PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 72, 22 September 1899, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

yesterday's sittings. legislative" council. land for settlements. A new clause for addition to the Land for Settlements Act Amendment Bill — prividing that the currency of renewed debentures issued under tiio Act shall not exceed 40 years — was received by Governor's message The Hon. G. M'Lcan raised the point whether any amendment could be moved to the proponed new clause, and the Speaker desiring to' look into the matter tho debate was adjourned till next day. BOY OR UIKL EMPLOYEES. Tho Employment of Boys or Girls-With-out Payment Prevention Bill was further considered in Committee, commencing at clause 3. The minor alterations made r>y tho Labour Bilk Committee were accepted. Tho Minister for Education moved to insert the following new clause, recommended by that Committee: — "No premium shall be paid by any such boy or girl to, or accepted by, any factory-oc-cupier for .employment in any factory or workroom, whether such premium bo paid by the boy or giil employed or by aomo other person ; and if any factoryoccupier shall be guilty of any breach of tho provisions of th'ti section he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds : Provided always that this section shall not apply to any case ■which a boy or girl shall have entered into articles of apprenticeship with any fac-tory-occupier, in whicn articles such fac j tory-occupier has legally and for a roaoonnblo term bona-fido bound himself to toach such hoy or girl any trade, calling, or handicraft." This clause, aaid the mover, would make it necessary for tho boy or girl to be properly taught. The Hon. Mr. MacUregor said thcro was no provision for inflicting a penalty on the employer if the boy or girl was not properly taught. The object of the clause was to supply what had been pointed out aa necessary to make thu Act of any effect at all. The oliiuso, he was sure, would do more harm than good. He moved to atrike out the words "boy or," so aa to restrict the clause to girk only. The Hon. Mr. Rigg uaid that if thero was no penalty for improperly teaching, tho boy had kis remedy at law. It wu-s not customary to inseft a clauso to provide for a penalty in forms of indentures The amendment proposed by the Hon. Mr. MacGregor wiu negatived by "1 votes to 16, and the insertion of the new clause was agreed to by a like majority. The Bill having been roported, the third reading woh made aa order of the day for next sitting' day. WAGES PROTECTION. The Hon. W. C. Walker moved to commit the Wages Protection Bill, with which, he said, the House was well acquainted, as the rJill had been before it ut least three times already. The Hon. Messrs.. G. M'Lean and J. A. Bonar strongly opposed the Bill for which they claimed there was no neeessily — in fact it was the men who called out against it. Tho Hon. Messrs. Pinkertoti and Twomey spoke in auppourt of the measure. The speeches were on much tho Fame linos a»s thovs heard on previous acra*WTKS. The Hon. Mr. Walker, in replying, said tho great principle of the measure was that the wnge-earner should be paid in full, and in no way should he be induced to baiter an apparent privilege for a portion, of his wages.

The motion to go into Committeo was cMi'iied on tho \ r oiccs. At the first clause progress, was ieported, on tho motion of tho Minister tor Education, and tho Council lose ut 4.50 p.m.