ABOVE THE CHAIR

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3101, 22 September 1899, Page 4

ABOVE THE CHAIR

(By'Aotoi-ycus.-).;' .7- .J}On Friday in the Upper House the Municipal Franchise Reform Act Amendment Bill was committed. " ' ■•-'•--'-'- The Hon. W. C. Walker moved the addition of a new clause, providing that any person enrolled on ' a 7 burg.s ; "roll on any qualification shall be eligible for election, aa mayor or councillor. '' '' "' ' ± *"' i ' '" The Hon Mr Shrimßki protested against this,- but tha Minister explained' that the clause was only proposed; to clear -up some ambiguity wii ich at pres.ht '"' The Council, on a "division, agreed to the clause by 27 votes to 12. ' ;'.'■> "•■ A. 7 I _ In the Lower House Mr Jas Allen asked the Premier if he had received any communication from the Tuapeka Agricultural Society asking him bo; introduce" legislation on the lines of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act to . enable,. ; the •/ 'farmers' organisations to fix yearly, a .ininimjim paying price for payment oi produce. ih?tbs same manner as prices 7are nowi fixed -to*; labor unions and industrial associations' in the towns. He said if , the , Government did propose to introduce any legislation in/the direction indicated it would . be , greatly appreciated by those having produce tCKsellj and also be a great benefit to the colony. — The Premier, who failed to take the"n.atter seriously, said he objected to the House or the Order Paper being made the vehicle fox sarcastic questions or resolutions, ,; They knew very well that if such a resolution had been passed that was its aim and.object.— (Mr Massey : *' Other organisations havi. taken it up.") The Premier went onto point out that the Arbitration and Conciliation Act did not fix the price of the 'goods on /which labor was employed, but the price for tbe labor engaged in making au -article. Tue price of produce was fixed by the demand, the cost of transit, and by the market' __ which it was Bold. — (Mr J. Allen : '♦ <And by the cost of production. ")~The Pre__ier : If it is the desire of farmers that agriculture be included amongst the skilled trades, and to have it brought under . the provisions of the Arbitration Act, those engaged ujaqn fa ms can petition the House to that effect^ Then the Government would consider the question of bringing in the necesSiry legislation. He did nob recognise any associations unless they made demands such as he could undet stand. He could not comprehend the question as placed on the Osder Paper. Mr Allen: " You _.re:very dull." A'A-AXA The Premier moved the second reading of the Government Advances toSe'tlerz Acb Amendment Bill, which provided for.\rehate of interest when instalments are paid punc ually, also extending the provision of the a>:t to v ban and suburban lands. The P. tinier proceeded to say that the act bad proved a success, and had been instrumental in reducing the race of interest for money on real estates. . Captain Russell thought there would jbe lit/tie difficulty in the b'll passing, and took credit for the part the Opposition played ih getting it i troduced. H.e deoied, however, that the Government were entitled tothe credit it claimed for being instrumental in reducing the rate of interest on money. As a matter of fact, for the past eighteen months or two years money could be borrowed on first class security at a lower rate from a private company than under the act. Mr Mills s-.id there cou d be no two opinions that the act had been the means ot reducing the rate of iuterest not only to those who took advautage .of it,. but te- all persons who required to borrow money -from private firms. — Messrs -Thompson, G. Hutchison, Hogg, Herries, Fraser, Pirani, Carncross, Meredith, Lewis, Monk, and Giifedder also f-poke. : *_____ The Premier, in the course of his reply^" pointed out that the predictions indulged in by the Opposition with respect to the failure of the act had not been fulfilled. He repeated that while he did not claim all the credit for the reduction in the rate oi interest, the acb had been greatly instrumental in that direction, and resulted in saving £2,000,000 annually. The Bill was read a second time on the voices. j On Tuesday and Wednesday ihe question of the rights of the Press Association was discussed in the Legislative Council. After considerable discussion the Hon. Lee Smith's motion was carried on the voices, i.e. : — ""^ *" That the Government be requested to take steps to catry into effect the recommendations of the Copyright Telegrams Committee in the report presented to the House of Representatives in 1896." Mr Smith in moving hi- motion explained that the repor. recommended that the copyright on cable messages to tbe Press Association should be | withdrawn He explained that there was a general desire to break down the monnpoly which now existed. He took exception to the large entrance fee now oharged by the association, the consequence having been that newspaper enterprise had not gone on in the way it should have done if there had not been such a heavy tax on proprietors. For instance, there had been a proposal feo establish a paper in Dunedin recently, bub the promoters had been deterred by the large sum necessary to pay in order to join the association. This entrance fee was merely a penalising fund against the introduction of fresh newspapers. On Tuesday the Lower House had an all night sitting on the Estimates, sitting in fact till 5 am. on Wednesday morning. The House in this time got through the Colonial Secretary Department, Post and Telegraph Customs, and Marine and Government Insurance. The beginning of the sway is now said to be in sight aa members are getting restless to get home and starb on the political campaign. '. .