HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NEW BILLS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 50, 27 August 1904, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NEW BILLS.

Yesterday afternoon a .Trades Monopolies Bill and a Supreme Court Judges Salaries Bilj war© introduced by Governor's Message and read a first timo. CQUNTIES ACT AMENDMENT. Tho Co'.onial Secretary reported tho result of tho conference with managers of the Legislative Council regarding the Counties Act Amondment Bill. Tho chief result arrived, at.,,had been the fixing nt four years of ■ the timo within which bylaws may bo disallowed, and tho Council had aproed.' ' The House divided on tho motion to adopt tho report, which was defoatcd by 37 to 34. ' . Sir J. G. Ward. Sir W. J. Steward, and Mr. Lewh? wore appointed managers to confer again witli tho Legislative Council. THE ESTIMATES. Tho House then went into Committuo of Supply on tho Estimates, Class XIII. (Education, £699,168) being Uio flrbb claw ttiken. ' " v " " ' EDUCATIONAL. Mr. Wilford complained that school teachers were the most poorly . paid of public servants, and tho time had -arrived when their salaries should be increased, n complaint that wu« echoed by several other members. Mr, Hanan moved to reduce the it«m "phblio achooli" by £1 ns an indication to tho Government that the scale of teachers' salaries should be revised and t^e salaries increased. Tho Premier stated that one> day he was attacked for an undue increase- in oxpdnditure, and tho next he was naked to make an increase- in expenditure. Ho quoted a report mnde- in May last by the In-Bpector-Gcnoral, who wUU Hint ho did not rco how the salaries of teachers of small echools could bo increased without increasing tho salaries of teachers all round. This could be done by adopting tho second sohedulo of the Teachera Sularica Act. If the prosperity of the colony continued, the Government would consider tho advisflblcness of taking this course, but even then thons would bo an injustice done to the small schools. The Government would bring down a Bill to amend tho scale of salaries in the direction of giving mprc to th» teachers of the smaller schools. — Amongst other things, Mr. James Allen complained that many tenchore, after long terms of service, had had their salaries reduced. Mr. Allen also looked with anxiety oiv the iucrensing proportion of fcmalo teachers, and quoted tho Mosely Education Commission's report on America in support of vis contention t)t«t a large increase or fomale teachers in any country is detrimental The statement of several, speakers that wo wcro losing our' capable teachers through tho payment, of inadequate salaries was challenged by Mr. Laurenson, who enid that while there was a good deal of sentiment imported into tho question, it was mainly one of £ s d. The country teacher wns championed by Mr. Hogg, who, explained Mint he suffered over the country settlens sending their children to the towns to be educated. Mr. Duthio crystallised tho situation into the declaration that the State having assumed the responsibilities of education, should not kftv« i{: in. an impecunious condition. ' The nee 4of more training colleges wan urged by Mr. Fowld/s, „who a#kcd thut the question would not be hung up, but would bo dttaJt with thifl yetir. After further debate, Mr. Hanan's motiou was lost, and the Publio School*' votj jV/'57 l 057) was iwsse'd unaltered., • 'I'hv voto for ■ yepondary Education (£23,050), and PuUio - School Cadets (£7115) were paused. , l Aat the Native Schools, vote (£19,975), Mr. Hei-dnMin complained of the "akinflint" policy of tlje C^yeriunant i» the payment of snlaries of teaphere it|- tlie«e schools. He quoted an Advertisement asking for applications for ponitiono an teachev« in native schools, in which it was stated that the Government could not gutirantee more than £100 a year, and tliot applicant* nuvst have certiltcatcJj, and also bo married men, The Premier said he" would have enquiries made into the jVoeition of tho native school t,««ch,©r«. The vote pnssod unaltered. At th* vote for Technical Instruction (£16,216), Mr. jciaume pointed out that the capita tion asked for this year whs lass than tho amount expended lost year. The Premier replied that ho would bo only too pleased if the capitation requirod this year exceeded that of last your. The vote wa» agreed to, Tho vot«» for Industrial Schools (£22,311), Home* for Defective* (£420). Schools for Deaf Mutea (£1720), School for Blind (£609), Technical Instruction (£16,215), Misctlluisous Services (£3245). and School Bulldingr Furniture, and SiUit (£33,615) pasted unaltered. Clai» 10, Marine and Hnrboura and Inspection of Machinery (£56,426), w«» then dtaciwsed. At tiw> voto for Govtrnment stea-rncro (£10,030), Mr. Hawkins remarked that members bad time after time complained of tlte scarcity, of money for qpeiung up the back-blocks, and yet Imnureili* and hundreds of pounds had been epent on a

stcaiwr winch was largely u.sed for pleasure trips for Ministers and their friends. Tho Minister for Marine said that Ministers had a perfect right to uso Government fit-comers, and as a matter of fuct, in nine circs out of*ten when they travelled, tho steamers were on their ordinary rounds of Government duty. After further debate the total voto passfed unaltered, ' Tho voto for the Printing and Stationery Department (£40,743) wa« agreed to. At 0.45 a.in. Mr. Maesey moved to report progress, but, by 26 votes to 12, the Homo decided to go on with the next vole — Stamps and Reeds Department (£29,806). I'ho Lnnrlfi and Deeds Registry Vote (£10,196) was agreed to, and progress was reported. on th© voto for' tho Stomp Department (£7233). Tho House rose ut 1,30 a.m.