THE SESSION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 227, 29 October 1914, Page 5

THE SESSION.

1 m A BUSY NIGHT. COUNCIL REFORM BILL PASSED. EDUCATION BILL AMENDMENTS REJECTED. [From our own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, October 28. The House of Bepresentatives had a \ busy time to-night, when it disposed of more than a dozen bills of more or less importance, making a hole of some dimensions in the Order Paper. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EEFOEM. The third reading of the Legislative Council Bill was moved by the Prime Minister, the Et. Hon. W. F. Massey. Sir Joseph Ward said that he wished to enter an emphatic protest against its passing. The Government professed that the Bill aimed at making the Upper House elective, but its object was nullified by the postponement of the first election for nine years. It would be far better if the Government had decided to hold the first election within, say, three years. The present members' of the Council could have been' compensated by retaining the right to their title, a railway pass, and access to the Library. He,'felt so strongly on the question that he would call for a division on the third reading. Mr G. W. Russell commented on the fact that the House had carried a proposal to allow' women to sit in the Council while-denying them the right to a seat in the Lower Chamber. The Bill ostensibly proposed to set up an elective system, but still it allowed the nominative system to remain for some years. It would be curious to see what the "grave and reverend signors" of the Council would do with the Bill. He predicted that the result of their de-, liberations ' would be that Legislative Council reform would still be one of the planks of the Government platform at the forthcoming election. The Prime Minister said that he also would make a prediction, which was that the Bill would become law this session. (Hear, hear.) The Houset"divided, and the third reading was carried by 37 to 25 votes. • The division list is as follows: — :' Ayes, 37. Allen Lee; Anderson Maleolnv B. F. Bollard Mander Bradney Massey ■'" Buchanan A. K. Newman Buick E. Newman Canrnbell Nosworthy Coates Okey Davey Pomare Dickson B. H. Rhodes Escott T. W. Rhodes Fisher Scott Fraser F. H. Smith , Guthrie Statham Harris Sykes Herd man Wilkinson. Herries Wilson , , , .: .Hinp. - Young Hunter . . '„ ~ Noes, 25. Atmore McKenzie Brown Ngata ■'.. Colvin Parata Craigie Payne Dickie , Poland Ell t Robertson Forbes - ' * Russell Glover Seddon .Hanan J. C Thomson Hindmarsh' Veitch Isitt War a McCallum Witty Mac Donald ;• Thenfthe Bill was passed and returned to the Legislative Council. EDUCATION BITaL. . The Education Bill, as reported by the Legislative Council, came up for consideration./ The Minister of Education (Hon. J. Allen) said that the Council had made seyeral. amendments which he thought fire'"House could not agree to. For instance, the Council had adopted an amendment plaeing on the General Couneil a Chief Medical Inspector (an officer not yet appointed). He wished the Speaker's ruling as to whether this was not a breach of the privileges of the House, which alone had control of expenditure. Mr Russell: But Clause 12 says members of the General Council shall not be members of the Public Service. Mr McCallum: But they will have to draw expenses and allowances. Mr Allen: Quite so. I am not quite sure on the point, but we should look into it. He also' drew the attention of the House to the fact that the Council had knocked, out the clause giving school committees the power, independent of the education boards, to allow the school buildings to be used outside of school hours for the purpose of moral religious instruction. The clause providing' for the medical inspection of pupils in private primary schools had also been struck out. He moved that the Council's amendments be disagreed with. Mr G. W. Russell protested strongly against the striking out of the clause with regard to the opening of school buildings outside, of regular hours for the purpose of religious instruction. Had it been retained it would have gone a long way towards solving the Bible-in-Schools question, of which a great deal would be heard at the elections and in future sessions of Parliament. Another most unfair amendment was that with regard to medical inspection in primary schools. If the amendment went through there could be no inspection of Roman Catholic schools, which would be most unfair to a large section of the community. Mr L. M. Isitt said that he was amazed that any man with a scintilla of respect for democracy should have voted for the knocking" out of the clause. Only one sinister reason could be advanced why the clause should be eliminated, if it was eliminated, so that when the people of the country came to consider the Bible Referendum Bill they would have to choose between every plank in the referendum platform, or deny the children any opportunity of receiving any religious instruction whatever. Mr G. Witty also expressed surprise that the clause should have been struck out. The motion that the amendments o± the Council be disagreed with was carried. INSPECTION OF MACHINERY. In moving the second reading of the Machinery Amendment Bill, the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher stated that one provision empowered the Department to allow uncertificated men to look after , fngines and boilers in emergency. This

was due to the large number of certificated drivers who had gone away with the Expeditionary Force. The motion was carried, and was passed through Committee and reported with technical amendments. On the third reading Mr G. W. Russell said that the schedule provided for a material alteration of the fees for the inspection of lifts. In two instances the fees were increased 50 and 100 per cent, respectively, but the Minister in change of the Bill had sought to hide the fact —it meant increased taxation. Mr Fisher said that the Bill was designed to do away with the harassing conditions that had existed in the past. Everyone who had had anything to do with a factory or shop where machinery power was used knew to wfyat extent the machinery department had unnecessarily and unduly harassed him. Instead of increasing taxation it simply made an adjustment. There was a slight increase in connection with electric lifts on account of the time occupied in inspection. The third reading was carried, and the Bill was passed. EDUCATION RESEEVES. The Minister of Education moved that the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Education Reserves Amendment Bill be agreed with. He explained that they had been inserted by the Government. The chief one was to prevent areas under 50 acres being cut up. The motion was agreed to, and the "Bill was afterwards passed through its remaining stages. NEW ZEALAND. LOANS AMENDMENT. The New Zealand Loans Amendment Bill was passed through its final stages. WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES. The West Coast Settlement Reserves Amendment Bill was put through all its stages. WAR CONTRIBUTIONS VALIDATION. The War Contributions Validation Bill (No. 2) was read a second time, and the Friendly Societies Amendment Bill was put through a similar stage with brief discussion. MORTGAGES EXTENSION AMENDMENT. On the motion for the second reading of the Mortgages Extension Amendment Bill (No. 2) Mr Witty pointed out that this was the third Bill on the subject in little *over two months. More care should have been taken with the first, measure. Mr Wilford urged that three months' grace should be provided mortgagors after the suspension «f the Act. The-Hon. A- L. Herdman said that it would, not be advisable to fix any period. Mr Wilf ord: There should not be a sudden death suspension. The second reading was passed. ENEMY PATENTS. In moving the second reading of the Patents Designs and Tirade Marks Amendment Bill; providing that Gernian and Austrian patents might be sus"pended, the Hon. A. L. Herdman said that it had been found that only about seventy enemy patents had been registered in the New Zealand Patents Office. On investigation he was sorry to say that it was found that they were of little value, but some people might like to take them up, and that was the purpose of the Bill. Mr Veitch asked what would be the position of a patent owned partly by German and partly by New Zealand citizens. " He had in mind certain patents held in the casein industry. Sir Joseph Ward suggested that in such a case the rights should go to the New Zealanders. The Bill was read a second time. MASSEURS' REGISTRATION. ! On the second reading of the Masseurs' Registration Bill the Hon. R. H. Rhodes said that the Bill had been asked for by medical men and by the masseurs themselves. The Bill did not. exclude those who wished to practice with artificers, but it would help the public to distinguish between good and bad masseurs. A number of members objected to the Bill, on the ground that it would set up a close corporation which would exclude many naturally gifted, but uncertificated, people. :Mr Glover moved that the Bill be read six months hence. This was lost by 31 votes to 25. The Bill was read a second time and referred to a Special Committee to take evidence.. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. The Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill was read a second time without discussion. FINAL STAGES. The War Contributions Validation Bill; Friendly Societies Amendment Bill; Mortgages Extension Amendment Bill; Patent Designs-and Trade Marks Amendment Bill; and the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill were put through their final stages. The House rose at 0.35 a.m. WATER RIGHTS FOR THE CROWN. The Public Works Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House today, has for its main object the imposing of restrictions on the right to compensation in cases where land is taken for the purposes of a road, railway, tramway, or other public work. The measure set out that no person shall have the right to compensation on the ground that the road or railway gives better access to another pei'son's property. Another clause in the Bill gives the right to the Crown,to acquire and hold water rights in mining districts in the same manner as private persons. NEW PENSION REGULATIONS. "The accumulated property or yearly income of a pensioner shall not be deemed to be increased during the currency of a pension by reason merely of the death of the husband or wife of the pensioner." This is. the main portion of the Pensions Amendment Bill which was introduced in the House yesterday. The measure also provides that military pensions shall be extended to persons resident in the Cook Islands. Repatriation is also granted a woman who ceased to be a British subject by reason merely of her marriage with an alien, since deceased, or from whom she is legally .separated.