PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 45, 21 August 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTING. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House continued its sitting after we went to press yesterday. The remainder of the afternoon was occupied in discussing the Labour Department, the coupon system, and the Bush Lands Bill, which are dealt with in another column. THE ARBITRATION COURT. At the. evening sitting the Premier moved the second reading of the Arbitration Court Emergency, Bill, which gives the Governor-in-Council power to appoint a deputy when a member of the Court is absent through illness. He explained that at present the Court could not perfoim its functions owing to the illness of Mr. Samuel Brown. This was only intended as a temporary measure, as the Government had decided to bring in legislation this session giving to both the unions and industrial associations the right to elect a deputy when they elected their original representative. The deputy would act in cases of illness or absence of the original representative. He produced a list of over fifty cases which were before the Arbitration Court, some of them over twelve months old, and he said that the Bill was necessary to cope with this block. Mr. Jas. Allen did not approve of the proposal contained in the Bill that the President of the Court should nominate the temporary member of the Court. The present law made provision for ailing of casual vacancies in the same manner as original representatives were elected, and he urged that course should be followed. The Premier said that would take too long. Mr. Allen replied that the industrial associations would fill the vacancy in twenty-four hours. Mr. Taylor thought some working unions would be very jealous of allowing a Judge to elect their representatives. He urged that employers should be consulted, and an appointment made by the President on their recommendation. The Premier said the President already had power to consults employers; but he had no objection to making consultation compulsory, if the House desired it. After further discupsion, the Premier, in replying, said that, under the machinery of the Act, employers' associations could not be legally consulted under aboub a month. He agreed to have the Bill amended in Committee to enable the President to consult the employers' tinions as best he could, and to make a recommendation after that consultation. He would also have it made clear that the Bill was only of a temporary character. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. SUPREME COURT JUDGES. The Minister for Justice moved the second reading of the Supreme Court Judges Bill, relating to the superannuation of Supreme Court Judges. After a brief discussion, in Avhich general approval of the Bill was expressed, and in which it was contended that Judges were insufficiently paid, the second reading was agreed to on the voices. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN BILL. In moving the second reading of the Shipping and Seamen Bill, the Minister for Marine said the time was not far distant when we would have a larger mercantile marine almost wholly owned in the colonies. The' Bill now before the House was practically as it left the Select Committee last session. In explaining the few alterations that had been made in the Bill, the Minister referred to the provisions dealing with restricted river limits, saying that he believed the House would leave these provisions in the Bill. If that were done he would appoint a Commission of experts, as recommended by the Committee last year, to go fully into the whole question of river limits. A long debate ensued, most of it heing confined to the subject of river limits. The Auckland members strongly objected to any interference with, or restriction of, the present limits. Some opposition was shown to clause 186, which provides that ships of five tons or over, propelled by gas, oil, or electricity, shall carry certificated officers, it being that it was absurd to apply the provision to such small craft. Several members objected to the wide powers given to the Minister under the Bill. In replying, the Minister for Marine, speaking on the powers vested in the Minister, said that it was advisable to have the chief authority in the hands of an occupant of the Treasury benches. A great deal had been made of the matter of certificates, but he pointed out that all that was required in this connection, whether for oil of steam engines, was that the officei's were qualified to cairy out the particular work for which the qualification was necessary. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at 0.30 a.m.