PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 45, 21 August 1908, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. — — The Council resumed the debate on the Hon. J. Barr's motion — "That, in the opinion ox this Council, it is in the best interests of this country that tho Government should take into their immediate consideration the devising of some further practical measure^ whereby the heavy cost of living at present borne by the married workers as compared with the unmarried may be lessened, and that the position of those with families bo especially considered, so that the rearing' of their children, may be looked forward to with less anxiety than at present, and parenthood thereby encouraged." The Hon. R. A. Loughnan had his speech interrupted when the Council adjourned nearly three weeks ago. 'He said he was conscious that his remarks had lasted for nearly three weeks, and lie felt unable to follow the mover of the motion right through his argument. When people spoke of the horrors of war many forgot that there were the "horrors of pea«e." To meet horrors of peace he advocated a policy of decentralisation. The land legislation tended to do this. It had produced what Mr. , Anstey described as 'a dearth of farmlabourers — the farm labourers were becoming farmers. He considered that the ground work for carrying out the reforms referred to by the mover of the motion had already been established. The Hon. W. W. M' Cardie knew the difficulties people laboured under, especially married people with families, but the Government Was doing the most possible. In the providing of homes and the purchase of land, the Governj ment should go no further than the j noeds of the moment required. 'He advocated that the State should hold a certain amount ' of the paper currency. ■He objected to a State bank, but his suggestion for a State paper currency would be welcomed by the banks. Every man employed in a manufacturing business should be a- partial shareholder in that business. Tney could call it Socialism or anything else they liked. The Government had not yet fully met tho case. It had to take things rationally. The debate was interrupted at 4 p.m. INCORPORATED SOCIETIES BILL. The Council agreed to insist on its amendments to the Incorporated Societies Bill. The Council adjourned at, 4.10 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House continued its sitting after The Post went to press yesterday. LOCAL BILLS. The Westport Harbour Board Loan Bill, and the Christchurch City Sanitation Empowering Bill were put through their final stagos. The Oamaru Reserves Bill, the Oamaru Harbour Board Loan Bill, and the Christchurch City Betterment .Bill were put through their committee stages. THE ESTIMATES. The remainder of the. sitting was occupied in consideration of the Estimates, the "debate' on which is - reported elsewhere. The House rose at 1 a.m.