GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 353, 13 October 1898, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. TUESDAY. OLD AGE PENSIONS BILL. This Bill was read a first time. ASSETS REALISATION BOARD. On the motion of Mr Stevens, the Minister for Education agreed to furnish a return of all the properties remaining under the control of the Assets Realisation Board, showing the areas of the various holdings, with details of the stock carried thereon and the gross revenue from lands under each heading, MUNICIPAL FRANCHISE REFORM. The Minister for Education moved that the Council should not agree to the amendments on the Municipal Franchise Reform Bill which the House of Representatives had refused to accept. The Council divided after a brief debate, the Minister's resolution being carried by one vote. The following is the division list : Ayes (15) : Messrs Richardson, McCullough, Harris, W. C. Smith, Arkwright, Kerr, Rigg, Jones, Jenkinson, A. L. Smith, Feldwick, Pinkerton, Jennings, Bolt and Walker. Noes (14) : Messrs L. Walker, Bailey, Bonar, Barnicoat, Stewart, Swanson, Shriuiski, Maogicgor, Stevens, Oliver, Johnston, Grace, McLean and Montgomery. KAURI GUM BILL. In moving the second reading of the Kauri Gum Industry Bill the Minister for Education emphasised the necessity for conserving the Northern gumfieldß, which had been of great value to the colony. The measure was not drafted with a view to making any class distinctions, but to guard the interests of the colony. The second reading was agreed to without division, and' the measure was referred to the Waste Lands Committee. WEDNESDAY. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES. In reply to Mr Macgregor, the Minister for Education said the Government will consider the desirability of bringing down a Bill next session to amend the law as to Provident and Industrial Societies by bringing the law into conformity with the Imperial Act. WAGES PROTECTION. The greater part of the afternoon was devoted to debatiug the question that the Wages Protection Bill be committed. The speakers traversed the whole scope of the measure in its relations to the evidence taken before the Labour Bills Committee. Mr McLean moved as a hostile amendment that the committal be postponed for three months. The debate had not concluded when the hour for adjournment arrived, and therefore it was postponed till uext day. The Council rose at 4.55 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TUESDAY. THE WORK OF THE SESSION. Mr Seddon intimated that the Government proposed taking the most important Bills this week, and if good progress were made with them the Loan Bill would be taken on Friday night. Next week consideration of the General Estimates would be taken, and a day would be set apart for the debate on the Public Works Statement. It was not intended to take the consideration of the Public Works Estimates till the General Estimates were finished. A careful selection would be made of the Bills which it was considered necessary to pass, and these would be brought to the top of the Order Paper. Opportunities would also be given to discusa the reports on the Vaccination petition, and of the Wellington and Lyttelton Steam Service Committee, and also a resolution respecting the control of the officers of the House. SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION BILL. The amendments made in the Shearers' Accommodation Bill by the Legislative Council were agreed to by 35 to 25. NATIVE LANDS LAWS. Mr Carroll moved the secoud reading of the Native Land Laws Amendment Bill, No. 2, which provides that when natives hand their lands over to trustees it shall not be necessary to pay stamp duty After a short discussion the second reading was agreed to. MASTER AND APPRENTICES BILL. The Master and Apprentices Bill was further considered in committee. Clause 7, no young person to be employed at skilled handicraft unless duly apprenticed. Mr R. Thompson moved an amendment on the period on which girls may be taken on probation, increasing it from three to six months. It was contended in a lengthy discussion which ensued that three months would be 'sufficient for an employee to determine whether or cot a young person was suitable for the trade. On the other hand it was argued that any extension of the period would mean a return to the present undesirable system of taking girls on for a period without paying wages, and then dispensing with their services. Mr Thompson's amendment to Clause 7 was agreed to by 3') to 26. Mr Seddon suggested that different periods should he fixed, according to the size of the town in which a young person on probation is employed. Other members suggested as a compromise that employers should be allowed to employ girls and boys on probation for four months. Mr Taylor moved that the period should be three months.for boys and girls. This was negatived by 35 to 23. Mr Miller moved an additional subclause to provide that no person shall receive less than 2s 6d per week as wages during the period of probation. This was agreed to, after a brief discussion. On the motion of Mr J. Allen, the clause was amended to provide that a young person who has qualified himself as a journeyman, but has not been apprenticed, may be employed. Mr Brown- moved to further amend the clause by the insertion of a proviso that it should only apply to boroughs containing more than 4000 population. This was negatived on the voices, and the clause as amended was agreed to by 40 to 16. Clause 14, wages of apprentices. On the motion of Mr Holland, the clause was amended to provide that wages shall be regulated by the standard rate of wages paid to journeymen, in the followiug manner :—lO per cent, during the first, 15 instead of 20 per cent, during the second, 25 instead of 30 for the third, and 35 instead of 40 during the fourth quarter of the term of apprenticeship. The clause was agreed to. A new clause, proposed by .Mr Moore, declaring that the Act shall come into operation in January, 1900, instead of 1899, was negatived by the voices. A new clause proposed by Mr Millar to prohibit eniployor.s demanding premiums, was negatived on the voices. Mr Seddon moved that the following schedule of the trades to be classed handicrafts : Bakers and pastry-cooks, blacksmiths, boiler-makers, book-binders, vellum-binders, and paperrulen, bootmakers (clicking department, benching department, finishing department), bricklayers, butchers, cabinetmakers, upholsterers, French-polishers, carpenters, joiners, and wood-workers, coaehmakcrs (bod) -makers, earriag-2-)u»k>-.n:, painters, wheelers, trimmers, smiths, and vicetnen, or fitters), cofnpositoiH and machinists, confectioners, o)(j\i<;rn, dressmakers and mantlemakers, CNgiiifc<;i'« (smiths, fitters, lurners, patternmakers, millwrights, machinists, hrass finisher*), mechanical draughtsmen *ud coppwsmiths, hattersr, founders,

lithographic printers, millers, painters, paperhangers, grainers, writers, glaziers and house decorators, plasterers, gasfitters, plumbers, and tinsmiths, saddlers (collarmakers, harnessmakers, brid'ecutters and brown saddlers), shipwrights, stonemasons, tailoresses (coat-making, coat - machining, vest • making, vestmachining, trousers-making, trousersmachining, moles and mole-machinins), tailors, tanuers and curriers, watchmakers. After discussion butchers were struck out, and book-finishers and milliners were added. The term founders was further defined by the addition of the words " brass and iron." The motion to strike out millers was negatived by 30 to 24. The term millers was defined by the addition of " oatmeal and flour." Sailmakers and riggers were added, and tinsmiths was amended to exempt those engaged in tinning meats or fruit White smiths were added, and the schedule agreed to by 33 to 15. The "Rill was reported with the amendments, and the House adjourned at 1 a.m. The intermediate clauses not noticed above were passed without amendment. WEDNESDAY. The House met at 2.30 p m. NATIVE LAND LAWS. The Native Land Laws Amendment Bill, No. 2, was committed. Mr G. Hutchison moved that the chairman leave the chair. He did this, he said, as a protest against Ministers refusing to reply to questions and not adhering to the Order Paper, the Bill now under consideration being the second on the paper, while the first order, the consideration of the amendments in the Masters and Apprentices Bill, had been postponed owing to the temporary absence of Mr Seddon. Hou. McEenzie pointed out that his intention in doing what he had was to facilitate the business. After discussion, the motion was negatived. Clause 1, short title, was agreed to. Clause 2, scope and meaning of Section 3 of the Native Land Laws Amendment Act. 1897. Mr G. Hutchison moved to strike pat the provision in the clause, declaring that stamp duty shall not be deemed to have been payable on any transaction under Section 3 of last year's Act. _He asked if there had been any negotiations under Section 3 of last year's Act. Hon. Mr Carroll said there had been several transactions, but he could not give any particulars of the.n. One of the transactions was in connection with the laud owned by Wi Pere. He pointed out that it was never intended liy last year's Act that stamp duties should be paid iu cases where the lands were transferred to trustees. After a lengthy discussion the amendment was negatived on the voices. Mr Pirani moved to amend the clause in the direction of abolishing stamp duties on any disposition of native land. After a brief debate this was negatived by 34 to 20. Mr Hutchison moved an amendment to the effect that the words " Lands under title of any description," iu Section 3 of last year's Act shall not extend to any lands owned or vested in any nativts by any private Act. The amendment was negatived, and the remaining clauses of the Bill agreed to. The Bill waa reported without amendment. On the question of the third reading, Mr Rolleston strongly objected to the measure. Mr Ward spoke in support of it. Mr G. Hutchison pointed out that the hill had been made retrospective for the benefit of Wi Pefe, on whom a demand for £2OOO had been made in connection with the transfer by him to a trustee Mr Wi Pere said he admitted he had taken advantage of the Act of 1897, but it had failed in its object. The reason he had taken advantage of the Act was the fact that he was paying nine per cent, interest on his mortgages and wished to get it reduced. The Act had uot been passed for his benefit alone. Mr Pirani contended that certain sections in last year's Act were introduced directly in the interests of lands with which the last speaker waa connected. If the Government were in earnest respecting native land legislation, it should have been introduced earlier iu the session, and not used to string the native members on to support the Government's general Bills. Mr Seddon said that to charge the stamp duty on a transfer of native lands .to trustees simply stopped lands being placed in the hands of trustees for settlement purposes. The provisions of the Bill would not mean a loss of revenue to the colony, as it only suspended the payment of duty until the trustees alienated the lands in their trust. He pointed out that Mr Rolleaton's objections did not deal with the Bill before the House, but one dealing with the East Coa9t native lands. With reference to the reflections made on the native members of the House, he said last year'd Bill was general in its application and there were no grounds for the reflections made with respect to this legislation. Mr Monk contended that the Bill was not intended to promote settlement of native lands, hut to facilitate the mortgaging of them. In replying, Hon. Mr Carroll said he was in sympathy with the proposal to abolish the 10 per cent, stamp duty on transactions in native lands. The third reading was agreed to and the Bill passed. MB LAKNACII's DEATH. On the consideration of the amendments made in the Masters and Apprentices Bill being called on, Mr Seddon, who entered the House suddenly, moved the adjournment of the House on account of the death, under most distressing circumstances, of the member for Tuapeka, Mr Larnach, and the House adjourned at 9.10 p.m.