PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1270, 27 October 1911, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

y THE COUNCIL. WORKERS' COMPENSATION. REFERRED TO LABOUR BILSL COMMITTEE. WELLINGTON RESERVES. Tho legislative Council met at 2.3 C ..' yesterday afternoon. ..: The ATTORNEY-GENERAL speaking ;■ on the adjourned debate on tho second reading of the Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill said the objections re- ,■ coived from all parts of New Zealand '• showed that one side was against any extension, of existing law beyond the old limitation, and the other sido was of opinion that Clause 62 of tho principal Act should remain as at present. Other sections were also in dispute, and ho could not resist tho suggestion that the Bill should be referred to tho Labour Bills Committee. This might involve delay, but he had consulted persons interested in both sides, and they thought the chance should bo given to discuss it. It was possible that the Bill might not be reported from tho Committee, but that could not be helped. Ho proposed to ask the Council to refer the Bui to ' the Labour Bills Committee for a report. Tho Hon. J. T. PAUL: "Do yon propose to state a time within which the Committee is to report? Otherwise, it is pretty clear that tho Bill is to bo 1 killed by , the method proposed." It was true, said Mr. Paul, that such a Bill should be inquired into by a committee. Tho Attorney-General: What timo would you suggest? Tho Hon. 0. Samuel: Within a week. The Hon. J. T. Paul thought this suggestion ,was sufficient to show that in . Borne quarters it was not meant that the Bill should go through. All he wanted was that if the Bill went to tho Committee that fact should not be made a way of disposing of it. Tho Hon. J. E. JENKINSON thought 48 hours would bo a reasonable time to give the Committee. Tho Hon. J. BAER did not support Bending the Bill to a Committee. It ■would bo satisfactory to some members that it should go to a Committee, and not return this session. The Hon. 0. SAMUEL moved formally that the Bill bo referred to the Labour Bills Committee. Not only had they got to give time to members to consider the Bill, but they also owed it to the public . that they should havo timo to consider I tho Bill, anil know what is proposed to bo done in tho expiring hours of the session. He thought they could trust the Committee not. to delay too long in reporting to the Council. The Hon. J. B. CALLAN thought the Bill should bo referred to a Committee, ns there were several points on which evidence should bo called. The Hon. J. RIGG said he was inclined to think that if tho Bill went to the Committee its passago would be expedited rather than delayed. He did net Bee why the Bill could not be reported the following afternoon, if those interested were limited to one representative. Tho Hon. C. M. LUKE also thought the Bill should go before the Labour Bills Committee. It would be wrong to rush the Bill through. The Hon. J. R. SINCLAIR supported referring the Bill to tho Committee. Ho was anxious that the Bill should pass this said that tho 30 odd telegrams he had received in this connection mostly asked that Clause 13 should be deleted, if employers required this they were practically producing a result which they obviously wished to avoid. He thought 48 hours should bo sot as a time limit within which the committee should report. The second reading was agreed to and the Bill was referred to the Labour Bills Committee with instructions to report within 48 hours. WELLINGTON CITY EMPOWERING BILL. Tho Wellington City Empowering and Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee. The Hon. C. M. LUKE moved a newproviso to follow Clause 5 which gives power to make by-laws fixing the charge lor admission to sports grounds, etc., on city reserves. The proviso ran:— Provided that this section shall not apply to. any reserve within the city of Wellington, with tho exception of tho reserves known as the Basin Reserve, Newtown Park, and Duppa Street Park, and the provisions of paragraph (d) of Section 29 of the Public Reserves and Dpmains Act, 1308, shall not apply to the aforesaid reserves. This was agreed to on tho voices. A further addition was made to' Clause 5 providing that children under seven years of age shall bo admitted free. Tho Hon. J. E. JENKINSON intimated that ho had just received a petition from a number of citizens of Wellington protesting against the passing of the Bill. Hβ could not present Ibis while they were in Committee, but he thought it right that the Council should be apprised of tho fact that tho petition had come to hand. The Hon. J. T. PAUL moved that progress be reported in order that the Council should be able to see the petition. Th« ATTORNEY-GENERA 1, thought that if progress was reported it was only an indirect moans of killing the clause. Ho thought it would be better to tako a straight vote on the clause. Tho motion to report progress was defeated by IS votes to 11. The adoption of the clause was agreed to by It votes to 11. The Noes were: Hons. Major Harris, S. T. George, J. T. Paul, J. Burr, W. Beehan, A. Baldey. G. ,T. Smith, T. Thompson, ,T. M'Gowan, J. R. Sinclair, and 0. Samuel. Tho Hon. O. SAM DEL moved a new clauso that sports ground in this section' shall mean only such' part of a reserve as shall for Iho time being be in actual use forrany sport and land being part of such reserve from which such sport can conveniently be viewed. A long discussion ensued on this amendment, those in favour urging that it was a monstrous proposition that tho public should be debarred from using Kewtown Park just because a sports meeting was being held on the hirf. They wished t'o see people admitted to tho "Zoo" and the grounds about it without charge. A small amount of fencing would enable this to be done. The matter was still being debated when tho Council roso at 5 p.m. ' On resuming at 7.30 p.m., Mr. Samuel dealt at some length with the arguments advanced during the afternoon. .The ATTORNEY-GENERAL suggested that as the proposal of Mr. Samuei was to his mind unworkable, they should agree to excise Newtown Park altogether from Mr. Luke's proviso. Tho Hon. C. M. LUKE hoped members ■would not bo influenced by this suggestion. It was important that Nowtown < Park shonld be one of tho parks included, but he thoHght the area could bo reduced i to excludo tho Zoo. i Tho Hon. J. E. JENKINSON said he had it on good authority that the City : Council did not want Nowtown Park in, but would be satisfied with Kelburne ' Park. He suggested that Kelburno Park '■ be substituted for Newtown. If this were ' done, nil opposition to the Bill would ( cease. ' Tho Hon. Mr. LUKE said he was pre- ' parod to agreo to the suggestion to ex- ' change Newtown for Kelburne. Tho Hon. Mr. SAMUEL then withdrew ' his motion. ( Clause (i, which provides that, not- ! withstanding anything in tho Wellington Milk Supply Act, the Minister for Public ' Hpalth may license any company or person : owning a milk station at the time of tho passing of tho Milk Supply Act to continue to carry on tho business as if ' neither the Milk Supply Act nor the proPent Act had been passed, was amended by striking out the words, "at the timo of. the passing of tho Wellington Milk Supply Act, 1910, to continue." Tho Bill was reported with amend- ' ments, and was then recommitted in order that Nowtown Park should be deleted from Mr. Luke's new proviso and Kelkxirno Pnrk substituted. Tho Bill was then read a third time and passed. , Tho petition referred to by the Hon. J. E. Jenkinson early in the debate was signed by Mr. W. Tonks, who asked that

tie number of days on which tho City Council jihould bo allowed to charge for • admission bo limited to ton. At an early hour this morning a message was received from tho House of Representatives agreeing to tho amendments made by tho Council in tho Bill. BILLS DISPOSEO OF. Tha following Bills wero received from the Houso of Representatives and road a first and second time: —Public Reserves I and Domains Amendment Bill, Represen- * tation Commission's Reports Validation Bill, Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill, Public Scrvico Classification and Superannuation Amendment Bill, Reserves and otHior Lands Disposal and Public Bodies' Empowering Bill, Railways Authorisation Bill, Mining Amendment Bill, Government Railways Ainend--10 ment Bill. All the nbovo Bills, with tho exception of tho Mining Amendment and „ tho Reserves and Other Lands Disposal "j Bill, were put through their final stages " and passed. Progress was reported on tho n Mining Amendment Bill_ to enable the >- Attorney-General to consider the question j of recasting Clauso 12, which deals with y (iho payment to contractors who do not J sublet, and provides that payment shall f not bo withheld until tho completion of ] tho contract. Tho Reserves and Other r Lands Bill waa set down for its third „ reading to-day, as further amendments . may bo brought down in the meantime. Tho Council rose at 0.30 a.m.