PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1261, 17 October 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

THE HOUSE. THE OLD AGE PENSIONS BILL, Tho Houso met at 7.30 last evening, Una being the first Monday sitting of tho present session. n-'n 10 /£v V,a, ; ivo Claims Adjustment Jiiil (sir James Carroll) was read a first time, The riUME MINISTER (Sir .1. G. ), ] ' JS ovwl l |"> suspension of Standing Order No. 51 fur the remainder ot tho session, so far as to enablo new busings mi aft'or 12.30 o'clock at nielil. Iho SPhAivtaß stated Chat lie considored the timo bad now arrived w,hen lio was justified in permitting Hills to go through all their stages in one sitting, mils might be introduced on one day and taken ou tho next, but it would not bo permitted that Bills should bo in. troduced and put through all their stages on tho samo day. 'I'ho motion was agtoed to on tho voices. OLD AGE PENSIONS. The PRIME MINISTER moved tlifl Bocond reading of tho Old Ago Pension! Amendment bill. Mr. James ALLEN (Brucc) said in hi* opinion the Bill did not go as lar as lis would like. I'ho Loader of the Oliposw lion had urged that women should bs entitled to pensions on attaining tho age of sixty years, and in advocating thai reform, Mr. Massoy had been supported by members of tho Government party, Mr. Allen exprossod a hope that a clause extending the benefits of tho scheme io this manner would bo inserted in Con* mittcc. lie also inquired why tho Bill proposed to limit tho benefit of tho present Bill to those persons who had two off moro children dependent on them. Mr. T. M. WILI'ORD (Hutt) urged that men receiving a superannuation allowance of, say, onlv <£1, should bo entitled to reccivo an old-ago pension. Such a concession would bo an encouragement of thrift.

Mr, E. H. TAIiOR (Thames) protest, cd against the character of tho questions asked by magistrates in examining applicants for pensions. Mr. F. M. B. FISHER (Wellington Central) said that there ware a number of men in New Zealand who hnd been in receipt of pensions of Is. Cd. per day from tho Imperial Govornmont. Qnito recently the Imperial Government hod voluntarily increased those pension* by Is. per day, and those in receipt of them were liable to have, their pensions wider tho New Zealand Act reduced, H« asked that provision should be made, to assure that the Imperial pensioners would receive the full old age pension in addition to the amount paid to them by the Imperial Government. Mr. D. M'LAKUN (Wellington East) promised the Bill his hearty support., and foreshadowed the ultimate inclumon of invalidity relief in the old ago pensions systems of Now Zealand, louiiff people "were, in some instances, so disabled that they could accept relief withany stigma of charity. Messrs. lfanan and Sidey congratulated the Government upon tho introduction of the Bill. Mr lIOQ-VN was alw congratulatory, but contended that youiiß peoplo permanently incapacitated were just as mucU entitled" to nsMstutioo from tho State m old peoplo were. Ho wns sabsfled that tho Hou?e, if given an opportunity, would affirm that indigent poonlo sixty years of and the halt, maimed, and Minu should 1)0 assisted. Messrs. Glover, Luke, and EH continued the debate. Mr. W. FRASER (Wakatipu) protested strongly against the action of tlio Uovernment in bringiiiß down important Bills in the dying hows of the session. Messrs. Witty, 'Wright, and Lang hav '" Wtkß MINISTER wplied. Ite stated that the Old Age Pension Act mid other • Acts could not possibly overlap. No , magistrate., could praut a donblo pension. liirthor Extensions of the pension scheme were purely a matter of money. live lnme Minister suggested that the funds required to mako further provision, tor women pensioners might be. obtained by oar-marldns tho revenue derived from an increased graduated land tax. Ho next read a mass of figures compiled lrom past division lists with a view to rijojvms that prominent members of the Kofonn party had voted repeatedly against fuccessiVe amendments to the Old Ago Tensions Act. He would be delighted cyentiiallv to extend tho scope of tho i>en«on3 Bcheiiic, and to (rive further concessions. Meantime, financial considerations must be recognised. , , Tho second reading was agreed to oa the voices.

PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES. The Pnblio Works Estimates were introduood by Governor's Message at 0.8 a.m., and the Hon. U, M'Kenao (Jtnuster for Public Works) umwdiatoly afterwards laid the Public Works Statement for 7911 on tho tnblo. \nsnwing Mr. Allen, the Prime Minis, tor said that the debate on tho Pubho Works Statement and Estimates would, be taken on Wednesday at 2.30 p.m. _ The ]>an Bill would b» considered Bitnul. tanoously with tho Public Works State, mont. PENSIONS TO WIDOWS. Moving , tho wcoud reading of tho Pen. sions to Widows Bill, The PRIM 13 MINISTER remarked that this progressive measure was of the kind to bo expected from a country that had. initialed old ogo pensions. None had sibetter claim to Slat* aid than widows and children. The Bill wae in harmony with efforts which wcro being made to save the child as an asset lor the btate. Tho idiemc proposed under this BUS would cost the full x>5.000 mentioned in the Budget, and tho money wouW, be well sptnt. Mr. J as. ALLEN (Bruce )?aid that this Bill had his sympathy. au<l llc considered that it deserved the sympathy at everybody in tho House. He hoped to see it got «iion the Statute Book that year. Mr. GT Laurcnsoii also commended the Bill. , , , .. , The' Premier replied, and the, second reading was agreed to on tho voices.

STATE GUARANTEED ADVANCES. Tho New Zealand State. Guaranteed Advances Bill was read a second tiuw, without discussion. BILLS IN COMMITTEE. Tho following Bills wcro committed rChristclinrcb District Drainage Amend, mont Bill, Shipmns and Seation Amendment Bill, Ka tin's Amendment Bill, Liiidtax and Income-tax Bill, Death .Duties Amendment Bill, Public Works Amend* iiient Bill, Mingamito Rehearing Bill, Dunrdin Technical School Site Bill. The Christ'church measure and tho Shipping and Seamen Bill wcro reported without amendments. RATING AMENDMENT. In tho Rating Amendment Bill a proposal that fifteen per cont of tho ratepayers should have power to call for a poll was carried on the voices. Tho Bill was reported with aintnA mentis. (Left Sitting.)