HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10756, 8 September 1900, Page 8

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH BULL. After 2 o'clock this morning consideration of the Public _£e<_tb. Bill was continued in committee in the House. Several consequential amendments were made in the Bill, which was reported with amendments. The House rose at 2.45 a.m.

AFTERNOON SITTING.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. LOCAL BELL. The Thames Borough Loans Conversion Act, 1898, Amendment Bill, was read a first time.

PROGRESS OF BUSINESS. The SPEAKER intimated that with a view to expedite business for the remainder of the session, the passage of Bills that had reached the second reading, and which were deemed of sufficient importance to be proceeded with-, would be facilitated by the relaxation of the Standing Orders next week. THE END OF THE SESSION. In reply to a. question, Mr WARD said he saw no reason, if the House was agreeable, why the session should not close about the end of the month. UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS. In reply to a representation on the subject, Mr HALL-JONES said he would endeavour to have University examinations held in centres othtT than the four chief cities of the colony.

THE RABBIT NUISANCE. On the report of the Stock Committee recommending that the R.abbit Nuisance Act Amendment Bill be struck out, several members protested, advocating 'that the Rabbit Department should be abolished, that the clause making an inspector's evidence final on the question as to whether or not a settler was taking effective steps to abate the nuisance should' be struck out, and that poisoning should be abolished. Mr DUNCAN replied, stating that rabbits were materially on the increase of late years. He considered that a great deal of the dissatisfaction with tho Rabbit Act arose through tho want of tact on the part of inspectors. Still the Act- was necessary, as was evinced by the fact that a great deal of the Crown lands had been rendered useless by the pest. It was his intention to give the Act another trial under amended regulations as to poisoning and inspection. The PREMIER" asserted that had it not been for the stringency of the law upon this subject, he was certain that the country would by this time have been overrun by rabbits. He was convinced from the evidence in his possession that the law as it at present stood was best suited to deal with the difiiculty, and that if it were properly administered 1 , it would prove effective in t-e best interests of the settlers. If the Act did not work satisfactorily 'this year under different administration, he would undertake to alter it. | The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. j

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. THE PUBLIC HEALTH BILL. Mr WARD moved that the report of the Committee on tho Public Health Bill be agreed to. To meet a suggestion made in Committee, Mr WARD said he would have clause 86 altered in another place to prevent conflict between the Stock Department and the Pubb'c Health Department. | Mr HERRIES moved an amendment that ! the Bill be recommitted, with a view to clauses 83 to 88 being amended in such a direction that infected animals would be under the control of the Stock Department. He contended that it would prove a great hardship upon a settler having unknowingly ' a diseased animal in his possession to have to destroy tbe animal, and also be liable to" a fine of £20. , Mr WARD contended that tbe public health was of paramount importance, and the clause was necessary in that interest. ! The amendment was lost on the voices, and the Bill read a third time and passed. ELECTION OF EDUCATION BOARDS. ■Mr HALL-JONES moved that the report on the Education Board Election Bill be adopted. Mr GILFEDDER said the Bill went in the right direction, but did not go far enough, and hoped that the franchise for electing the members of boards would, instead of being confined to members of school committees, be that for the election of members of Par- j liament. i Messrs R. THOMPSON and MEREDITH I congratulated the Government on getting through the Bill, but expressed the opinion that the householders' franchise was unnecessary, and not desired by the people. Mr HALL-JONES agreed that the Bill was a distinct advance upon the Act, and expressed the belief that the measure would prove acceptable to the people. The Bill was read a third time and passed. INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill was committed. Mr HERRIES moved an amendment in the interpretation clause that the word "employee" be held to include all employees of the Crown. Mr SEDDON refused to accept the amendment, which he characterised as unconstitutional. If the Crown was included, the Court might make such an award as would increase the public expenditure, which would be against at constitutional precedent. The CHAIRMAN ruled that as the amendment might increase public expenditure without sanction of the Crown, it was not in order. Mr HERRIES moved a further amendment in the direction that the BUS should apply to any Government worker where it does not involve an increase in appropriation. I

Replying to a statement tihat Government employees were paid less than those under private employers, the PREMIER denied the assertion, and stated that the fact that they had thousands of applications for employment in the Government workshops and the service generally showed that tie workers preferred service with the Government. The railway men were quite conscious that they had been treated well by a Liberal Government, and it would be a mistake to bring them into conflict with the Crown in a possible industrial dispute. j In the case of any unfair treatment of Government employees they had Parliament to appeal to. Mr J. rfIJTGHTSON contended that the Premier had stated on a public platform that he intended to bring all Government employees under the Bill, and he regretted to see him go back upon that declaration. j He urged the Premier in his unlimited power to grant that act of grace, thus placing the employees of the State under the same conditions as those of private employers. The PREMIER denied that he had ever stated that he intended to bring all Government employees under the Bill. When he made the statemnt attributed to him he referred to the Eight Hours Bill. (Mr HERRIES urged that his only object in moving the amendment was to test the House as to whether Crown employees should come under the Bill. He recognised tbat it was useless to move any amendment in opposition to the Premier, but he would have satisfaction in placing his views upnn rpcord. Mr ELL said there was a very general desire among railway employees to come tinder the Bill, and he contrasted the small wage paid by the Government as compared with that oaitl hv private employers. ' Mr R. l-cKE-i'ZIE said the Government might as well recognise the inevitable, and agree to the proposal, for sooner or later it was bound to come into force. The PREMIER said if there were anomalies in connection- with the rate of pay of

railway workmen, they could be adjusted, but with tho constant employment and privileges they enjoyed he contended that the Tate of pay was equal to that given by private employers. The amendment was carried by 25 to 23. The following is the division list: — Ayes 25—Messrs J. Allen, Atkinson, Bollard, Collins, Colrin, Eli, Fowlds, Fraser, Gilfedder, Hardy, Heke, Herries, Hogg, J. Hutcheson, Lang, Lewis, Massey, McGuire, R. McKonzie, T. Mackenzie, "Monk, Rhodes, Q. W. Rassell, Symes, J. W. Thomson. Noes 23—Messrs E. G- Allen, Arnold, Barclay, Bennett, Carroll, Duncan, A. L. D. Fraser, Hall-Jones, Hanan, Lawry, McGowan, Meredith, Mills, Millar, Morrison, Palmer, Parata, Seddon, Smith, Stevens, Ward. Wilford, Witheford. Mr SEDDON moved to add that the term "employer" do not apply to the Minister for Railways and the Postmaster-General, inasmuch as employers in these departments come under the Classification Act. This was carried by 25 to 21. Mr MONK moved an addition to the interpretation clause, to the effect that no power shall be exercised by any authority to determine the number of apprentices that may be employed until a poll of the adult inhabitants of the industrial district has first been taken. This was lost by 26 votes to 10.

Mr MONK moved to add to the interpretation the price at which any agricultural produce or stock may be bought or sold. This was lost by 26 votes to 11. A motion to report progress was lost by 24 votes to -10. . (Left sitting at 2 a.m.)