ETHICS OF COMPENSATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 675, 27 November 1909, Page 6

ETHICS OF COMPENSATION.

■ ; A PATHETIC CASE. . ':: A case was before' tho. Houso yesterday of ? an Auokland railway servant ;who,.nad'iaccepted'.in: a-lump sum'full compensation ...under the'Ac.t -for an injury—<£3oo—and,' being still disabled .and-in: need, petitioned for a further compassionate, allowance.- The Committee's, report was adverse'to .! the request, - though tit was reco<»-' nised that the case was a pathetic-one. Glover (Auckland Central) moved .that the re-. port;be referredi.back to the! Committee; The. amendment was 'opposed by /;• he -Minister . for. Railways-.(the Hon. J. : A.-Millar),' who stated' that the Government was. at present paying £25,000 a, year into the superannuation .fund, and if they were going to continue this sort of thing—the . asking .for/' compassionate • allowances after the acceptance- of lump sums—he would/ask' the,Houss. to : wipe .out. the .clause in regard to compensation.' ■ ' v ; : ' -•' Mr.. Glover:; Ton are absolutely worse than a private employer. Mr. Millar: If 'private • employers "treated their, employees ',as well as wo .'do they would do very well. • Mr. Glover :* God help them I . -Mr. Millar: .Talk' is one■ thing -.and practice is' quite, another thing. The man, gavo -a, receipt 'in full. • •', •■•':■■ ..: v.; , Mr. Glover: He could not help - himself. • Mr. Millar: The files show that he gave the receipt absolutely,of his own free'.will. ', ; Mr. Poland , (Ohinemuri): What' could, the man do with a wife and family?.* Mr.- Millar: Why did he not take superannuation? - 'v.'' 'Mt. Poland:'-Why not give him both? vMr. Millar: That is : what'.some members ,would • like; ''If\ the' Railway Department is to be turned ;ihto a charitable institution, the sooner' the' House knows, it the better. Mr. M*Laren (Wellington:: East) urged that an • amendment should be made in the Workers' Compensationfor '• Accidents Act so that agreements : made for settlement of claims by' a lump sum''should be subject to'review; Often when these 'agreements; were,made.'neither', the injured-worker nor a medical man could tell what, the ultimate effect of .the injuries would be. ■ . ■" Mr. Hogan (Wanganui) suggested that the House should sot N up. a Compassionate Allow: ance Committee.'' N - : • : ■ • ' ' Mr. iT;:E. Taylor North) urged the need : of, ; :new and more elastio legislation; In .the case. of. some injuries '-coniperisation; -to' the amoant of 4300 - or. 4500 was 'entirely, inadequate and'almost a cruelty; : . The report was .referred. back-, to - the ;Com-. mittee on the understanding' that fnifther, evi-, dence wpuld be produced. ..... ... ,

LOCAL BILLS. I, ..HOW THEY- PASS THE COUNCIL. On behalf of. the Local Bills Committee, the Hon. W... Boehan drew the attention of the Legislative Council yesterday to what' he' described as the unsatisfactory. position in ire- ! gard to the consideration, of local Bills.. It would, he said, .be far better if some, of the. local Bills were sent to the: Council early in the session. .Under, the present: arrangement, such Bills came down to the Council at-the' ■end of-.the;session,- .when-.' they: were passed without ; inquiry'; and 'discussion, v Only' recently' membersrof.'the Council had r been sneered at in-the House ; by members who de-; clared that they-loafed l and should be given: work-to keep them engaged.- 'If those .memberswho; hadmade those-remarks only thought for a moment, they would 6ee that they themselves, were to blame for tho position. If the Council' made up ;■ its ;■ mind : to -.discuss.' every . clause— ■every - Ford—of .a'.Bill, it.would lengthen, the session by three or four months. He was glad to say that there was no abuse of speech in the Council. i . , ■ .. The- Hon., J. E. .JenMiis6n ' mentioned that ■ at the beginning of the .present' session, as was the case in regard to former sessions, ■ the Council had'had. practically nothing to, do for weeks. ' So far, only'..two. .or. three '.local Bills had been brought down ..in , the Council, whereas forty or fifty.-liad been.introduced ,in, ■. tha Loiwi House, from Khat. to sould. wv

Messta. Malcolm, Herries, and- Fraser wero_ talking together; Messrs.; Hine and Dillon ..wore; looking at Sir. Ell m- a; condition- of, jstti•porj Mr. Anderson was attending to .Mr.: Ell's words; Mr. Buchanan'was talking to an undersecretary ; Messrs. Smith,. Stallworthy,'. Hogg, vand'Hogan" were writing;. Mr. Poole was hori-. •zontal and:asleep; and.Mr. Field was asleep in a sitting'posture; , Sir Joseph/Ward was! sunk, in profound; gloom. .. And' Mi I '. Ell. grew: more and more eloquent and impressive. . : ,'

. EXPENDITURE ON BUILDINGS. : ..'Mr; 1 James . Allen has-'given : notice to,move; that there be'laid before the Housea return' showing—(l) the compensation paid to the con: tractor ; for. surrendering his coiatraot to'erqdt neiV lauildings on the" site' approxiniate to ; the, (Parliament Buildings that 'were^buinit;'(2) 'the amount expended 6n ! 'the'old Parliament Buildings,' on the residence lately occupied by his Excellency (in renovation, alterations, and -new buildings, and the oonnecting of theeame witli the old buildings), the amount expended to' bo up to the date of this return; and (3) the amount-to be expended, on the 'new residence' for his Excellency. 1 ' THE PUBLIC SERVICE. Mr. -Herdman "has given notice to ask the Prime Minister whether ,he will set. aside a day or an evening for the'discussion of the following matters :-(l) .The 1 report of 'the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the working and administration of the railway workshops at";A'ddington'r (2).' the' report of Mr. Bishop upon-the condition of the police force' pf.the Dominion;- (3) 'the report of the. two judges upon the irregularities in the administration. of the Land and Income Tax Department; and (4) the present unsatisfactory state generally of the Publio Service of tho Dominion.: ■ - Mr. iMalcolm (Chitha)'is moving for. a>return. &vjhg fnll 'details of the retrenchment ill the Civil Service. . ■~. ■ .■ ■ '••' JOTTINGS. The' Local Bills Committee' have' recommended that the Wellington (City)' Streets Empowering Bill be 'allowed Ito proceeds with several amendments, whioh: include the dele; tion-of-the clause to the effect that Section 117 of the: Publio Works-Act, .1908, shall'not ap-ply-to any street mentioned in the schedule. The other amendments are immaterial. / William J. Murphy,' of Wellington, farmer, is ■ petitioning, the House,' through Mr..-Ross, M.P., for compensation, for. losses ...to .the amount of .£4OOO, alleged to'be due by' an'error of the Postal .'Department, some 20-years ago and other causes. . .. ' .dliphant Hughes, of Wanganui,, petitions, through -Mr.. Hogan, M.P., ..for opportunities to be afforded a retrial'on a charge of. perjury.,.states that a previous. petition,was agreed to by the House/ but no action was taken' by the Government. •

■; The Waipukurau Reserve Bill has' been approved, ..with minor amendments, by-the'Local Bills Committee. A has' been presented '.by 1 Mr." Field/ ALP., . from .the ; Ngatitera 'hapu 'the-Ngati-for restoration • 'of;a' piece of land; at Porirua, .alleged to have been wrongly taben by. tlie Crown, or else for'compensa- _ Thtts, Mr. Glover, : member - for' Auckland Central, last anight: .''l,-arid I alontf,'. am-re-sponsible for my own opinions—Qond hear, .hears)—and when- 1-stand before, that, great tribunal—-'. The / balance : of the sentence was lost, amid the hearty laughter that ensued.. . . . .- has given notice to ask the Minister for Firiahce.why lire notice of motion dealing with;the raising of loans and advances dunng the year ended March 31, 1909, and up to October 7 last, and the accounts to which the amounts; raised have been credited,' is onposed"by. the Government. . ~ 'Mr. Newman is asking' the Minister ■ for Lands whether the Government will take into consideration the .'advisability 'of' acquiring' lands for occupation under: the - Lands for settlement Act near Foxton. Mr. Newman states that there is a considerable area of, land; well suited for close - settlement < in: this district which- is now held-in' large ■ blocks. Crooks, M.P., was a visitor to : the Mouse last evening.