PARLIAMENT. YESTERDAY'S SITTING.

Evening Post, Volume LXII, Issue 17, 19 July 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT. YESTERDAY'S SITTING.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tho Speaker took the chair at 2.3,0 p.m. FIRST READINGS. Tho following Bills, received from, the Houso of Rem-esentalivoil, were read a first time: — Cyanide Procoss Extension, Public Health Amendment, Chinese Immigrants Amendment, and Accidents Compensation, < YOUNG PERSONS PROTECTION. Tho Minister for Education, in moving tho second reading of tho Young Persons Protection Bil| t said he hoped that it would bo none the less acceptable because, it was an old friend. • Its opjecfc was tq prevent undue frequenting of tho streets by young persons, and to prevent them from going on to worse things ; also, to put those who had been contaminated out of tho way of contamination. Tho Bjll d,id not tend to craate a criminal class. It was much tho same as the measure which passed the Council last session, except that in the farmer Bill ib was left to any police officer, on warrant issued by a Magistrate, or a Justice of the Peace, to search any building suspected of harbouring young persons for immoral purposes ; whereas now the power of issuing such warrant was confined to a Magistrate. The Hon. George M'Lean endorsed the aim of the Bill, hut questioned the moans. "\Vas the Bill, he asked, to be put on the Statute Book and left iuoperative, as the Inebriates Homes Act Bad been? How would the treatment of a child on the terms of the Bill affect' that child's future? JSo advocated the bringing int* forco of another measuro now inoperative — the CD. Act — to cope with contagious diseases in the colony. Young New Zealanders were as a rule .well-be-haved, though there were, no doubt, exceptions belonging to the criminal class, but on the whole our young poople would compare favourably with those of ' other countries. If tho appointment of inspectors went on, there would soon be a billet to every second person. He would vote against the Bill, and hoped that it would be put out of the road as soon as possible. The Hon. R. Scotland objected to the stigma that would be placed on children dealt with under the Bill. If such children were brought before the Magistrate, their names might be published, and a provision should be inserted to prevent the publication of such names. Tho Hon. S. E. Shrimski considered that section 11 (providing for detention after being before a Magistrate) was too drastic. The Hon. C. C. Bowen supported the Bill, which he described as a means of preventing criminal tendencies, not of creating criminals, as had been said.'Parents wert, too lax in New Zealand. The Hon. Wm. Jennings thought that if the last statement were true, the parents should be punished, not the children. He had seen nothing in our cities to give rise to an agitation', which he compared to that of Mr. W. T. Stead in tho "Maiden Tribute." Tho treatment of children under tho 'Bill would put 'a brand upon them that would never bo removed. Private people and societies were now working where work was needed, and he objected to the .powers that it was proposed to put into the hands of so-called "discreet women" and inspectors. <t The Hon. A. Lee-Smith agreed with the object of the BUl,M>ut not with its provisions. The name of a child found too often in the streets should first bo taken down as a warning — one that would impress the matter on the parents, and leave them every opportunity to deal i with tho Children in the proper way. The Hon. J. M. Twomcy thought that no one who had read recent proceedings in the Courts should vote against tho Bill. Thero was a largo section of people disposed to tnko advantage of loitering children. If a child was taken in charge, and taken home it would be a warning to parents, and the fact th«.t such children were liable to arrest would act as a deterrent to their being allowed ! to go out at night. t The Minister for Education was understood to say that the Magistrate's enquiries would not bo in open Court. The Hon. D. Pinkerton did not think we were so horribly wicked that children could not be allowed in the street* on any conditions. Children sent on\ v njessages should be free to do so on giving a satisfactory statement. He hoped the Bill would not be passed, though it passed tho Council last session. If it became l*w, it would be allowed to remain inoperative. The peoplo would not have it. , The Minister for Education said that there wore no new arguments to meet, but -only tho some old bogeys. There was no denying that children in our cities led an open-air life*, and often a loitering one. There was no call for the inspector to interfere with harmless amusements, such as the playing of a game of football on a moonlight night, bub it was a different case when the inspector knew that the children were getting into misohief. The taking charge ,of a child and handing him to his guardian would not affect that child's future. Almost the last act in the procedure under the Bill was the bringing of the parent before the Magistrate, and he was sorry that the parent was not brought- in earlier. The motion for the second reading was carried by 20 to 6. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BILL. The MinUter for Education, in moving the second reading of the School Attendanoe Bill, said that the Bill did not vary greatly from the existing law, except that tho school age was extended from 13 to 14 years, mainly to meet the requirements of , country districts, and that the required attendances was raised to three days and a half out of every five. With regard to exemptions from attendance, a distance of two miles from school was suffiolent to exempt under the present Act. Under the Bill, for children over ten years of age the ' miledge distance was extended from two miles to three. He had known of many cases at Home where children walked more than three miles to sohool and wer* glad to do it. The Bill provided for a non-at« 'tendance penalty on parents— maximum 10s, and minimum 2s. The Hon. Captain Baillie supported the Bill. The Hon. H. Peldwick contended that under the wording of the Bill, Roman Catholic children who were outside the limit of access to a school of thejr own, would have to attend a public school, or else obtain ' exemption annually from the committee, and the committee could refuse to grant such exemption. The Minister for Education denied the construction put on the Bill by the last speaker. Exemption' could be granted on U being shown that a child was " under efficient and regular instruction elsewhere." Efficient and regular instruotlon was nil that the Bill aimed at. The second reading was agreed to on th» voices. The Counoil rose at 3.85 p.m.