PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9178, 29 August 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (By Telegraph—Abridged from Press Association Report.) WELLINGTON, August 28. The Council met at 2.H0 p.m. The Coroners Amendment Bill was committed. A new clause was added providing for '.he payment of witnesses. The Christchurch City Sanitation Bill was read a second time. The Council rose until Wednesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Consideration of the Estimates was | resumed in connection with the Department of Labour vote (£27,162). The Hon. J. A. Millar, replying to members, stated that the cost of the Arbitration Court and Conciliation Boards had bsen roughly £B,BOO. The cost of the Board's enquiry into the Canterbury farm labourers' ,■ dispute had been £BOO. Seventy-two per cent of the fines imposed on the men between 1903 and 1908 had been collected, and of t,he fines on employers 90 per cent, had been collected. The Blackball miners had paid their fine and costs in full. Of the £1,350 fines imposed on slaughtermen, £(j?2 had been collected. The sum of £355 was owing by men who had left for Australia, but when they returned steps would be taken to collect the amount. Out of the 105 workers' dwellings erected, only two were unoccupied. A good deal of discussion ensued upon the question of cheap rents and homes for workers, and several members urged that homes should be erected in suburbs and adequate and cheap transit facilities provided. The House adjourned at 5.30.

The House resumed in Committee of Supply at 7.30. The Labour Department vote waß passed unaltered, as was the Public Health Department vote (£38,9]0) Mental Hospitals, Hospitals and Charitable AiJ Vote (£104,534), was then taken. Mr T. M, Wilford animadverted upon the high rate of insanity. There was inadequate accommodation for females. The Hon G. Fowkls said that this was temporniy until a new asylum was ready. Mr C. M. Gray urged the ne:essity for better classification. Mr W. W. Tanner said that people were sent -to mental hospitals who should never be there—the result of very bad classification. Mr.Fowlds stated that the Department was even now considering the selection of a site fur a new building which would permit of better classification.

Mr Wilford said, that when sjme patients at Sunnyside went to tie theatre they ha J to mix with raving lunatics. Obviously better classification was nec jssacy. The site for ' the new hospital should be selected without delay. The present wages of attendants was wretched.

Mr Tanner sai I that for years Miristers had made unfulfilled promisfs. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones contended tiat there had been much improved accommodation in recent years. Mr Fowlds stated that half-way houses were to be erected at various centres. \ Mr F. R. Flatman urged additional expenditure on canter research. The necessity for better medical aid in the back blocks was by several members.