PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1198, 5 August 1911, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

THE COUNCIL,

ADDRESS'IN-REPLY DEBATE

DEFENCE AND LABOUR,

The Legislative Council met at 2.30 yesterday afternoon, when tho debate on tho Address-in-Eeply was continued. Tho Hon. John BARE (Canterbury) said ho was pleased to see the success of universal training. Talcing it on a broad view that this was only a matter of protection, anyone who was in New Zealand and intended to stay here, should encourage the scheme. There was no getting away from tho fact that the you'll of New Zealand required more discipline, and tho only weak point in tho scheme was that it might not give the boys as much discipline as they required. Personally, ho did not think the new . Provident Fund had been tho success that was claimed for it, and he could not hope that it would be until certain alterations were made. To have to wait for three months before receiving any sick benefit was a great drawback to the scheme. It it could be brought to six weeks or one month, the fund would bo more like what its promoters desired. Tho provisions for maternity sickness and the advantages given to married people still put tho Act ill the forefront of tho legislation of tho country. After referring to tho Shops and Offices Act, Mr. Barr went on to tho Arbitration Act. He did not think tho wholesale criticisms of the Judge had been justified, nor was it, in his opinion, in tho interests of the Act. and the partios concerned that thoso criticisms should have been made. To his mind, many of those, who criticised tho Judge were enemies of tho Arbitration Act, and wcro doing as they did because they were up against the Act. All that was wanted was to strengthen tho conciliation portions of the Act. The Judge had acted within his powers, but ho thought ho should not have tlio powers that were now in his hands. Mr. Barr said he thought the time had come when the constitution of the Court would have to bo radically altered. Instead of the permanent members, he thought-two experts should be employed to sit with tho Judge when dealing with a particular industry. He also thought the time had armed when a scheme of some kind of insurance against unemployment should bo taken in hand. 1

Straight-out Policy Wanted, Tho Hon. J. E. .TENKINSOJJ (Wellington) thought tho Govcrnr, out should have como down with a straight-out,, definite policy. The people never wanted' a guiding lino more than at present. The Governor's Speech contained inanv words but lil.tlo food. It was almost impossible to find anything in the Speech of a progressive nature. He could not see what tho satisfactory results claimed for tho Imperial Conference had been, outside of a decision toset un a Commission to inquire into the state of the trade of tho Empire. This was a fair result, certainly, but it'was about tho only one. Ho failed to see why the Government had waited so jolly over the Conference. Referring to water power and the statement that power could bo transmitted ovor 500 miles without a loss of more than 5 per cent., this, he said, was a matter on which opinion was very much divided. The expert might possibly have a different opinion after he saw more of New Zeaand. Reverting to the Speech, Mr. Jensaid- the people of the country wanted, a more progressive policv than they had had in tho past, and he thought the Miuister with initiative who could ffivo this.would bo supported.