The Evening Post. PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Issue 73, 23 September 1903, Page 2

The Evening Post. PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTINGS. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. In the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon, It was decided to adopt the report of the conference with the Lower House on the Counties Act Amendment Bill. NEW BILL. The Bush and Swamp ' Crown Lands Settlement Bill was received from the House of Representatives and read a first time. MR. CHAMBERLAIN. As reported elsewhere, a motion was carried expressing appreciation of Mr. Chamberlain's services. ARBITRATION COURT EMERGENCY BILL. The Arbitration Court Emergency Bill No. 2 was received from the Lower House and passed through all stages. POLICE OFFENCES. The Police Offences Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. The Council rose at 4.30 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House continued its sitting after we went to press yesterday\ NATIVE LEGISLATION. , The Poukawa Native Reserve Bill and the Native Townships Amendment Bill were read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Native Affairs Committee. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN BILL. The Sliipping and Seamen Bill was further considered in Committee. Subsection 5 of section 50 provides that a seaman shall not, except in cases of emergency, be employed on board a ship in a capacity other than that for which he was engaged. The Minister for Marine moved an amendment in modification of this, so as to do away with certain, cases in which the section would operate unfairly. Mr. J. Allen, referring to another part of the clause, complained that the period of service required for an ordinary seaman to be rated as an A.B. had been increased from one to two years. The Minister contended that two years was not too long for a. man to gain a knowledge of his duties. Mr. Massey urged that an apprentice who had served two years should be entitled to be rated as A.B. Mr. J. Allen urged that the period should be shortened so as to encourage more boys to go to sea. Mr. Millar trusted that the period would not be shortened, and he urged that such a brief period as proposed was not sufficient to enable a boy to acquire a knowledge of his duties. In Britain at present a man had to serve for four years before he was qualified to be rated as A.B. Four years was as brief a period as sEould be required. He suggested that the period of service to qualify for A.B. should be two yearg as ordinary seaman on a steamship or two years as apprentice on a square-rigged ship. Sir William Russell urged that they should be careful in reducing the period of qualification, as there were many occasions in which experience and training were essential to the saving of life, and for the safety of the travelling public. The Minister agreed with this, and urged that anything less than two years as ordinary seaman was not sufficient to enable a man to acquire a knowledge of his duties. ' Mr. Massey moved that the period for qualification as A.B. should be two years as ordinary seaman on a steamship or two years as apprentice on a square-rigged ship. The Minister said he would not care to have his name identified with a measure containing such a provision. This amendment was carried on the voices, and the amendment of th© Minister to that part of the clause dealing with the employment of seamen was also agreed to. ' A new subclause' was added providing a penalty of £10 for every one entering into an agreement with a seaman who does not possess the proper qualifications, and it was also provided that the clause shall not apply to boats trading within river or extended river limits. At clause 53, "ships to carry prescribed number of seamen," The Minister moved an amendment empowering the Minister to exempt hulks while being towed from one port to an- , other from the provisions of the sec- | tion. This was agreed to. In Clause 55, "seamen entitled to discharge," an amendment was made providing that, subject to the master signing the certificate of discharge, the chief engineer may discharge the greasers, firemen, and -trimmers. In Clause 58 an amendment was made providing that in the case of a hometrade ship two hours' notice of discharge shall be sufficient. Clause 79 provides that wages shall not be paid to a seaman during the time that he is by reason of illness incapable of performing his duties if it is proved that the illness has been caused by his own wilful act oiv default. Mr. J. Allen wanted to know on whom the onus rested of providing that the illness was due to the seaman's wilful act or default. In many cases it would be impossible for the master to prove it. The clause passed without alteration. 1 Considerable objection was taken by Mr. J. Allen to that part of clause 118 which provides that where a seaman from an intercolonial or Home trade ship is' | left ashore in New Zealand when inca- I pacitated, the master or agent must deposit not only the wages due, etc., but provision for his maintenance for one month after the expiry of his engagement, when the engagement expires within one month from the commencement of his illness. It was urged that Hometrade ships should be exempted from the last portion of the provision. The Minister agreed t6 amend the clause so as to provide that the latter portion should only operate in the case of intercolonial ships, and it was agreed to. In clause 123 it was made clear that the class of accident at sea which, must be reported must be one "totally incapacitating from work for the time being." There was a good deal of discussion on ! clause 131, which provides a penalty for desertion or for absence without leave. It was urged by several members that the penalty should be more severe, but the Minister thought it was quite suffi- ; cient.