PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9154, 30 July 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(By Telegraph—Abridged from Press Association Report).

The Council met at 2.30 o'clock,

The Incorporated Societies Bill was read a third time and passed. The New Zealand Society of Accountants Bill was recommitted, and iiinor amendments made. The Council adjourned at 2.55 o'clock till Friday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 o'clock. Ministers replied as follows to questions*—That Mr Moore has heen ' sent, or authorised by the Government, to examine into the conditions of prohibition in the United Statja or elsewhere; that the matter of instituting a searching enquiry into the timber industry of the Dominion is receiving the attention of the Government; arrangements have been made to give employment to a large number of men on various railway works; the suggestion to issue free railway passes to Auckland and back to Mayors and their wives during the visit of-the Fleet cannot be approved; the Government cannot see its way to further reduce the tariff. On the report of the Committee recommending to the , Government s favourable consideration the petitkn of an old and honoured Christchurcn resident for the old age pension from which he had been debarred because he has a small residential property, a general discussion arose, showing the general opinion of the House was strongly in favour of an amendment to the Pensions Act in the direction of not debarring old people from the benefit of the Act because (1) thrift has enableJ them to make small provision; (2) of not cancelling a pension for five years for exceptional cases of drunkenness, which is equivalent to a fine of 10s weekly for that term, and (3) of not absolutely debarring old residents of good character simply because they are unable to produce documentary evidence of tlieir age. The report of the Petitions Cor; - mittee on the petition of John Freebody, who many years ago was wrongly imprisoned and now petition-, ed for assistance until he readied tue old age pension stage was* presented recommending favourable considera-» tion of the petition. The Premier remarked that the case was an unusual one, being thnt of a man who 23 years ago had fceen wrongfully impnsoueo, aiiU wno nuvv in his old age found himself in want: The representations made would receive favourable consideration. The House adjourned at 5 30. o'clock. The Housr re3umtd at 7.30 o'clock. Mr A. W. Hoeg moved the second reading of the Flour Duty Bill. He said that while admitting that tlei Trpasurv Bench and th« front OpP' -' sition Bench formed too strong an opposition 10 enable in in ty ..»> tret the Bill through he would never relax his effort to abolis i the iniquitous bread tax. The second reading wa3 lost by' 33 votes to 22. Mr R. McKer.zie, for Hon. A. R. G Minn ess, moved the second reading of thf honrs of Underground Wor ,r • ers Bill, the object of which was to limit the day's work to eight houis with overtime thereafter and halihour for meal time; these conditions to be unalterable uy any AroitrgijVu Court. several membra atror.g'y supported the Bill. The Bill was read a -ccond time on the voices, and referred to the Mir,os Committee. Mr F. M. B. Fisher moved tha second reading of the Destitute IV*sons Act Amendment Bill, which was carried on the voices. ,Mr G. Witty moved 'the second reading of the Auctioneers' Amendment Bill requiring an auctioneer to take out licenses in the district where they did the bulk of their business, also to compel them to sell to the highest bjdder. Some members opposed the Bill in its present form, but the second reading was agreed to on the voicesl The second reading of the local Elections Act Amendment Bill to amend a technica' defect in the principal Act was carried on the voices. The House rose at 11.38 |>.m.