PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9188, 10 September 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. BY TBLBGBAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, September 9. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 o'clock. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington Empowering Bill passed the third reading. The Second Ballot Bill was read a first time. The second reading was set down for Friday next. The Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill and Town Boards Act Amendment Bill were passed a third time. The Westport Harbour Board Loan Bill passed through Committee unamended, and was read a third time and passed. The Christchurch City Betterment Bill was read a second time. The Christchurch City Sanitation Empowering Bill was further considered in Committee and new clauses were added providing for the proportional payment of the cost of sanitary work by owners and occupiers of houses with at least one year's lease to run, tenants to pay one-twentieth of the cost. The Bill was referred to the Local Bills Committee to consider. The Rate of Interest 1o Counties Amendment Bill was taken in Committee. A new clause 'was inserted to provide that the Governor may on resolution of the Council of any county increase the number of ridings in any county to any number not exceeding twelve. The Bill was reported as amended. The Destitute Persons Amendment Bill .was put through Committee and reported unamended. The Canterbury College Empowering Bill, Lincoln Road Board Empowering Bill, New Plymouth Harbour Board Empowering Bill, Opunake Harbour Bill, and Inangahua County Empowering Bill, were read a second time. The Council adjourned at 4.55 o'clock.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 o'clock. Ministers replying to questions stated that the Classification Board being unable to complete the scheme'' of classification of the Civil Service for thi3 sess on all increases of pay will be dealt with on the supplementary estimates; that the Admiralty report on the proposed site for a harbour at Point Elizabeth is unfavou £ able. The cost of building the breakwater would probably exceed one and threequarter millions, and from a naval point of view the proposed harbour would be useless; that it would be inadvisable at present to make an alteration in the arrangements under which Cook Island fruits are carried over the New Zealand railways ; that in connection with the anomalous position in which manufacturers in this country are placed in relation to the Commonwealth Customs tariff, whereby we are regarded as a foreign country/ in the matter of duty, v.o steps have bet n taken to induce the Commonwealth authorities to make an exception in favour of the Dominion. The matter will be one for consideration in connection with the reciprocal agreements for nvjtual concessions: that it is no* intended to amend the law so that the Government will be responsible to local bodies for general rat?? on unlet section" of land bought by them for the pu'rp6s\-'"if tencl Lt settlements or workmen's homes. The House rose at 5.30 o'clock. The House resumed at 7.30 o'clock. C?.i?idera.ficn of the ."Station, Amendment Bill was resumed if* Committee. At clause 0 {the appointment of probationers), the Hon. G. Fowlda iti r'eply to questions sold that head teachers must to some extent be responsible for the training of probationers who would never be in sole charge of a clas3 though they might give lessons to a class. The term of a probationer was limited, to two years after which the probationerwould go to the Training College. The clause was passed. At clause 7 (salaries of teachers in public schools), Mr James Allen moved to omit the words in subsection 2, "so long as he remains in the same position."' This would preclude the possibility of a teacher suffering a reduction in salary except for inefficiency. Mr Malcolm wished to strike out the words at the end of subsection "to which he would have been entited" in order to insert words "which he is receiving at present." Mr Powds said this would increase the appropriation. At this stage the Premier drew attention to the fact that no Hansard reporters were present, ar.d asked on whose authority the new departure had been made. The Chairman of Committees stated that the chief of Hmsar j had informed him it was on the instruction of the Speaker. Progress was reported for the Speaker's explanation. The Speaker on taking the choir said that Harsard suffered under disabilities compared with the old House. Hansard was not required to report Commit cees except the Committee of Supply. The only report they took was the same as that taken by the Clerk of tne House. The only true official record of the proceedings was that contained in the Journals of the House. He did njt see the necessity for duplicating reports, and had therefore informed the Chief of Hansard that his reporters need not be coming in and out of the House eveiy few minutes to do nothing. Sir J. G. Ward disagreed with the decision of the Speaker, while admittirg he had acted for the best. v Ult:mately the Speaker agreed to the Hansard reporters being present.

Mr Malcolm's amendment was negatived by 41 votes t> 15.