PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS

Evening Star, Issue 18032, 28 July 1922, Page 8

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS

Yesterday private members had an innings in (lie House of Representatives, th* day being devoted to legislation fathered by them.

•Mr Sullivan, in the absence of Mr M'Oombs, moved the introduction of the Proportional Representation and Country Quota Bill. Ho said the Bill sought to give the dominion the benefit of the proportional system without, disturbing the country quota, with which they did not agree; but tire Bill was an attempt to effect one reform, not two. Proportional Representation would even up some of the electorates more effectively than- the country quota could possibly do.—Dr Thacker supported, and Mr* Lysnar opposed, the Bill, which was introduced and read a first time. -

The .Unit Road Amendment Bill (Mr Weigh I) and the Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill (Mr Wilford), providing for the removal of the disqualification against women being appointed justices of the peace, were read a second time. workers’ compensation: In moving the second reading of the Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill, Mr Howard (Christchurch South) said the measure consolidated and amended the existing law in the direction of liberalising Hie provisions of the law. Clause 67 seeks to abolish the rule known as “common employment.'’ The Bill was’necessary, he said, 'because this Parliament had given the workers practically nothing, and even if these concessions were granted the workers would not bo satisfied. They wouici not be satisfied until every injured worker received full pay while suffering from liis injury. Mr Parry supported the Bill, because it gave to the workers only what they were entitled to.

Dr Thacker said no matter to what party members belonged these amendments should appeal to them. Dir Sullivan expressed the hope that the Minister would adopt the main clauses in the Government Bill, especially the clause abolishing common employment. Dir Wilford said the clause abolishing common employment must have modifications. There were other .clauses,'however, which no one would oppose, and ho advised that- the Bill be referred to the Labor Bills Committee, with a view to embodying its clauses in the Government Bill. " ‘

■Dir Fraser hold that the Bill endeavored to remove not only anomalies but injustices from the existing law. Tho measure should be regarded more from a humane than from a legal point of view.

Dir Poland said that- without contentedness among the workers there could never bo efficiency, and there would never he content while the workers were treated as they are treated in the case of accident. An injured man should receive not only full wages, but medical and surgical treatment to make him fit for work as soon as possible. Mr Holland hoped the Dlinister would incorporate the clauses of this Bill into his own, and he could have all the credit. The Bill was read a second time, and referred to the Labor Bills Committee. HOTEL EMPLOYEES.

Dir Fraser moved pro forma the second reading of the Hotel and Restaurant and Private- Hotel and Boarding-house Employees’ Six-days-a-wcok Bill. The motitfh was agreed to, and the Bill referred to the Labor Bills Committee. STONE QUARRIES. Mr Speaker ruled' that tho Stone Quarries Amendment Rill, introduced by Dir Parry, was an Appropriation Bill, and could not-be moved by a private member. Mr Parry asked the Dlinister to take tho Bill up, urging that if its provisions) had been Jaw the recent accident at Dlangahao could not- have happened. The Dlinister of Labor said there would in all probability be a Government gs®;e Quarries Bill this session. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. Mr Veitch (Wanganui) moved tho second reading of the Proportional Representation and Effective Voting Bill. He said the real object of election was to secure representatives of the people, and it therefore was necessary to elect them on some system which would be equitable to the people. “First past the post” was not equitable, and the Government had not carried out its promise to replace it by some other system. “First past the post” was responsible for many anomalies, but there was not a single instance where, under Proportional Representation, each party had not been represented by numbers commensurate with the votes cast in their favor.

Die Wilford said’ the Opposition stood for Proportional Representation, with the maintenance of the country quota, but they did not agree with the schedule of Dir M‘ : Cqmbs’s Bill, in which nine constituencies were grouped together, except in the cities. The Opposition did 1 not favor the grouping of more than three constituencies. Proportional Representation was a ■ perfectly simple system, as proved l by the Irish elections, and would prove simple to an educated democracy such as we had in New Zealand.

Mr Sullivan quoted the opinions of an eminent British statesman, who favored Proportional Representation, which the Prime Minister had described as an idiotic system. The present House represented only 51 per cent, of the people, and 49 per cent, of tho people of New Zealand arc not represented' at all. The Bill was then read a second time. UNEMPLOYED WORKERS.

Mr Fraser moved the second reading of the Unemployed' Workers Bill, the principle of which is that every unemployed worker shall have the right to register at any Government bureau, and that every worker in the dominion shall have the right to work and receive a minimum living wage for his or her services. Ho complained that the Government had not grappled with the question as it should have done. The solution put forward) by the Labor Party was that the labor market should be thoroughly organised, and that everyone should have the right to work. Mr Harris declared that there was- more unemployment in New Zealand than was really supposed, and) the Government would have to do something to prevent its recurrence. Ho advocated the establishment of a social insurance scheme, such as that organised by Dir Lloyd George, as a remedy for the problem. The Bill was read) a second time, and referred to the Labor Bills Committee.