THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 986, 29 November 1910, Page 6

THE HOUSE.

PUBLIC WORKS BILL. , When the House of Representatives resnmed its sittings yesterday the Public Works Bill was put through its final stages.

FACTORIES AMENDMENT BILL. THE QTJESTION OF BRANDING. In moving ■ the committal of the Factories Amendment Bill, The.MINISTER FOR LABOUR (Hon. J. A. Millar) referred to the competition of Chinese laundries with European. The Bill dealt with this competition as far as it could be dealt with, by placing European and Chinese laundries on exactly the same basis. As we had admitted the Chinese, we could not put a legislative handicap upon thorn; the most we could do was to make them conform to tho laws governing European laun-. dries. He hoped next session -to introduce legislation which would provide for shoddy being marked. The Bill would bo pretty drastic, in order to protect the public from deception. Mr. J. F. ARNOLD (Dnnedin Central) said that some years ago, when tine tariff was under consideration, samples of boots were submitted to members to show the amount of shoddy that was put into boots. Very strong evidence •could be given by unions in favour. of the branding of local manufactures, but ho agreed, that- imported articles should be branded also, so that the public could, bo safeguarded against tho purchase of shoddy. i Mr. T. E. TAYLOR (Christchurch North) said the working man was being imposed on in a most scandalous manner in the putting of shoddy into boots. Provision for branding of goods was urgently wanted. Tho public were being imposed on with boots that were absolutely fraudulent, the insidos being of cardboard. These wore made in large quantities in this country; he would not say in which town. The Hon. J. A.' MILLAR, in ■ reply, said he agreed with the principle of branding, but if branding applied only to New Zealand goods, this would handicap local manufacturers without protecting the public against shoddy. He hoped to deal comprehensively with this matter next session. It was then decided that the Bill should be committed at a later stage. In Committeo on the Bill, the Chairman pushed things through with great vigour until tho schedules wero readied. Ho was nutting tho schedules through in "ono hit" when .Mr. Fisher delayed the procession by a remark, "This is absolute murder, goimr through a Bill like this." and the Minister (tho Hon. J. A. Millar) agreed that it would bo well to take the schedules item by item. An alteration was mado on the instanco of the Minister to provide that a boy or girl,- over tho ago of 13 years and' holding a certificate of exemption, should- not bo prevented from working in any workroom in which machinery is used, so long as they are not working at the machinery.

The Bill was reported with amend-1 ment. DENTISTS AMENDMENT BILL The Legislative Council having furnished' reasons for adhering to its amend- | ment in tho -Dentists Amendment Bill, c tho House appointed the Hon. D. Buddo j and Messrs. \V. Fraser and T. H. Davey 1 to represent it at a. conference. I e CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. [ On the second reading of the Industrial f Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment ' Bill (No. 2), I Mr. T. E. TAYLOR (Christchurch 1 North) made a plea for the half-holiday 1 on behalf of carriers. He recognised t that these men conld not get a regular i day, but he asked that they should have J the right of letting their half-holidays ( accumulate, and taking them every three ( or six months. < Mr. MILLAR said that the general Bill 1 had been postponed, and this Bill dealt < with one matter only. He could not. ' see his way to deal with the matter men- i tioned by Mr. Taylor this session. 1 The second reading was agreed to. s COAL MINES AMENDMENT BILL. 1 The Hon. R. MItENZIE moved the ! committal of this Bill. Its principal \ clause was Clauso 5 regarding conipensa- ] tion for injuries. This had been passed ' last session, but had been found to'bo '. inoperative. The new Bill would make ■ it effective. It was agreed that the Bill ! should bo committed at a,later period. WAiHOU AND OHINEMURI RIVERS : BILL. ! The second reading of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Bill was moved by the Hon. It. M'lienzie. Mr. HERMES (Tauranga) said the Bill was necessary to meet a very difficult subject, but possibly tho settlers and the miners would find in this Bill a monster of the Frankenstein. The Minister was taking to himself enormous powers, yet those interested had to pay even though the Minister did nothing. The rating powers should be limited entirely to the territory that would ba affected. It was absurd that the settlers at Matamata, etc., should be rated without having representation. Tho rating area should not extend beyond To' Aroha or thereabouts. Thero would be as much reason for rating the inhabitants of Auckland as those of Piako and Matamata counties. The-Tat-ing area should be diminished and "confined to those who had some interest in the operations |of the board. After further . discussion the second reading was agreed to. RAILWAYS AMENDMENT BILL. In moving tho second reading •of the Government Railways Amendment Bill, The Hon. J. A. MILLAR said, in reply to Mr. M'Laren, that he did not intend to send the Bill to the Railways Committee. Since the Bill had been introduced, representations had been made to him, resulting in the decision on his part to drop Clause 7 (leave of .iVenco), Clauso 8 (which provides that no member shall, if he is married or is a widower with a child or children under the ago of 14 years dependent upon and residing with or supported'by'him,'receive a salary of less than JJI3O per annum), and Clause 10 (which states that the Governor may.fix the salary of.any officer within limits). Mr. M'Laren: What about Clause 2 (which effects an alteration in the definition of "member" of tho service, etc.) ? The Minister: The Committee can reject it if they like. I don't intend to drop it.' You know how the superannuation' fund will be affected if it is not passed. Mr. M'Laren: But it affects pending cases. , Tho Minister: The idea is not to affect pending cases. . Mr. MASSEY said that there was strong objection to Clause 2. and it,would help the progress of the Bill if the Minister omitted this clause. Mr. HOGAN (Wanganui) also • urged" the Minister to drop Clause 2. Mr. T. E. TAYLOR (Christchurch North) said that if Clause 2 were,passed it would arouse a good deal of suspicion among the railway workers: He could not see why the Bill was not brought ,down earlierin the session. No one- could sa"y£tliat tlierVh'ad'becn any undue hasto this session: . ; Sir Joseph Ward: Hear, hear. Mr. j , Taylor:' The deliberation has been almost' deadly! (Much laughter.) ' " After further members had urged the withdrawal of the clause, the Minister intimated that in view of the expression of opinion of members and the late stage of the session, he intended to drop Clause 2. Tho second reading was then agreed to. LAND FINANCE BILL, •The Land Finance Bill again came up for consideration. The PRIME MINISTER said that reaggregation could not life checked under the clause which the House had inserted in the Bill, and which had been struck out by tho Legislative Council. If that clause were retained, titles could not be granted. Tho intention of the House could not.be given effect to except by seven or eight clauses. Ho proposed to bring down these clauses, and ask for a conference between managers of both Houses, 'with a view to their insertion in the Bill. • A motion was adopted to ' tho effect that the House disagree with certain amendments made'.' by the Legislative Council in the Bill. Messrs. Reed, Fraser, and the Primo Minister were appointed managers to represent the House at a conference with representatives of the Council. THE "WASHING-UP" BILL. The "Washing-up" Bill, which consists of 98' clauses, was introduced, by Go'ver- , nor's Message. It was referred to the Lands Commit- ' tee: LIBEL BILL. In moving the second reading of tho Libel Amendment Bill, The PRIME MINISTER said that he believed some amendment of the law of ■ libel was necessary. The measure.. was reasonable in every respect. It did not • go so far as the English or the QueensL land Acts. • s Mr. T. E. TAYLOR (Christchurch ' North) moved as an amendment that tho ! Bill be read a second time that day • six months. He was surprised that the ' Prime' Minister who had been .so much 1 maligned in the press should go to the ' trouble at the end of a long session to 1 further the interests of the fattest nion- ■ opoly in New Zealand. Then again, until 1 the Press Association monopoly was '■ broken he would not favour a single hour being devoted to the consideration ! of the subject. Nobody had asked for the measure. 1 The amendment was not seconded and therefore lapsed. > • Mr. MASSEY said he would vote ' against the second reading of the Bill on 5 the ground that it should not havo been | brought down in the dying hours of tho [ session. Mr: WRIGHT (Wellington South) said ! that he would help the Primo Minister ! to got the Bill through. 1 The PRIME MINISTER said .that the press had asked for a Bill of the kind ' and the president of the New Zealand ' Institute, of Journalists had written him ' honing that the Bill would be placed • 'on" the Statute Book although it did not ' go as far as was desired. > Mr. Massey: Why didn't you bring it j down three months ago? Sir Joseph Ward: It can be considered r in half an hour. . 1 TJpon a division, the second reading of the Bill was carried by 53 votes to 18. f r NATIVE "WASHING-UP" BILL. It was decided that the Native "Washf ing-TJp" Bill be committed at a later j stage. ! STAMP DUTIES BILL. Tho Stamp Duties Amendment Bill was ; recommitted for the purpose of deleting ' clause 7, providing for stamp duty on ■. goodwill. ! THERMAL SPRINGS DISTRICT. I The Thermal Springs District Bill was' • put through its Committee stage, and 3 was reported with a number of amend- . nien^s. I CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. t The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment • Bill No. 2, was j passed through Committee . without «I amendment.