PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 48, 24 August 1895, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

TUBEECULOSiS IND CANOSB. The other night the Minister of Labour, as an argument for the Asiatic Immigration Bill, said that tubercular diseases were alarmingly increasing. Mr. G. W. Bussell challenged the statement, and said the volume of statistics for 1891 contained a table showing that deathi from tubercular diseases were as follow i — 1885, 693 ; 1890, 650; 1891/ 752. Deaths from pneumonia were as follow t -1885, 297 ; 1890, 294 ; 189 1, 322. 'J heae figures, he aaid, considering the increase in the popnlation, did not justify the alarmist statements made by tho Minis' ter in hio article 111 tho Boviejr pf Bevie*o} and it was matter for rfgretthatsnbh.statoments should have been made. If, he added j the Miuiater would look into the statistics relating to cancer, he wonld find real ground for alarm, 'lhe deaths from canoer showed an amazinf* increase. In 1885 they nnmbered 177 ; in 1890, 295 ; and in 1894, 408. A Hoyal Commission of eiperta should be set up to enquire into the causes of this. The subject was beset wilh difficulty, but careful enquiry should throw epme light upon the queßtioq. lhe suggestion appeared to meet with the approval of the House. MAKOiBINI. lhe Margarine Bill of the Minister fpr Airricnllnre provides that it shall not, be lawful to manufacture margarine without a license, wbioh Bhal) be renewable from year to year, and cost £1. Neither shall it be lawful to mix, colonr, stain, or powder margarine with any ingredient so as to imitate butter, to mix margarine with butter, bntter fat, ot milk, or to manufacture, soil, or offer for Bale aa butter any margaiine or other substance whioh contains or with which is mixed any animal fats, or animal, mineral, or vegetable oils, or extraneous butter fat, or oil, or to export it odlcs3 distinctly chipped and invoiced aa margarine. Every package of margarine is to be plainly marked. A BAD TIMI. The Minister for Labour had a bad time yesterday. Other Ministers were engaged on the Bank Committee, and the House and the Labour Bills were left to their author. So a section of the Government Party which does not love Labour laws, aided by some active spirits of the Opposition, laid themselves out to give the Minister " a time." The whole afternoon Mr. Robert Thompson and others tore at the Wages Attachment Abolition Bill. Mr. Houston declared it one of a type of Bills introduced to please " lamp-post politicians." Mr. B. Thompson declared that "honest men do not iwant such legislation," and Mr. Flatman conaidered such measures "political poison." The block was continued till after dinner, oheh, with Much assumption of virtue, Mr; Thompson deolared that they had best let the Bill through without amendment, and leave* the responsibility cf so iniquitous a measureon the head of the Government, whioh wonld have reason to regret it when wage-earners dif ooverod that their ability to secure credit had been destroyed. Tho "heckling" he had received so irritated the Minister that when the evening oame he fairly lashed at his tormentors, accusing them of deliberate obstruction, and of wasting the time of the Houbo. Mr. Allen he desoribed as being responsible for more wasted time than any other man in tho House — with two executions. He warned the House that all hia Labour Bills had been met with jußt such a storm of ridioule, but they had reached the Statute-book. He challenged members to go to the country with proposals to take them off it. After a debate lasting some five hours on the Public Tenders, Ac, Bill, it was evident that the measure would not stand a division, so an adjournment was agreed to. MAKINO QUOTATIONS. The other night Mr. Crowther wished to quote the opinion of the Evining Post on the Undesirable Immigrants' Bill, but the Speaker pulled him up, and said member! must express their own opinions and not Snots those of others. Last night Mr. T. [aokenzie was reading a letter expressing an opinion on the co-operative works, and was similarly palled np. A. little later Ml*. Meredith met the same fate, beinjj stopped from reading a resolution ot a looal body in his constituency in respect of the Publio Contraota Bill ; and he fared no better when he said that his opinion was the same as that of the local body '• whioh was" but he was allowed to proceed no further. As a matter of fact, it was onoe the practice of Speakers of the House of Commons to prevent the reading of extracts from newspapers, letters, Ac., but according to A) ay the House overruled this objection, and admitted relevant extracts and opinions, and Speakers of that House no longer prevent this being done. TRC BIHK COMMITTEE. Aftor the supper adjournment last night, Mr. Buchanan moved that the Bank Committee bo allowed an extension of timo for bringing down its report till Tuesday next. The Premier said the Committee had been sitting continuously, and had taken a vast amonnt of evidenoe. It was now proceeding to consider proposals, and he had every reason to hope that he wonld be able later on to congratulate the country on the result of its labours. The extension of time was granted. . jottings. Mr. Duthie is questioning Ministers regarding their intentions respecting the Supreme Court vacancy. The Premier' jooularly suggested at 12.30 last night, after members had spent five hours in " heckling " the Minister for Labour, that they take the Licensing BUI. They didn't see it. " The whole thing is oonoeived in sin."— Mr. M'Laehlan on the Pnblio Tenders Bill. Sir Bobtrt Stout oonaiders that the power of attachment of w*gea has led to great abuses. The Minister for Labour says that, muoh as the Government may desire it, the exporionoe of the last four years has convinced Ministers that it is not praotioable to abolish sub-oontraoting. Mr. Pirani is seeking to have power given to sub-postmasters in remote oonntry diatriots to take birth registrations. The Minister for Labour says 115 British municipalities have adopted the fair wage* olanse. Mr. Buick has presented a numerouslysigned petition for the amalgamation of the Wairau and Spring Creek Biver Boards, wbioh for years past have been expending their money in "banking" against eaofi other, and so sending floods upon eaoh other's district-. Mr. Pirani is asking the Minister of Labour to appoint solicitors in each district to aot it a fixed scale for workmen seeking to rooover their wages under the Contractors' md Workmen's Lien Apt, and similar Aota. Petitions for religions instruction in schools continue to pour in. Marton, Norsewood, and Makotnku are the latest. "This continual tinkering with iiabour legislation is not in the best interests of the solony."— Mr. Willis. This week's Canterbury Time* contain* numerous illustrations and articles of speoial Interest, the ladies' pages, garden, and stock and dairy lotea are well written, ana oonbdn much varaabl* To-day's New Zealand Graphic contains some Japital largo photo views of the Trj Fluke gold niiie, Kuaotuuu, with luteresting particulars i riews of the Cheviot Estate, Wangumii Stiver, Nelson, &o.