PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10306, 5 August 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

THE ADDKESS-IN-REPLY

By Telegraph—Tress Association

WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Legislative Cour-cV ~et at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. Mr Ban-, after briefly referring to Imperial affairs, admitted j that there were reasons why some per- j sons should Object to universal mill- ( tary training-; but he considered that > the youth of New Zealand required dis- ; cipline. He referred to the necessity for educating our girls in the matter of domestic duties. They should be more useful than ornamental. He complained that of the girls assisted to come to the Dominion, many of them were not qualified for the work, and some, he was sorry to say, were undesirable. Someone should be sent Home to supervise the immigration, and see that the right class was sent out. Dealing with the question of Arbitration and Conciliation, he did i not think the wholesale criticism of : the Judge was justified. What was wanted was something to strengthen the. conciliation portions of the Act. He Sid not consider the Judge should have thft. power he possessed. When agreements had been arrived at by both parties, these should be law. He thought tho time had arrived when there should be a radical alteration in the Arbitration Court. Experts should be appointed to'deal with the special matters referred to the Court. The Hon. Mr Senkinson took strong exception to MrTlerdraan's reference to the character--of the Legislative Council, during the hitter's speech in Wanganui a few days ago, and said the words used were not fit to be repeated in the' Council. He, with others,, regretted the circumstance leading to the retirement of Mr Mac'"donald from the 'Council, but he 'thought that if his example was followed in regard te one other member, the majority of uh© Council would be pleased. J Tbe Speaker here called the Hon. Mr Jenkinson to order, on the ground that his remarks mignt "be considered a reflection upon a member of the Council.

The Hon. Mr Jenkinson, .referring to other subiects, objected 'to the appointment of Foreign Consuls or Consular agents to the Council. Referring to the honours conferred by the King, he said that, generally speaking, he had. no. objection to them, where the honours had been earned; but he took exception to the title conferred upon Dr. Findlay. He regretted having to speak in this strain. The Speaker again called the hon. gentleman to order, and he promptly acquiesced in the ruling, remarking thatT he would deal with the matter when Dr. Findlay returned. Referring to the Governor's Speech, he regretted that the Government had not announced a bold policy. As for the satisfactory results claimed for the Imperial Conference, the only tangible result was the setting up of a Commission to inquire into the commercial relations between the Oversea Dominions and the Motherland. The debate was adjourned, and the Council rose.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

TAHITI ISLAND

In the House of Representatives this afternoon, replying to Mr.Massey, the Acting-Prime Minister said the Government had noticed a cablegram in the papers concerning a proposal that France should cede Tahiti to Germany in return for a free hand in Morocco. . The Government had the matter under consideration, and would take such.steps.as it deemed advisable. Probably other colonial Governments would be communicated with in order to ascertain what steps they proposed to take, with a view to concerted action.

ADDRESS-IN4IEPLY DEBATE. Continuing the Address-in-Reply : debate, Mr T. Y.. Seddqn complained of the lack of railway enterprise on the West Coast, especially towards the rich foi'est country,of the south. - Mr W. T. Jennings having replied, the Addfess-in-Reply was adopted, j, MENTAL DEFECTIVES BILL. The Hon. G. Fo>vlds moved the second reading of the Mental Defectives Bill, which ho explained dealt not'only" with lunatics,.,but, mentally defective, people. The dahgir of alloAving-these , latter at large was, he said, their fertility, which was greater than that of strong-minded members of the community. The Bill provided for an annual report on all cases. ■• Mr Massey approved of the principle of the Bill. Referring to a newspaper paragraph regarding the overcrowding of the Avondale Asylum, Mr Massey said if this was correct it disclosed a shocking state of affairs, amounting to a public scandal. Mr Massey, continuing his remarks, said he dared not think what would happen in the event of a fire in the Avondale Asylum. He urged that it was a case for a Royal Commission of men experienced in such matters. He had just received a letter from an exrpatient, now cured, who stated that the patients, upon first entering, were sent to a refractory ward, which was the closest imitation to Hell imaginable, i The Hon. G. Fowlds said that was not the practice. Mr G. M. Thomson held that it was necessary to make provision for defective children.

Mr Fisher suggested that the Bill be first sent to a Committee, which could examine expert witnesses. The Bill should not be placed on the Statute Book until it had the fullest consideration, and expert evidence was necessary as a guide to the lay mind. Mr Field said that if the mental institutions continued to be administered by the efficient staff now. in charge, good would result. The question of the fertility of the unfit should have the fullest consideration of the House. Mr E. H. Taylor suggested, the practicability of drawing the attention of people through the Hospital Boards and School Committees to the necessity for the treatment of mental troubles in children. The boarding-out system provided for in the Bill would require careful consideration. Mr Laurenson quoted figures showing the largly-increased proportion of population in asylums compared with 30 years ago. Now there was one in 290, as against one in 530. He congratulated the Minister upon introducing another Bill for bettering the position of unfortunates. He was under the impression that insufficient money wasspent on these institutions. Mr Han-an thought money would be well spent in establishing institutions

I for the care of feeble-minded children. i Mr Clarke offered the suggestion . ' that the Eugenic Society should be | I empowered to visit and report on the j feeble-ariinded. J Messrs Witty. Bollard, and Te J \ Rangihiroa continued the debate, Mr Holland considering Mr Massey's statement* .regarding the state of the Avondale Asylum grossly exaggerated. I Mr Fowlds, in reply, said he was not prepared to say that the Avondale Asylum was not overcrowded, and seriously overcrowded at that. He had looked well ahead when the institution | at Tokaanu was being designed. He \ was to blame in a measure for not j i having the work done more quickly, ; but : it• unuse bo remembered that they had an abnormally high rate of admission to the Asylums last year The admissions were especially high in the Auckland district. The buildings which were to be erected would be proceeded with as quickly as possible, and within a few months the position would be relieved. With regard to a Royal Commission, Mr.Massey had a mania for them. He (Mr Massey) would spend as much money on these as would be necessary to cope with the whole question. With regard to the statement that new patients were put ' into a refractory ward when they arrived at the asylum, no superintendent would do such a thing. The statej ments.'in regard to long hours of atj tendants were exaggerated. Members j had to remember that heavy expendi- \ ture was necessary to, carry out the j needed works. It was no small mat- ! tert*) get sufficient money for the nec- , es«<iry extension of mental hospitals. The "Bill was read a second time, j The House rose at 11 p.m.