THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 893, 12 August 1910, Page 6

THE HOUSE.

TRAMWAYS BILL. LABOUR BILLS COMMITTEE ENLARGED. When the House resumed yesterday, .A proposal by the Hon. J'. A. Millar (Minister for Labour) that two additional Messrs. Nos worthy-. (Ash burT ' E. Taylor (Uliristohureh Aorth)—be added to. the - Labour Bills 15??'®''*??.. during the , consideration of the .irainways Bill occasioned a good' deal oti'discussion.

Mr. WRIGHT. (Wollington South) expressed the opinion that the Bill'should be referred to a special committee of the House;

'Mr. DAVEY (Christchurch) emphasised the necessity ' for Chrisfchurch members i? 011 the.committee whilst Che. Bill was under consideration. Mr. RUSSELL (Avon) said that if the motion 'wore passed .it . would .virtually jnean, that the Bill would'go' to tho Lab. our Bills Committee.

. jtfiy.HEKRIES (Tauranga) thought thai I the position of the two. additional members should be defined. The position iriiich they would hold 1 would bo an anomalous one, .as they did not'hear the evidence'whiph" was taken by'; the comjmttee last year. ' • . 'Mr. MASSBY; (Leader of the Opposition) said ho thought the proper' tliihg' to do would be to set up a special committee. It was/clear to hiiii that if the House agreed_ to the motion it would be comto'Mndmg tie Bill'to the Labour xmls Committee. The position was not a proper one: Supposing later in' the session the Premier could not get his Land Bill through committee. In accordance' with this precedent he might then move to. have some particular friends added to thecommittee to achiovo his ohjcct.' He might say that ho had no objection to Jlt. Nosworthy or Jlr. T.'E. Taylor in the slightest degree. ' * '.The Hon. R. M'KENZIE said that it ■was of little consequence to the Government .as to which committee the .Bill was submitted. It was recognised that the Bill was largely a labour Bill. There were a lot of new clauses in the Bill as brought down this session, which were of great' importance to the tramway employees. He did not want to add to the committee at all;'a suggestion hod been . m'ado by Mr. Davey that Christchurch (should be represented on the committee. Every member of the House and tho country, too; would be satisfied to trust the measure lo the judgment of the Labour Bills Committee.

Mr. WITTY (Riccarton) stated that additional members were added to the Agricultural and Stock Committee to consider tho dairy regulations. ; . . Sir. Massey: Bat that was not a Bill. Mr. RHODES (Ellesmere) pointed out that the appointment!) which had been alluded to had beeai' of a permanent nature. ■Mr. ARNOLD (Dunedin South) said that if: the names were added the . committeo .would-,consist of five Government members, four. .Opposition members, and three • Independent members. .

The.PRIME MINISTER declared tliat the Labour Bills Committee would bo able to deal with the Bill much mare" expeditiously than a special committee. Upon a division, the motion was agreed to by 45 votes to 25. '