PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11, 13 July 1894, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

THE FOX COMMISSION— ANOTHER HINIBIKEIAL VIEW. We Lave had one Minister -Sir Patrick Buckley— denouncing in tho Council the Fox Commission and tho Commissioner and all his works, and describing him as an " incompetent offioial." Wo had tho Premier at tho same time in the Houae expressing hi« satisfaction with the result of tho Commission, and with the nullification of that result by tho affidavit of the Editor of the Post, describing the Commissioner as having " done his duty and done it well " in bringing in Ministers guilty, and expressing his own belief that they wcro not guilty. Next, we had the Minister for Lands telling Mr, Buohanan that his confidence in the Commissioner was unshaken, and that notwithstanding the opinion expressed by the Colonial Secretary he still considered him a most competent and efficient officer. Yesterday we were favoured with still another Ministerial view— one, too, whioh appeared to meet with niuoh commendation from an amu'ed Houso It was in tho course of the warm debate on " Clause 21." Mr. Bell had eaid that a Government which set up the Fox Commission could not consistently refuse an enquiry into what was au evident attempt on the part of somebody to deceive tho House, and-aocording to the Premier's repudiation of personal intention — also the Government. The Minister for Labour was put up to reply, and ho said most emphatically that ho did not think the Government should appoint such a Commission as had been suggested— a " Star Chamber " inquisition, he continued, to call up this man and that man, and ask him as to his doings, and private convocations other men might hava had with him. Mr. Bell interjected " Yon havo a precedent." Yes, responded the Minister, but there were precedents and precedents. Thoro were precedents to bo followed and precedents to be avoided, and' the Fox Commission was a precedent to be avoided. If there evor was an oxamplo of of " how not to do it," it was tho Fox Com>-mis-ion. If there evor was a Commission which should not have been sot up it wan that Commission. He had never approved ■ of it, and he was very sorry that it was- evor ' appointed, and siuoerely hoped neither tho ■ present nor any other Government woaliever appoint snoh a Commission again ! MASTERS AND APPRENTICES. Ihe Masters and Apprentices Bill, of whioh we gave a Bumnmry on Wednesday, contains some remarkable features Apparently, in its present form, it will prevent anyone hir.ng a domestic servant between the ages of 14 and 18, without indenturing her in elaborate form to an apprenticeship of not more than six years. This may not be intended, but it would appear so from the Bill. Th« only oasual employment that could legally be given between theso ages would be a mouth's probation before apprenticeship, and an apprentice can only be transferred by a Magistrate. Then there is a distinction drawn between the wages of men and women for the same handicraft, whioh is surely a wrong principle to give legal sanction to in these days when " equality of opportunity " is sought and idcalis c\ A farmer will not be able to employ a boy or girl about his place to do casual work, and must indenture his hands between the prescribed ages. No one aged 14 may be employed unless ho or she has passed the 4th Standard or its equivalent. BThen tho scale of pay which it is proposed to establish for apprentices would in many inßtanoes icsult in reducing the pay to apprentices all round. The scale for printers' apprentices is very much lower — in some iustanoes 50 per oent. — than that now considered commensurate with the work, and now paid in many offices. Every caro ii to bo taken of apprentices dwelling with, masters, who are directed " that such apprentice shall attend Divine servioe when practicable at least once on every Sunday, and Bball have particular attention paid to his morals." During the apprenticeship in such cases half the weekly wage is to be paid into the Post Offioo fcavmgs Bank, and to be paid with interest to the apprentice on the conoluisiou of his term. Tho Bill is a strange mixture of good and bad, the intention of which, is good. THE MINISTERIAL RESIDENCES. •The Premier told Mr. Buohanan yesterday that when the Government trifld to let the Ministerial residences the highost offers were made with a view of turning them into boardinghouscß, and ho were rejected. The Government, he said, intends to bring a proposal before the House to deal with those residences once and for all. He did not oare to sell them without consulting the House. THE SYDENHAM LICENSES. The petition of Edward Taylor and Mary Ann Spires, of Christchurch, the litigants in the Sydenham oases, prays (1) that the House will put the Sydenham licenses in the same position as they were in before section 21 of the Alcoholic Liqnors Salo Control Act was passed, and (2) that the House either reimburse petitioners the costs of the proceedings taken by them in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, or bear the expense of the case before the Privy Council. THE WEST COAST ROAD. Mr. Wilson is asking whether, seeing that Government has not assisted the settlers on the West Coast in making their main road, and that the Government laud in the district waa handed over to the Wellington and Manawatu Bail way Company, and that therefore no "thirds have been paid, he will place a sum of money on the Estitnatos pnffioient to give a subsidy of £1 for £1 towards the completion of this road from Paikakariki to Otaki. LAWMiEKUS AND LAWBREAKERS. Dr. Newman wanted to know from the Premier yesterday why the publio aocountß for the year ending 31st March hod not been published and laid before the House, as required by the Publio Revenues Act, 1891. The Premier replied that, but for ciroumstances beyond the Government's control, the House would have been in possession of the Finanoial Statement. Dr. Newman moved the adjournment of the House to express his opinion of the continued breaking of the law by Ministers. When he had done, the Premier was called on to speak, but said that he " thought the best way of getting over the matter would be to say nothing." Mr. Wilson asked whether the Premier had no excuse to make for breaking the law. The Premier said thoro were many interpretations of the law, and there might be different opinions on the law on tbis point aIBO, POBT OFFICE SAVINGS BANK. There were 202,276 deposits, amounting to .£2,380,089, made in the Post Offico Savings Bank during the year ending 31st December, 1893. Of these, 42,846 depositors in the Wellington Postal District put in .£467,985. In the other chief postal districts the amonnts were as follows : — Auckland, .6378,525; Christchuroh, .£449,194; Danedin, .£325,915. The average amount standing at the credit of each depositor daring the year was £26 8a Cd. The average in Wellington was .£24 0s 3d. The total interest for the year was £114,760. The cost of management was iJOOO; and the total amount of withdrawals during the year was £2, 122,521. For the year ending 31st December, 1892, the amount deposited waa £1,878,270, and the amount withdrawn was £1,821.348. ABOUT DIVOUCE LAWS. Mr. Carnell is a strong advocate of the equalisation of the laws of divorce as regards the sexes — what tho Minister for Labour would desoribo as " eqnality of opportunity " for the weaker vessel. Therefore tbe member for Napier yesterday questioned the Premier as to the deletion of " cruelty " as a neceßsary factor in tho obtaining of a divoroe by a wife, and tho making of adultery on either side a sufficient gToand. The Premier eaid that woman laboured und er disabilities i n this respect, but once she made her appearance on tho floor of the House those disabilities would at once disappear. There was a very good Bill on the subject of divorce now before the Counoil, and when it was before the House Mr. Carnell could move in the direction he desired. INTESTINAL PARASITES. Captain Russell yesterday urged, as a, matter of vital importance, the appointment of a specially qualified expert to trace the life-history of the intestinal parasites which are killing off at least 20 per cent, of young stock annually. He did not think anyone at present in the colony would bo qualified for the work, which would take some two or three years. Professor Thomas, who had recently dono similar work successfully in England, once commenced such an investigation in Hawkes Bay, but for some reason did not complete it. The Minister for Agriculture said the question was one of great importance. To a certain extent tbe Government was providing for it in setting apart land at Waverley upon whioh these diseased animals would be kept and watched. He had been told by a competent man who had examined them that the parasites here were similar to those in older countries where experiments were being carried on by much abler men for the purpose than could be available here. Captain Russell said the life-history of the parasites here might be altogether different. He suggested that the matter be referred to the t:tock Committee. The Minister agreed to do this, and said he would call the gentlemen who had spoken to him of the matter, and Professors Thomas and Parker (the latter of Dunedin) to give evidence before tho Committee. Mr. Wilson asked whether it was proposed to appoint an entomologist, as recommended by the Agricultural Conference f The Minister said the matter was under conaidei ation. TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT. " Too much government " was the burden of tbe debate on the Pohangina County Bill yesterday. The Bill proposed to convert a road district into & county, and was promoted by Mr. Pirani. It was -.opposed by Sir Robert Stout, who 8 lid that the effect of of turning these road districts into counties would be that counties would eventually be abolished ; by Mr. Bell, who spoke in a similar strain ; by Captain Russell, who declared that tbe measure would result in doubling the borrowing powers of the district ; by Mr. Mitchelson, who advocated increase instead of decrease of county areas; and by Mr. Tanner, who kept the debate going till the 5.30 adjournment, and shelved the Bill. In answer to enquiries, the Premier said there was " too muoh local government," a etatemont which was received with a chorus of approval. He considered thete should be a large reduction in the number of local bodies, which would mean a reduction of administrative expenses TUB WELLINGTON DRAINAGE BILL. The Local Bills Committee thi«i morning heard evidence on the Drainage Bill. The evidence of Messrs. T. K. Macdonald, W. B. Haselden. T. Orr, Higginbottom, S. Waters, Buok, and another, was heard at great length for the objectors, and that of the Mayor and Mr. Mestayer, tbe Drainage Engineer, for the Bill. The Town Clerk was also present. Having heard the evidence, the Committee adjourned. JOTTINGS. The appointment of female inspectors of Lunatic Asylums ib authorised in the Lunatics Act Amendment Bill of the Minister for Labour. Mr. Crowther " brought down the House " last night by announcing that some of the new J.P 'a were " bookies." If the Gaming Bill becomes law in its

present form, no ouo can pat a pound on tho totahsator for a friond without risking three months imprisonment. " t never heard such savage sontimonts." —Mr. Bell, on Mr. G. W. Enssell's proposal to imprison " without the option " for betting. Mr. Duncan wants retaliatory import duties on Australian grain. Members were agroed last night that the trotting moetings are doomod. George Vesey Stewart, who was a candit>i e £? trenerrtl election for tho Bay of plenty seat, and whoae dopoait wan forfeited, is asking tho House for its return, on the ground that bo was only one-fifth of a voter ■hort or the required proportion, and one person who would have votod for him was not allowed to vote. It was pointed out last night that the agonoy olanse " added to tho Gaming Bill would prevent ladies investing on the totaliBator, as they would not now be able to do so by proxy. Members rogardod this as a good thing. Tho Minister for Kduoation says that if the Boards of Edncation do not take action in the mattor of Conrts of Appeal for toaobora, legislation upon tho point will be introduced next sossion. The Government cannot, the Promiorsays, oreate a Naval Rusorvo. Tho Minister for Justice iaya there is no intention of at proaent introducing legislathe Peace W '""° n '° booomo Juß « ceß of d JL° G ? m! ?& P "K discussion last eight degenerated . in*,, a wrang i Oi ia wh icha West « f . ra ? mb 'V. Who wa S ond.avonring to protoct the. Westport Club, was prominent w ™ oor .«tnuttl motions to report progress, to *\! " emie . r *• proposing an amendmont the Auctioneer* Aot Amondment Bill dOrmitting auctioneer.! to soil up till 9 p.m. for an additional foo of .£5 per annum. Mr. Lawry last night made a desperate bid for the trotting oluba. The Premier is palpably anxious to get at the " metropolitan" racing clnbs. The Hon. Mr. Rigg >s asking the Council to affirm tho principle of a fair day's wage for a fair day's work," and to recommend substantial reduotion of tho honrs of the I lbrary assistants, and the increase of their pay so that the wage* of fonr named will be mcroosod to 10s a day. 1 ho Hon Mr. Ward is so far roeovored as to be able to drive with Mrs. Ward to the Parliamentary Buildings, whore he will take up his residence ovor the Speaker's quarters for tho remainder of tho session. The Premier last night talked of allowing metropolitan olubs two totalisator licenses yearly each, and country cluba ono each. Tho compromise offootod means practically tho cutting off from tho metropolitan clubs ono-tbird i of thoir racing, and a reduction to 2UO meetings annually. Mr. Hone Hoke's Natiyo Rights Bill is intended to show the Maori poople the view of Parliament on their olaims for a Maori Parliament. Tho Labour Bills Committeo has increased the term of imprisonment under the Shipping and Seamon's Bill for assaults on a master, mate, or engineer, to li months. A combination to disobey orders at sea will be punishable by 12 months' hard labour, and in harbour, by six weeks' hard labour and the forfeiture of pay. „ Mr> „T a n ner > 8 proposing an amendment to the Bill affecting Bellamy's, to make tho House a separate licensing distriot, in which a local option poll (bare majority) Bhonld be taken at tho beginning of every session. Christchurch confootionern are petitioning for exemption from the Shops and Shop Assistants Bill. It is rumoured in the lobbies that negotiations are proceeding in London on behalf ot the National Bank of New Zealand for amalgamation with tho Bank of New Zealand. The Colonial Troasnrer was welcomed baok to the House this afternoon. Ho expects to bring down his Finanoial Statement on Thursday or Friday next. A " set" is being made against the Journalists' Institute Bill, led by the Minister for Lands, Mr. Duncan, and others. Mr. Pirani and other members of the Houso aro doing their best to counteract it.