PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9177, 28 August 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (By Telegraph—Abridged from Press Association Report.) WELLINGTON, August 27. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. W. D. H. Baillie moved" that the Government consider the advisability of amending the law relating to the registration of deaths so that every death should be notified by a medica man, after having tested the radial artery. The mover pointed.out that statistics showed that a considerable number of persons were buried alive in England, and there weret wo instances in Welling- . ton of persons who had been revived after certified as dead, and also one / in Palmerston North. '■ The Attorney-General said that it was desirable that medical men should only give a' certificate of death of a patient after a personal examination of the body. The Hon. W. E. Collins supported the motion He said that medical men frequently found people who were afraid of being buried alive. He, however, had never come across a case where a person certified to as dead had come to life, nor did he ever know, of a medical man who did. Still, as there might be some slight chance of a person being buried alive he would be glad to see an amendment in the Act in the direction indicated. In the case of still born children, he thought burial should not take pla:e until the body had been see by a medical man. The Hons. W. C. F. Cairncroai and W. W. McCardle had each heard of an instance in which a body laid out for burial had been revived at the last moment. The Hon. J. B. Call an moved the second reading of the Quackeries Prevention Bill, which had been received from the House. After a brief discussion, during which the Attorney-General expressed general approval of the Bill, the second reading was carried on the voices. The Council rose at 5.15 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

In the House of Representatives Mr A. E. Remington drew the attention of the Speaker to the fact that a person in his electorate, standing as a Labour candidate, had written to him stating that if he (Mr. Remington) obtained a billet for him he would not oppose the sitting member at the election. The hon. mem-" ber asked if that were not' a breach or privilege. The Speaker said that it was not so, but it was objectionable. The Oamaru Harbour Board Loan Bill and the Christchurch City Betterment Bill were «ead a third time. . The Opunake Harbour Bill and New Plymouth Harbour Board Empowering Bill and the Auckland (Symonds Street) Cemeteries Bill were r?ad a second time. The Revenue Act B\\] was read a second ftifle. prs forma. The Police Qffoneea Bill was committed-■, Mr T. K, Sidey proposed, a ne\y Section to prevent Sunday trading by small shopkeepers. The afflend?nen> r/as lost. __ The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. 'ion Taupo No. 2 Block Bill passed the Committee stage. The Town Boards Amendment Bill was committed. ~. . Mr F. Mander moved the following new clause:—"The provisions of sec- " tion 174 of the Public Health Act in so far as they limit the amount for separate rates that may be made shall not apply to any town district." The Hon. J. Millar objected on the ground that it would take the town districts from the operation of the Public Health Act. '

Eventually Mr Manders withdrew* the proposed new clause in favour of" the following one drafted by the. Minister:—"ln any district in which there are no sewerageworks i* - shall be lawful for a board in lieu of a sewerage rate under section 60 of the Public Hualth Act, 1908, to levy a uniform annual fee on the occupier of every property on which a house is erected, but such fee shall not exceed one pound on each occupied property." The clause was, agreed to, and progress was reported. In moving the, committal of th« Education Bill, the Hon. G. Fowlds said that the measure mada a great improvement in the Education \ Act, and would make a great im- ' provement in the education system of the Dominion. The objects were to improve the status of teachers, and to increase the staffing of schools, and both would be to the benefit of the educational system. It was advisableto limit ;he number of uncertificated teachers, and encourage teachers to go in for certificates. The training colleges, he believed, were capable of training all teachers required for the Dominion. The proportion of male teachers was satisfactory. The new j scale provided not only for an increase of salaries, but for a better system of promotion. The Hon. Mr Fowlds quoted statistics showifig that the salaries paid in the Dominion compare favourably with those paid in England. Further, it was provided that no teacher's salary should be reduced for two years after the grade had been decreased owing to the fall in the average attendance. The Minister contended that the average attendance was the best basis on which to calculate the size and importance of a school, but pointed out that salaries did not under the present regulations vary with the variations in the average attendance. The largest proportion of increased salaries provided by the Bill were naturally given to those in smaller schools. The Bill provided for a fixed salary for teachers in schools with over nine children. One feature of the Bill was that the salary increased, even though the teacher remained in the same position. No scheme of promotion of teachers could possibly succeed unless the Boards had power to transfer teachers. He maintained that a committee would be in a better position than before. It was a legitimate thing to trust Boards with the powers contained in the Bill. They would not dare to do anything irnproppr. It was proposed to substitute adult for pupil teachers, and when the second schedule came into operation it would be necessary to have 725 adult teachers.