CANTERBURY LEGISLATORS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16851, 3 June 1920, Page 9

CANTERBURY LEGISLATORS.

6 GENERAL QUESTIONS DISCUSSED. The Canterbury members of Parlia- ® ment held a meeting yesterday, and reu, ceived several deputations. Tliere were f present: Messrs L. M. Isitt (chairman), D. G. (Sullivan (secretary), ]>r. Thaclcer, B E. J. Howard. J. McCombs, G. Witty, Sir Heaton lthodes, and Mr IX Jones, „ M.P.'s, and the Hons. W. H. Triggs s and R. Moore, M.L.C.'s. t GARDENERS' WAGES. Messrs J. Hogan, C. I>ann, and F. 1 Russell, as a deputation from the Gar- ' den Workers' Union, pointed out the 0 disabilities under which several gardeners worked because there w£is no pro- , vision in their Arbitration Court award j to cover gardeners engaged by private « empl&yors. They would like the com- • mittco to endeavour to have the Arbij tration Act . amended so that all em- | ployers would come under tho 1 ,i us t the same as nurserymen. The ! minimum wage under the award was £3 : 15s, with a bonus of Gs. Mr Hogan paid that of the four or five hundred gardeners in Christehureh, only about 150 camo under the award, i Mr Isitt said that the trouble was, ' if the request were complied with, many : men who could nob cam "the full award rate would be thrown out of employ- ' ment, as the unions would not give \ under-rate permits. Mr Howard: A union has never yet Tefused an under-rato permit. _ Tho- matter was deferred for consideration in committee. CONTROL •©r WAR MEMORIALS. The Sheffield Memorial Committee desired the Parliamentary Committee to endeavour to get an amendment in tho Local Bodies Act which woulS allow for war memorials being vested in local j bodies. It was agreed that when local. Par-1 liamentary representatives moved for! the' desired amendment they would, be • assisted by the Parliamentary Committee. TRADE APPRENTICES' CLASSES. A combined deputation representing the Christehureh Master Painters' Association and the Christehureh Painters' Employees' Union asked', support for the trade classes at tho Technical College, and to help in enforcing regulations providing that apprentices must be sent to the classes. It. was decided to support the request. BORING FOR OIL. Mr Isitt brought up tho question if Government assistance being given to the oil-boring operations at Chertsey. It .was mentioned that bores had been sunk to a. considerable depth, but the pipes had broken. Frequent indications of oil were found. • It was decided to ask the Government to send an expert *to Chertsey to report if payable oil deposits were likely to bo discovered.. SUBSIDISING MUSEUMS. Messrs H. D. Aclnnrl, R. Stringer, and R. Speight, waited on the commit- ! tee as a deputation from the Canter- ' burr College on matters mostly pertain- ' ing to the Museum. ' Mr I{. Speight, Curator, solicited support in getting the Government to recognise luuseiiiris as educational institutions, so that the museums could enjoy the ,C for £ subsidy allowed to such institutions. The committee decided to consider l the proposal. i Other matters brought forward by ' the Canterbury College deputation were taken in committee. , LICENSING MOTORISTS. i The South Island Motor Union wrote' asking the committee's support of ita resolution: "That the Motor Union affirms tho principle of annual licenses being issued by the Government at a nominal fee to motor-car drivers and motor-cyclists, such licenses to be subject to cancellation, suspension, or endorsement by a. Magistrate." Several members were sympathetica!';.' inclined towards the proposal. SOLDIER SETTLEMENTS. Mr H. A. Knight, chairman of the Malvern County Council, wrote suggesting that a conference should b arranged between the committee and members oi local bodies to consider tho question of soldier settlements as they effected local body finance. It. was decided to have -a conference in Christehureh at 11.30 on Wednesday,: June 16th. OTHEP< MATTERS. j Mr P. R. Cliaiio, organiser for the Canterbury Progress League, forwarded copy -of a letter from tho Minister of Railways with reference to tho proposed reinstatement of the passenger service between Ashburfcon and ChrUtchurch on Wednesdays. The Minister : ' of Railways had notiiied that the in-j crease of traffic on Wednesdays was so j

slight as to fail to justify tlie running of the additional goods train necessary to overtalco tko business done by tho present train. The Progress League also wrote asking tho committee's support in getting tho 5.10 p.m. train from Belfast to Christehureh speeded up. These matters were referred to the Railway Committee. A conference with representatives of the Returned Soldiers' Association, who asked for co-operation during the corning session in regard to the Association's aims, will bo held on Juno! 16th at 11 a.m.