ASTER AND APPRENTICE BILL

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16947, 23 September 1920, Page 8

ASTER AND APPRENTICE BILL

; COMMITTEE STAGE DISCUSSIONj LABOUS PARTY AND FARM liAD i. IMMIGRANTS. j (auhtdged pkess association* hepokt.) ! WELLINGTON, September 22. ; The House of Representatives to- • night wont into Committee on the Masj ter and Apprentice Act Amendment I Bill (No. 2)*, which was in charge of j tbo Hon. \V. Nosworthy. J A number of amendments deleting J penal eiaiis n s and generally liberalising j the measure were introduced by Admin- ! istrators message. ; ■ 31 r Veitdi /said he. considered the measuro would have to bo still further amended to completely guarantee the interests of bovs Drought out under the JJill. Mr Holland said the Labour Party would opposo almost every clause in the Bill, because there was so much in jit that was destructive of personal ' iiberty. It was simply legalised slavery. Mr Mitchell said ho did not agree with Mr Holland. He thought the Bill would give, a better life to boys brought out under it than ever they had a chance of getting in the Old Land. Still, he thought no boy should be brought out unless his parents or guardians gave their consent to his coming, and he proposed to try to amend that clause. Mr 3lcCombs contended that tho Labour Party's attitude towards tho Bill was now being endorsed by all parties in tho House. He remarked that it was not generally known by the people of tho Dominion that, under the Bill as introduced, an immigrant farmer apprentice should be liable to "three days' solitary confinement" for "any breach of duty, disobedience, or ill-behaviour in his service," and that an "apprentice running away or absenting himsolF shall, when found, be brought back and compelled to serve his master for so long a time as he has absented himsolf, unless Jie makes reasonable' satisfaction to his master, failing which he may bo imprisoned for any period not exceeding three months, besides serving tho period of timo for which he was absent." That the emphatic protest of the Labour Party was not in vain was evidenced by the fact that the Government proposed to drop both these clauses iroin tho Bill, , but without repealing them in, the principal Act. He asked the Government not only to expunge these clauses from this Bill, but to repeal them in the original Act.

Messrs Lysnar, Isitt, McLeod, ai Jones gave the Bill support, the las named contending that the objectio able ciauses in the Bill were alreac the law of the land, and had been i for many years. Mr Howard said the only differem between the LabouT Party and the re of the House wae one of degree. Tl Labour Party only saw less good in t-l Bill than other members. Mr Statham said the fault of the Bi was that it was an attempt to graft new law on to the old and obsolei Statute of 18G5. . Tho fact was ths the law of.apprenticeship in New Zei land wes in a state of chaos, and r< quired remodelling. Hβ recommend* the Government to withdraw the Bi and re-cast it. He strongly objects to the clause permitting boys to sig indentures on their own behalf, withoi the consent of their oarents or gua: dians. Mr Witiy maintained that if boj were brought oat they should ha* choice of employment when they ami ed here, and should not be sent to en ployers who might not know how t treat them. It would be a bettt po!icy to encourage rearing onr ow children than to import them. Mr Masters maintained that Labour real objection to the Bill was that the opposed any scheme of immigratio whatever. After the supper adjournment ti discussion on the -first clause was coi tinned by.Mr Parry, Dr. Thacker, M Eraser, and Dr. Newman, who oppose various clauses of the Bill, and by M Hern, who gave the measure quaJific support. At 11.10 p.m. a division was calle for on the first clause, which was agree to by 4B votes to 14. At clause 2, Dr. Newman moved t increase the age at which boys could b brotighfc out, from 15 to 16 years. The amendment was lost by 33 vote to 26. *' Mr Holland moved that before a bo; left England ho should know who hi employer was to bo, and what his em ploy meat was to be. Mr Nosworthy said this was imprac ticable, and if carried it would kill thi Bill. Mr Savage said tho Australian lav provided that this should bo done, anc if it was practicable in Australia i shonld be so in New Zealand. Mr Lysnar said the Australian la\i referred to adul , : skilled labour, an* had no application, to the cases undei discussion. !£he Minister said it was proposed U put boys on oho of the State farms nnti suitable employers and employmeni could ba found for them. The amendment was lost by 51 votes to 10. Mr Fraser moved an amendment fixing the wages to bo paid to the boys at the same scale as those fixed undei the rural v/orkers' award. The amendment was lost by 40 votes to 19. Mr Mcpombs moved an amendment providing that tbo terms of oontract with the boys be set out in tho Bill, and not left to be prescribed by regulation. The amendment was lost by 42 votes to 19.' Mr Yeitch moved an amendment that the passage money should be paid by the employers, and not out of the wages jf tho boys. Lost by 41 votes to 18. Mr Savago proposed to strike ou* the provision for the payment of passage money by the and the substitution of a provision that the boys' rages be paid weekly. Lost by 40 votes to 33. After 1 a.m. the -"Labour Party J s ;acticß of moving frequent amendments vas continued and little progress was )eing made when the Telegraph Office slosed at 2 a.m. THE MINISTER'S PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. (trZCIAL TO "THE PBESS.") WELLINGTON, SepEeniEer 22. , The amendments proposed by tho Minister of Agriculture in the Master and Apprentice Apt Amendment Bill ; give additional protection to lads who may bo 'brought from Britain as apprentices to New Zealand farmers. The apprenticeship is to be dor a period of not less than three years, or more than fi*j years, and shall not terminate by the apprentice attaining 20 years of age. The indenture is to state tho wage to be paid after the first year of apprenticeship is to bo the wage usually paid on farms to boys of like age and capacity. Tho original Bill embodied tho penal clauses of the main Act, •which were framed half a century or more ago. These clauses provide that an apprentice who offends agaiaet tho terms of his indenture may be taken before two Justices of the Peace and sentenced to solitary confinement in prison for a, period not exceeding three days. An apprentice who leaves his master during his apprenticeship may be required, to serve the lost time when ha is found. The Minister has omitted these clauses nwH I

substituted a new clause providing (1) that an apprentice guilty of breach of duty, disobedience, or 111 behaviour, may be token before Justices, who may ! reduce his wages by no more than ono • half for a period not exceeding two mouths. <2> An apprentice who leaves his employment, may be arrested, and \ in addition to reduction of wage, may i be sent back to his employers residence in custody. (3) An apprentice who re<J fuses or neglect?; to submit- to due coni trot may bo taktm before two Justices, i who may order that the indenture shall ■bo cancelled and the apprentice stent i back to England. j AN INTERESTING DIVISION. I —— ! (SPECIAT, TO "THE PRESS.") j WELLINGTON, September 2"2. Tlie Master and Apprentice Bill, which has for its object the indenturing of boys in the United Kingdom to come out to learn farming in New Zealand, was committed to-night. Its appcaraneo in Committee was the signal for a lengthy deßate. and determined opposition on tho> part of the Labour Party, who called for a division on the first clause in the Bill. They wero beaten by 4S rotes to 14. The voting wes interesting, the division being as follows: — Arcs (48). Atmoro Luke BitchoncT Lvsnar Bollard McLeod Burnett MnNieol Campbell Mander Coatcs Masscy Bickeon, J. M. Masters; Dickson, J. S. Mitchell Edie Nash Field Newman, A, K. Forbes Ngata Guthrie Nosworthy Hamilton, J. It. Parr Harris ' Pomare Rawken Potter Henare Powdrell i Hemes Reid j Hocklv Rhodes, R. H. Horn Seddon Hndson Smith, S. G. Hunter Sykes Isitt V'eitch Jones ' Wilford Lee Wright Noes (14). Fraser Poland Holland Saiage Howard Sidey Jennings Statnam Kellett Sullivan McCombs Thaeker Parry Witty It wall be interesting to note that ' Mr Holland succeeded in splitting the Liberal vote, several of their prominent men voting with the estromo Labour • Party. i