PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1226, 7 September 1911, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

I THE COUNCIL. r WORK ON BILLS COMAIENCED. I MENTAL DEFECTIVES. v s The Legislative Council met at 2.30 yesf tcrday afternoon. £ The Methodist Charitable and Edue-a----0 tional Trust Bill was reported from tho t Committee to which it had been referred, f without amendment. > The Hon. George Jones gavo notico of [ his intention to move that the second 1 reading of the Field Divorce Bill be made , an order of the day for next sitting day. 1 t STATE BANKING REPORT. Referring fo the decision of the Council to have further copies of the State Bankr ing and Paper Currency Report printed J for members, 1 The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said ho had received word from the Government ' Printer that to reprint the report would . cost over .£IOO, and seeing that there were L 36 copies still in hand, he thought the 10- ' printing might be obviated. i The Council decided that the 3G copies would be sufficient. f THE HON. G. FOWLDS'S RESIGNATION. An official announcement of tho resignation of the Hou. Geo. Fowlds was made [ by Sir John Findlay. In expressing his ! regret at the loss of Mr. Fowlds, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL paid a ' tribute to the retiring Minister's indus- , n-.y, courage, and wide general knowledge , of political questions. Mr. Fowlds, ho , said, had dono excellent work in the porfi folios he held, and he had beeu not only the colleague but the close friend of the speaker. EDUCATION COMMISSIONERS, Notico of motion was given by the Hon. E. C. J. Steven* to ask tho Attorney-General i to state tho decision of the Government ' as -regards retiring allowances to the Comi missioners of Education Reserves in Otago and Canterbury, and to the officers who i havo bedn retired from tho stewardship of • those reserves. ' LABOUR AND EMPLOYERS' UNIONS. ' The Hon. J. BAIIR asked that a return 1 should be laid on the table of the Coun- ! cil'showing tho number of unions of employers, with the total membership, and tho number of unions of workers, with tho total membership each year since the passing of tie Industrial Conciliation and ' Arbitration Act, to the dato of lost return." Also tho number of trade unions registered under tho Trade Unions Act at tho date of tho passing of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and tho number, registered under the Trado Unions Act at December 31, 1910. WANGANUI SCHOOL SITES. The second reading of the- Wanganui School Sites' Amendment Bill was movby the Attorney-General, and was agreed to, after a brief discussion. MENTAL DEFECTIVES. Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Menial Defectives Hill, and explained the measure. and' its proposed advance in the caro of the ii»sane, at considerable length, treating each section seriatim. On the whole, ho thought the present Bill was a desirable advance on the existing law, and provided an effectivo and a simple machinery in place of tho clumsy machinery of the old Act. It also removed some of the absurdities in regard to trials in tho Criminal Courts. The Hon. J. RIGG (Wellington) urged that caro should bo taken to see that we did not go too far, although ho appreciated tho aim of tho Government, and thought the Bill was going on right lines. Ho objected, however, to tho part of tho Bill dealing with licensed institutions, the effect of which would bo to set up private mental hospitals. Where tho keepers of these institutions need net bo medical men, and the profit was great, there was a danger ahead. He thought tho caro of tho mentally afflicted should t>o entirely controlled und managed by tho State. Tho unfortunates would not, to his mind, get the samo attention and care in a private institution as they would in ono controlled by the State. So far, the State had not recognised the privato institutions, but under this Bill they would havo large private institutions springing up. The debate was adjourned, on the motion of the Hon. C. M. Luke, and the Council rose at 4.15 p.m.