HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12969, 23 November 1907, Page 10

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fbipat, November 22. AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30 p.m. VARIOUS BILLS. Tho conference, .on the Legislative Council's amendments to the Bill* of Exchange Bill reported that it had been decided to amend the BUI by providing that no document shall be destroyed prior, to three months after the passing of tho Act, or at any time after demand lias been made for delivery of a document. The report was agreed to. An amendment to the .National Endowment Bill wai brought, down by Governor's message eliminating from the ecthedule an airea of about 200 darea in* the Hawke's Bay district, -which, is at present occupied by natives. An nmendment to the Native Land Settlement Bill w** by Governor's. tne^ge^Mi^CtyrtbUhwplained that .the amehdi^'^a*'**.' <!*- ---signed" to give the Native >li»ind« Commission an entirely fre© hand ih-iia investigations in respect to my block of land. The amendments were agreed to.--'-. :'■' '," ' ': ..•:-,. : ,'. Tlie amendments made J»y lative Council in the: Public Service p Superannuation Bill were a-yreed to. EDUCATION ENDOWMENTS. On the motion of M* MeNAB, certain are a* of lind -were permanently set apart as on endowment for primary education in Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington'and Nelson Land Dintrictfl. RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION. . The House went into Committee on the Railway Classification Bill. In reply to *Mr ; Hogsn, the PREMIERsaid that members of the iter-. vice -would receive" their inoretneats aa provided by the Bill on Ist April, 1908. , . The clauses of the Bill pawed unaltered. .The PREMIER explained that the eighth grade of the ftret division the minimum had been raised from £235 to £240 per annum, and the maximum, from £250 to £255. Ilie tenth grade had also been amended by' substituting for the eight ■ increment* of £10, four of £15, and two of £10. >■ Thus a cadet could Teach £200 per annum in twelve years. .He went on" to say that the additional amount involved by tho alterations in increments was £13,600. He went on to 'may that guards had.been separated from sig-nt-lirjen, fhuntera, and storeiben, as in t!ho original schedule, and the nuraber of first-class guards bad been increased to 60 per cent. \ Th© rates of pay in cfcqs 1 were 9s 6d to 11a per day, the increments one.'of Is and one of 6d per day. Similar' rates applied to tirsfr ©less signalmen, storeraen, and shunters.' The total altemtions made, ind\iding the allowance in laat year's Estimates (about £60.000), involved an amount between £135,000 and £140,000. Replying to - questions, the PREMIER stated that the Qlßccn.' Institute hex! taken ea_ception to tlie .Bill on incomplete information. ' He added that if _r.embe_» of the service could telegraph their unoonsidered representations all over the. country there wouW be a tremendous reaction some day. Air MASSEY said that some jnuiore in Wellington had telegraphed to oolleagues all over the country, urging that they should wire members of tho Home that they were satisfied with the schedulo of the Bill, and he contended that members of the service had » perfect right, to make representations.to members of tho House. Tho PREMIER said he recognised that members of the service had a right to place their oases before members of the-House, but he maintained that incorrect information" .had been sent out from Wellington, and he obt4 J th . s P roc «l»re. He exonerated the heads of departments from participation in thisagitation. What had made him hesitate in regard to the tfill was the organised dissatisfaction that had been exhibited. The discussion was interrupted by the dinner adjournment.