second reading. MARRIAGES VALIDATION ACT ' AMENDMENT BILL. Sir W. J. Steward, i.i ir.r/ing the j second reading of ths Marriagoa Validation Act Amendment Biii, said that previous to the passing of the Act, marriage with a deceased wife's niece and a deceased's husband's nephew was valid, and the amendment sought to make ali such future marriages legal. Mr D. Reid, junr., (Taieri) was opposed to the amendment. Cases might arise where marriage with a deceased's wife's sister was very desirable, and the effect of the amendment would be to place a niece in competition with a mother. Mr Hone Heke (Northern Maori) agreed with the Bill. It was entirely in accord with the customs of his people, and he had no objection to it. Mr F. R. Flatman (Geraldine) expressed approval of validating such marriages as had been contracted, but was opposed to perpetuating sucli marriages. The second reading was lost by 40 votes to 39. DIVORCE ACT AMENDMENT. Mr G. Laurenson (Lyttelton) introduced the second reading of the Divorce Act Amendment Bill, which seeks to make seven years continuous confinement in a lunatic asylum sufficient grounds for divorce. ' Mr Hone Heke could not see why I confinement in an asylum should be sufficient reason for dissolving the 1 marriage tie. j Messrs -F. M. B. Fisher and T. Mackenzie considered that Mr Laurenson should express his reasons for introducing the Bill. Mr T. M. Wilford said that he intended to move in committee an amendment to make a life sentence of imprisonment for attempted murder, and drunkenness coupled with cruelty, grounds for a divorce. The second reading was carried by 49 to 20. LAW PRACTITIONERS ACT AMENDMENT. Mr Laurenson introduced, without comment, the Law Practitioners Act Amendment Bill, which seeks to make it legal for any person of good character to conduct, prosecute or defend any action, suit, or other proceeding in the Magistrate's Court. Mr J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) asked what was the use of having Jaw schools if they were going to allow anyone to appear m the lower courts. Mr Fisher said he intended to support the Bill as the legal profession was a close corporation and the profession aimed at keeping it so. The Bill was for the purpose of reducing lawyers' charges. Mr Wilford said that Mr Fisher displayed his inconsistency inasmuch as under the Bill any person acting for another in the Courts could charge whatever he liked. Mr W. Symes (Patea) said the Bill would allow any ignorant person who could gull another into allowing him to appear in Court to fleece him. If they allowed the Bill to pass, why not allow anyone to practice as a chemist or veterinary surgeon.

Mr Laurenson, replying, argued that in the Arbitration Court it had been proved that cases progressed better where lawyers were not employed. If the Bill became law it would certainly do a great amount of good. The second reading was carried by 39 votes to 30. SESSIONAL COMMITTEES. The House resumed at 7-30. The Premier asked leave to suspend ! the orders of the day to enable the Sessional Committees to be set up. Mr Massey offered no objection to the suggestion, but said that he knew several members of the House who were away who would not have been absent had they known that the Sess:onal Committees were to be set up. A discussion took place on the Lands Committee, which is as follows:—Messrs Duncan, Ell, W. Fraser, Greenslade, Hall, Hogan, Lang, Lawry, Lewis, Macpherson. Mills, Remington, Syrnes, Witty and McNab. Mr McNab explained that the proposed committee was representative of the land districts of the colony. The Opposition was represented by one member from Otago, one from Canterbury, and one from Auckland. Eight of those elected were resident south of Cook Strait and seven north oi it. Mr Massey said that the committee was better than last year, but could still be improved. The Premier deprecated any attempt to raise geographical differences. The questions the committee had to deal with would be national ones. Mr Lang thought that committees should be chosen from members who represented districts where there were large areas of Crown lands. The Minister, in reply, said that if Mr Lang's idea were followed, the great bulk of the members would have to come from Otago. Members thought that all the Crown lands to be settled were in the Auckland district. Take away the native lands, and there was only about 1,800,000 acres in the Auckland district. There were five and a quarter million acres in Otago. (Cries of "No!") The Minister maintained that this was so. Greater care had been taken in the selection of this than any other committee. The motion was carried. The remainder of the usual Sessional Committees were set up. PUBLI .■ TRUST OFFICE AMENDMENT BILL. The Premier introduced the second reading of the Public Trust Office Amendment Bill having for its object the giving of authority to the Public Trustee to deal with the properties of persons who have left the colony without leaving anyone in charge of their affairs and who could not be found. Sir Joseph Ward said that there was a need for an amendment in the law, and Clause 2 was really the important part of the Bill. Some very distressing cases had bee i brought under his notice. He did not propose to mention all, but could relate the case of a man who 'eft his wife and family in the colony without making provision for their maintenance. This man had disci and was possessed of property in tl.} colony. It was to meet such cases that the Bill had been intro duced. Mr Massey said that whilst approving of the Bill he thought too much power would be placed in the hands of the Public Trustee. The motion was carried co. the ' voices. I PURE FOODS BILL, The Hon. G. Fowlds, in introducing the second reading of ths Pure Foods Bill, stated that it was the same as the Bill submitted to the House last year with minor amendments. The present measure was the result of a study of measures that had been adopted in other States and countries. It had been found that in the sale of foodstuffs many articles "were sold which were not what they were represented to be. Many manufacturers had expressed themselves in favour of legislation in the direction of preventing the flooding of the markets with articles that were not what they seemed to be. The question of milk inspection and the weight of bread came under the Bill, and the indulger in Scotch or Irish whisky would also be protected from having a chemical compound sold to him as the genuine article. Mr Wilford said that articles sold in tins —coffee, mustard, etc.—should be marked with fie net weight of j the contents. In many cases the purchasers of a pound of coffee got only 13 ounces, the balance in weight being taken up by the tin. Mr J. G. W. Aitken (Wellington East), stated that it was quite possible to make good condensed milk from skim milk, and medical men in England had stated that after the butter fat had been taken from milk and sugar added it was of better value as a food than the pure article. He was pleased with the Bill as presented. Mr C. H. Poole (Auckland West) said that much adulterated focd was imported, and Customs officers should be instructed to analyse the imports, which if found adulterated should be forfeited and not allowed to pass. Such a practice would putect the retailer. The Bill had his approval. Mr F. M. B. Fisher congratulated the Minister on the introduction of the Bill. The second reading was carried on the voices. The House adjourned at 11.25 p.m.