PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2564, 11 September 1915, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

. m ESTIMATES RAILWAY RATES DISCUSSED The Legislative Council met at 2.30 l>.ro. ' Leave of absence for tho remainder of tlio session, on account of illness, was ■granted tlio Hon. J. Duthio. - Tho Joint Committee on Bills reported that tlio Harbours Amendment Bill and the Lytteltori Harbour Board Election Bill, whioh were'introduced in. tlio House by Dr. Thacker (Cliristchurch East), were, in their opinion, publio Bills. ■ The Council adjourned at 2.35 p.m.' till 2.30 p.in. qn Wednesday next. ,

THE HOUSE . ■, TOe House of. Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. . .'■'* "... Dr. A; K. NEWMAN (Wejljiigton ' East) gavo notice of his intention to 'asked the Priijap Minister whether he would con'sider the 'advisability of the State acquiring trawlers in order to reduce the price of fish, and so reduce the cost' of living .to'tlie people. ' The Right Hon, W.l'\ MASSEY gave ' notice of ljis in.-tentipu .tc introdiide the ■'Alien Enemy Teachers Bill;' HOURS OF WOMEN WORKERS. Tlie Labour Bills Committee reported on the Factories Act Amendment' Bill, anfi recommended that the Bill should ■bo. 'aUojved/to proceed '-with- the amendr meni of;a new .clause postponing its operation till six months aftor thp ponclusipn'of the War. The Bill is for tlio ■purpose of reducing the hours of women workers in woollen mills, from &8 to 45 per . ' " . : ' i 'Mi-.'T. 31. WILFORD (Hutt) said ' that the Bill was the one that passed the House last session and died somewhere else. This year it had gone before the Labour Bills Committee,.and it . had been agreed, by both the employers and the employee#,' that the Bill should proceed with the amendment mentioned.In these . times it was necessary that consideration, should be given .Twomen'.. employee's. ( " The. Wellington .Woollen s Company had given ■ a boniis of .5 per cent, on wages to its workers, hut this .lyas a: paltry . sion tci 'the> women in tlus time "wlien big profits'were "being' made. Tho' secretary of the Woollen" Workers'' EmAssociation desired him to say that -they werV willing : to agree that the amendment should' be inserted. He thought ...that, no . obstacle cojild now be placed in . the ivay of the BilT becoming Jaw. There could be ho objec- 1 tioji from the woollen mill?. He added that all the employees in the' woolleii mills, felt very much tho word.B that had been used that tliey were "slaekiers."; ■•■■;• - . . ' .

Mr. Massey: It' was not,said.here. . Mr.'Wilford: "No; in' another place." •A'great'deaJ' of trouble had been caused. 'An agreement had been come to between the'mills'and the employees, as' to■ the' compromise, and ho did .not think there could be 'any objection to tho reduction of. the hours of these Women workers from 48 to 45, to bring them into line with all other industries. ... • The Hon. D. BTJDDO (Kaiapoi) expressed pleasure at the report of the Labour • Bills Committee, and trusted that an opportunity would he given the member, for Hutt to put his Bill through tins session. ' Hie report; was laid on the table.

LOCAL BILLS. '. Thei Papakura. Beacli Vesting. 'Bill (the Right, Hon. W. F. Massey) and |¥;,;Y® li H 1 g t < ) n'-afld , ,Karori' Sanitation and Water Supply Amendment Bill (Mr. R. A. .Wright), were read' a second time '.wjfciiout discussion. Tfc Auckland City Markets and Empowering Bill was put through Comjpittee with amendments, read a third lime, and passed. • v The Wellington City Empowering Act, 1908, Amendment' Bill was put through Committee without amfendment, read a third time, and passed. The Liverpool and Raglan Counties Bill was withdrawn. ~ Tho Ohristchurch Electrical Supply Empowering Amendment Bill (Mr. L. M. Isitt), - tli© Wyndham Recreation Reserve Amendment Bill (Mr. G. J. Anderson), and the Tokomaru. Bay. Harbour Bill (the Hon. W. D. g. MacDonald) were read a second time.

THE GENERAL ESTIMATES CONSIDERED IN COMMITTEE. ■■ The House went' into Committee of Supply on the Estimates. , Oli Class I, Legislative Departments, T, M. Will'ord (Hutt) suggested that the positions of messengers m tho Houso should be given to maimed soldiers. . The; Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald (Minister in charge) said that the employment of messengers was in the hands of the, Speaker. Ho understood the Hon. A. L. Herdman would control the Department dealing with the maimed soldiers, and he would consider their « positions. He thought it best to leave the matter in the hands of the Speaker till the House mot next session. • On Class a, Departments of Finance, „ £ (Wiccarton) asked what the Nayal Adviser, at a salary of £315, was doing? The Right Hon. W. F. Mas&ey (Prime Minister), speaking for the Minister of Defence, said that it had been intended that tho. commandor of the Philomel should occupy the position, but he was far from New Zealand at present. Mr Massey" thought, that Commander Brown,, late commander of the Torch, was doing tho work. xi *^" en explained later* that tihe item was the salary of the.' 1 secretary to the Naval Adviser, and' tiiat ofticer was noiv on the secretarial staff of the Defence Minister. The Naval Adviser was still Captain Hall Thompson, in command of the Philomel, but some, work which would ordiiiarily be done by Captain Hall Thompson was being done now, in his absence by the commander of the Torch. ' The .class was passed.

Post and Talegraph Services, When'the Post and-Telegraph estimates were under consideration, Mr. H. G. Ell and other members urged the Minister to set up more slot telephones in their districts. Dr. Thacker said that..telephone exchange girls wore frequently overworked especially in ohi'i6tehurch.> Mr. Pearco impressed upon the Minister the need for improvement in the postal facilities in the country districts. Sir Joseph Ward (PostmasterGeneral) said that the money required for extensions had to bo provided out of loans. As soon as he knew what money was available he would be able to give consideration to tho various matters suggested. Regarding slottelephones he recognised their convenience, but it was all a matter of money. The mot-telephones cost, with accessories, from £60 to £70 cach. He / promised to go into tho subject after the session, with a-view of finding the lowest amount for which they could bo erected, but they could not be put up with the rapidity of ordinary telephones. As to the automatic telephones, they were made " in Antwerp before the war, and after tho war began a factory was set up to make them in 'England. That factory was now employed i in making war munitions, hence tho delay in getting the automatic systern extended. There could be no •'"sweating" of the girls in tho telo-

phone _ exchanges, for the hours wero only six per day. - Mr. 6. Hunter (Waipawa) urged that those people who wero entirely without telephonic communication—tlio back-block settlers—should ho considered. ' Sir Joseph Ward said that his own view was that such peoplo should receive a preference over those'who had already got somo telephonic communicatiqn. In reply to Mr. 0. H. Poole, Sir Joseph Ward said that it was not intended tp take any interest in the new mail service mentioned as likely to start between Australia and San Francisco, for tho reason that we already gave a contribution to two services going direct from New Zealand. Tho class was passed at 9.25 p.m. The Railway Rates. On the Railways vote, Mr. J. Anstcy (Waitaki) asked what benefit tho appointment of a general manager at a salary of £3000 a year had been to the' Railway Service, and especially to the country settlors. Ho thought tho proposal to raise freights fWOijltl drive a Jot more of the country produce on to the roads. Mr. J. T. M. Horiisby (Wairarapa) asked the Minister when tho Wairarapa people might" expect a ' bettor service to Wellington. _ Hp thought that much of the inconvenience was caused by the running of the Wairarapa service in conjunction with the: suburban servico. " The Hon. W. H. Herries Qlinister of "Railways) said lie had a great deal, of sympathy with tho people who travelled on the Wairarapa line. His chiefdifficulty since lie had been unfortunate enough to hold tho portfolio of Minister of Railways -jvas'to resist demands of people to have "express .trains stop at 'suburban stations. He would ask the member 'for Wairarapa to. support- him in refusing tip demands of the suburban people. 'He hoped tlio Wairarapa people would come down in a body to assist hjm iii Holding "off'the suburban people. Mr. Hornsby: We'll give you a banquet.l

Sir; Herries: There might not be much left of me to have a "banquet after I liad been torn pieces by the suburbans. Mr. Herries defended the appointment of agent.' Honourable members should' know that the duties of a commercial agent here were different from those of a commercial ftgeht at Home where there were 'competing lines. Here the agent, who ,was a good business man, acted as a buffer between the users of the lines and the head" office. The official attitude in all Departments to' turn doyvn all reguests. Tlie agent's duty was to investigate requests and grievances and so to got pver Departmental "red-tape. It yyas intended that the Neiv Plymouth trail! should be further speeded' up, but it was. a very difficult matter to'' speed up a tram, The only way it could be done was;.by cutting out stops," and as soon as a . stop was' cut out 'the people got their member to work to protest. Sometimes tho pressure was so great that the Minister bad to relent. The railway tariff was really under consideration, but he was not sure that it would be' wise to alter the tariff 'when the "ten per cent, addition was put on. Tho Treasurer had based his • estimates on the old tariff, and an. alteration might put him out in his calculations. ' • _Dr. Newman: Why not give a sensible answer? Mr. Herries: I thought I was giving the most sensible apswer that could be given. . . " Mr. Parr: An exceedingly sensible answer, I sltould imagine. . Mr. Buick: One that anyone can understand, anyhow. . Mr. Herries indicated that he would seriously .consider the idea of a diningcar on the Wellington-Napier, express. Mr. 0. A. Wilkinson (Egmont) asked.that the 10 per cent, additional tariff should not be put on. honey. The Office in' King's Chambers. Mr. H. 6; Ell (Christclvurch South) asked what the Departmental office in King's Chambers, Wellington, was costing. He doubted whether it liad proved a payable proposition, and thought that it would be better to sell the tickets on commission through some well-known firm. Mr. G. V. Pearce (Patea) suggested that local bodies should not be penalised by' the additional tariff on imported hardwood timber. Sir. Herries explained that Mr. Hiley was not attached to tho Defence Department ; lie was still General Manager of Railways, but he went out to Trentham onco a week or so. Ho had been responsible for vast improvements made at 'Trentham Camp. • : Mr. Parr: Hear, hear. The country is indebted' to him.

Mr. Hemes said that Mr; Hiley was getting, nothing extra for this "service. Answering another question he said that ho could not make any exceptions with the new ten per cent, addition. That must go on everything, for if he was'to give way on one thing he would have appeals from all. With regard to the office in the city he. had received many complaints shout it. The cost was about £750 per year, but the clerk and the assistants were taken out of the general office, so that there would be that expense anyway. The rent was about £200. The system had-.proved.a, success, and, it was hoped to extend it to other cities. , Mr. G. Hunter (Waipawa) said he was pleased to hear that the Minister was really going 'to consider giving' them a dimng-car on tbo WellingtonNapier section. What he had done ! in speeding up the train had been greatly appreciated in Hawke's Bay, and if ho would give them the dining-car there would ,be no grounds for complaint. Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki) desired to know when tho new station in Wellington was to be erected. It seemed farther off than ever, and ho suggested that if it was to be postponed the passengers by the Manawatu line should be brought to Lambton Station.

Suggested Amalgamation. Mr. H. G. Ell advocated the amalgamation to somo oxtcnt of tho Tourist Department >vith the Railway Department. At the railway office in King's Chambers in Wellington much of the work that was now done by tho Tourist Department; be thought, could bo very conveniently doiip by tho llailway Department. In Christchurch the Tourist Office in tho city might handlo much work for the Railway Department. The Hon W. H. Herrics, in reply: to Mr. W. H. Field, 'said that he hoped the Wellington Central Railway Station would be completed before five years. The goods department of the station would he hope<l bo in operation long before that time. Indeed the gdods facilities would bo absolutely necessary if the Department was to do its work properly. With regard to., tho suggestion to amalgamate tho Railway Department and tho Tourist Department, that, was a policy matter about whicli he could make no definite pronouncement. But ho would remind the honourable member for Christchurch South (Mr. Jill) that something of the sort was advocated by the Public Service Commissioner, mid. if amalgamation was under the consideration of the Government the report of the Commissioner would have some weight. The Railway vote was passed at five minutes after midnight. Tho classes Public Buildings, Domains and Maintenance of Roads, Native Department, and part of the Justico Department were passed in a few seconds. Progress was reported, and tho House rose at 0.10 a.m.