THE HOUSE.

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

THE HOUSE.

ANOTHER ALL-NIGHT SITTING. MINING BILL. RAILWAYMEN'S WAGES. At 3 o'clock yesterday morning, the House was discussing the question whether the Gold Miners' Relief Fund could stand tho strain of paying compensation in respect of pneumoconiosis on tho same scale as though such compensation was provided for under the Workers' Compensation Act. There were 29 ■members in the Chamber at the time, and ton of them were lying down. Mr. POLAND had moved to amend Clause Ca of tho Mining Amendment Bill to that cil'ect. The Hon. R. MTvENZIE opposed tho amendment, but supported a clause added by tho Mines Committee authorising such paymonts to be made "according to regulations," and without specifying tho scale. Tbs. amendment was rejected by 29 votes to 25, and tho Mines Committee's clauso was agreed to. Clause 8 directs that payment to contractors who do not sub-let or employ wages men, or who actually perform any part of the work themselves, must bo mado on the same day as ordinary wages would be paid, and that no part of the remuneration must be withheld until completion of the contract. Mr. HERRIES said objections to this clause had come from different parts of tho Dominion. The MINISTER said he did not attach much importance to the clause. Tho clauso was read a second time by 31 votes to 21. The clauso was amended, on tho motion of the Minister, to make it apply only to contracts entered into after the passing of tho Bill. Another amendment moved by Mr. Herries, and carried, excludes all contractors who employ wages men. The Bill was reported with this and other amendments. RAILWAYS BILL. The Government Railways Amendment Bill was next committed, and the amendments to the wages schedule, as detailed in Wednesday's Dominion', wero agreed to. The Hon. 'J. A. MILLAR stated, in reply to questions, that machinists received increases in wages last year, and wero not getting any further increase under this Bill. Some of the machinists had been getting more than the mechanics, but tho latter were now to receive increases. Two or three other classes besidos the machinists were getting no increases this year. Mr. HINE said he regretted that the Minister could not see his way to increase tho wages of surfacemen and others, who were getting, if single men, only Bs. a day. He thought they should be considered rather than tho men who were getting 12s. and 13s. a day. The MINISTER said that the Government was devoting as much money as could bo given this year to the increases of wages in tho railway service. If the minimum was raised to 9s. a day, tho service would require to be re-classified right through, and the cost would run into .£140,000. The wages now would bo equal to award rates. He would be prepared to see what could be done at tho next reclassitication. All married men would bo now getting not less than Bs. Cd. a day. Mr. OICEY said the local bodies in Tarauaki were paying labourers higher , minimum wages than the Bill proposed. The MINISTER said the railwaymen had also houscsat a weekly rent equal to a day's pay, besides holiday and travelling privileges. Mα - . "HINE said the increases wero being given to men in large bodies who could wield influence,- while the isolated men in the country districts were getting none. Evory man in the workshops was getting a rise. He protested against this unfairness. Tho MINISTER said the last time an extra Gd. a day was given to the surfacemen it cost .£IB,OOO. That would show whether they wore a small t>odv or not. The workshop men were not at! in one place; they were at all the four centres. . They were only being raised to tho same minimum wages as were paid under awards outside. Tho Bill was reported as amended. The Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment Bill, Reserves and othor Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Bill, Railway Authorisation Bill, Mining Amendment Bill, and Government Railways Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed. Twenty-two members were present when the Houso rose at 4.40 a.m.