PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3006, 1 October 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

! LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (By Telegraph —Abridged from Press Association Report.) WELLINGTON, September 30. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 o'clock. The Education Reserves Leases Validation Empowering Act, 1908, was read a first time. A Committee was appointed to consider the House's, disagreement with the Council's amendments to the Second Ballot Bill.

The Hon. J. Rigg, resuming the debate on the second reading of the Arbitration Bill, said that the Bill in its present state was an improvement on the existing law. He approved of the option of giving workers the right to strike or go to arbitration, and he defended the right of workers to strike. tie condemned the Arbitration Court to make an award in the farm labourers' dispute, and expressed the opinion that in refusing to make an award the Court ceeded its jurisdiction. The Hon. S. T. George contended that the small number of strikes during the last eighteen years was not due to the existence of the Arbitration Court, but to the fact that; the country liad passed through a long series of prosperous years. He expressed dissatisfaction with the constitution of the Conciliation Councils under the Bill. The Coinmitteu recommended the Council to adhere to the amend' ments in the Second Ballot Bill because the five hundred majority was inconsistent with the principles of the Bill, and because an amendment to Clause 19 was necessary. The Council endorsed the Committee's recommendation, and adjourned at 5 o'clock. HOUSE OF/ REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at i!.3Q o'clock.

Ministers topliel as follows to questions: —It ia not nossiule to widen the borrowing powers under the Government LnaiH to Local Bodies Act; when the Manuwatu railway was taken over, goods conveyed over that line will be subject to a Government scale of i hainej in operation at the time

Sir W. J. St'w m-., without notice, asked the Premier whether he could make a statement regarding the dalays in the paying of advances agreed to by the Advances to Settlers Department. Sir J. G. Ward said if the course followed out lately in regard to this department were persisted in he would Dt. reluctantly co npelied to instruct the departm°nt to stop all further lending operainns until the loans alreadv agreed to had been completed. Three hundred thousand pounds had been advanced, and i f t hey went on at that rate it would be impossible to meet all demands. Everybody had a light to consideration, but if an attempt was made to bring pressure to bear, he would be obliged, with great regret, to instruct the department to suspend further operations for a time.

The Railways Committee, reporting on the petition of Samuel Vaile, fraying for a trial of his railway zone system, recommended the matter to the consideration of the Government. This course was adopted. The House resumed at 7.30 p m. A Committee of Managers was appointed to confer with a similar committee of the Legislative Council relative to the Council's insistence upon amendments to the Second Ballot Bill. In the discussion on the appointment of managers, Mr Massey complained that they were all from one side of the House, which was giossly unfair. To which Sir J. G.. Ward replied : "I am not going to let you get the windward of me." He further said that the Opposition had moved Heaven a'id Earth to 'kill thu Bill, and he would be doing a gross injustice to the [louse if he asked that one manager should bo selected from amongst its opponents. Sir J. G. Ward moved the second reading of the Navail Subsidy Bill, providing that during a period of ten years, commencing May 12th, 1909, a subsidy of one hundred thousand pounds shall be paid out-of the consolidated fund to the Imperial Government in aid of the Imperial Navy, such subsidy to supersede any subsidy payable under the Naval Defence Act, J9OB. The Premier explained that the subsidy was not loaded with any conditions, -and he Jelt no elaboration was needed on his part to recommend the Bill io the House.

Mr W. F. Massey expressed eatisartion at having a Bi'lJ before the House over which thetve was practicaly no difference of opinion. All recognised that we mrst bear, our fair share of the cost of Imperiail defence if we wanted our commerce protected. He hoped a British squadron of warships u/uutld visit tfeo Dominion to inspire us with a sense of the power of the Empire. Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, in supporting the Bill, said that he thought that we should have a national system of defence with, if necessary, compulsory service ultimately. We should follow the noble example of Australia.

Mr T. Mackenzie argued that it was inevitable that Roo'ier'or later the yellow races must overrun, these rich, but sparsely populated countries. It was necessary therefore that young men shoukl do their duty in the matter of defence.

After further discussion the i-Jill was read a second time. Sir J. G. Ward moved the second iveadingof the Government Advances to Settlers Amendment Bill for increasing from £5.000,000. to £6,M0,000 the sum at the disposal of the Department and from £200.000 to £SOG„Q<)O monies of the advances to workers' branch to extend the usefulness of the Department. Mr Massey said that he supported the'Bill, but thought too much money was being borrowed locally by the Government.