PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3001, 25 September 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Abridged from Press 1 Association Report. WELLINGTON, September 24. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 o'clock. The Attorney-General said that the Government had hoped to formulate a scheme to provide the landless Natives of New Zealand with land at the conclusion of the Native Lands Commission. The Public Works Amendment Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statute Revision Convnittee. The Judiciary Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The-Attorney-General said that it was obvious that it could not pass this session, and would be gone on with next session. The Fire Brigades Amendment Bill was dealt with in Committee. An amendment was made to subclause 4. section 6, increasing the borrowing powers of Boards to £IO,OOOI Another amendment provides for Superintendents at all"- reasonable time to cause a brigade to carrry out such evolutions as an Inspector requ ; re» on a visit of inspection.

The Council adjourned at 4.45 o'clock. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 o'clock; The House resumed consideration of the Industrial Conciliation Bill in Committee. The Hon. iJ. A. Millar moved a new clause (26a) regarding the appointment of Conciliation Corrmiasioners, the chief feature of which being subsection 1, which enables the Governor to appoint such persons as he thinks fit (not exceeding four in number) as Conciliation Commissioners. After considerable discussion, the.Minister aai' 1 + ■ was prepared to insert a new subsection, providing that in any case where, on a distmte arisiner. a Conciliation Commissioner should not be available immediately, the Government should have power to appoint a special Conciliator ac a fe<s 6- .- lermined by regulation.

On the motion of the Hon. A. R. Guinness, words were insertei in the Hon. Mr Millar's new sub o c,ti<v" regarding the appointmeut of special Acting-Commissioners, declaring that such temporary officers shall, during the term of appointment,, .have, the same powers, and exercise the sarne jurisdiction, as permanent Commissioners. X The new clause as amended v'asT agreed to.

Mr Millar moved a new clause amending section 92 of the principal Act, by the insertion of a paragraph in subsection 1, giving the Arbitration Court: power to amend the provisions of an award where such amendment is deemed necessary or advisable by reason of any alteration of the circumstances in which the award was m"'s or in matters to which it relates. Tne House adjourned at 5.30 o'clock. Discussion on tbf> Arbitration Bill was resumed at 7.30 o'clock. Mr A. W. Hogg moved a n*w / clause—"the cities of Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunecin V shall be deeded separate industrial districts." He argued that conditions iii tne country aiuered raun.aily iruuu those prevailini; in cities. % Mr Millar declined to accept tie amendment, contending that to obtain uniformity of industrial corditions and prevent unfair competition large industrial districts were inaisr pensjble. ' ' . Mr Hogg's motion was negatived by 40 votes to 23. Mr Herries moved a new clause, making the provisions of this Act apd~ the principal Act apply to* workers under the Crown who are unclassified. The clause was rejected by 46 votes* to 17. ' ' .

Dr. Chappie moved a new clause, providing for a bonus wage in a court award to any class of worker holding a certificate of attendance at Tech- , nical School classes, relating to trade or industry in which the worker was engaged. ' The motion was lost by 48 to 9. Mr Poland moved a new clause providing that it any assessor, being: a is dismissed from his employment the employer may be called ' upon to show that the dismissal was on account of such appointment. Mr Millar declined to accept the clause, but proposed to meet its object by amending Section 109 qf the j principal Act , by adding after the word "agreement" the words "or who has acted as an assessor.".

Mf Polland dissented from this* as ~' Clause 109 had been a dead letter. Mr Poland's motion was rejected by 42 to 19. The Hon. A. R. Guinness moved t> amend the Act to compel the Court > to hear all proceedings in connection with a dispute in the industrial' district in which such dispute arose. ' The motion was rejected by 54 votes to 26. The Bill was reported with amendments. The Hon. J. McGowan moved the second reading of the Mining Amendment Bill, proposing a number of machinery amendments in the princir pal Act. ' Messrs Herries and Poland regretted that the Bill was not more comprehensive. It gave n6 assistance to an industry which required assiitan(ie. ,