YESTERDAY’S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19615, 22 July 1927, Page 11

YESTERDAY’S PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL The Justices of the Peace Bill was read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Council adjourned at 2.36 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tho speaker announced that ho had presented to His Excellency, the Governor-General, the reply made by the House to His Excellency’s Speech, and that His Excellency had been pleased to make a suitable reply. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr H. E. Holland) gave notice of his intention to introduce the Legislature, Amendment Bill (No. 2). Replying to Mr R. M'Keen (Wellington South), the Minister of Labor (Mr G. J. Anderson) said he could not state what the Government would do in the event of the master drapers in Wellington defying tho award of tho Arbitration Court until any actual defiance took place. Tho Captive Birds’ Shooting Prohibition Bill was received from the Legislative Council and read a first time. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central) gave notice of his intention to introduce the Building Trades Employees Insurance Fund Bill. Tho Dunedin City Corporation Empowering Act, 1918, Amendment Bill was, on the motion of Mr H. L. Tapley (Dunedin North), introduced and read a first time. AGRICULTURAL BANK BILL. In moving the introduction of the Agricultural Bank Bill, Mr W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) said his justification for such a Bill was that Parliament had so far failed to deal with the problem of financial assistance to farmers in an adequate manner. This had resulted in economic conditions arising which were driving people from tho country to the towns, and unless that drift could be stopped there must be financial disaster as its result. Parliament had done something in tho direction of rural credits, and it had been argued that the State Advances Office was equal to all requirements. It was not, however, sufficient to meet the needs of more than a fortunate few. What was needed was a great national scheme which would meet the requirements of everyone. The difficulty in establishing such a scheme in the past had been the doubtful nature of the security, but he believed a cooperative system of banking, such as was proposed in his Bill, would overcome that difficulty. There was plenty of money in the country, which was being invested, in gilt-edged securities, and the question was how that stream of investments could be diverted to rural securities. That could be done by a system of co-operative banking, which might not create a new heaven and a new earth for the farmer, but would make the position much better for him. He did not like the Government’s rural credits scheme, because lie understood the Government was 'not

going to guarantee its bonds. Further, it would create a great system of t patronage which was most dangerous ' to the country. Some proposal such as that contained in the Bill was urgent, because before we could get ‘ people back to the land there must be ; some sound and popular scheme _of rural finance. That was the first thing to he done. The fact was that, while ; Parliament was talking about it, 1 nothing was being done. His Bill would do it if ho were given leave to proceed with it. I The Rill was introduced and read a first time. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION. 1 Mr Howard (Christchurch South) ' moved the second reading of the Workers’ Compensation Act Amendment Bill. Ho- said no other Act affected the workers sd much as the i Workers Compensation Act, and this ! Bill was designed to make the dc--1 pendents of any worker accidentally j killed entitled to £I,OOO without any discrimination contingent upon the status of the worker and the amount of his weekly earnings. Women ( workers would also be placed on an . equal footing with the men. All that , was proposed was in conformity with the recommendations of the League j of Nations Labor Con noil, though fol- I lowing a long way in the rear. A' l pension for the compulsory insurance < of employees under the State scheme ! was surely only a matter of common i j sense. Mr Howard said that under J the present system too great a proper- < tiou of the premium income was dissi- : > pated in the overhead charges of 1 private insurance companies. He also ' wanted to see the present law amended 1 so that tho present restriction on tho 1 amount of compensation obtainable by 1 an employee would be removed. Mr < Howard expressed regret that New i Zealand was not officially represented at the International Labor Congress ■

at Geneva, from which much good might accrue to this country. _ Mr G. J. Anderson (Minister of Labor) said the Bill aimed at securing full compensation for workers. It was a beautiful ideal, but one difficult of attainment. It could not be attained, in fact, under any system of insurance. In reply to an interjection, the Minister said ho did not think insurance companies were making pinch profit out of their accident business. A,t the last computation be had made it was shown that 70 to 75 per cent, of the premiums were paid out. in compensation. In one case the amount was 78 per cent. Mr Anderson did not think the Bill wise or feasible. The Government agreed that the recommendations of the League of 'Nations were good, but it was impossible to put tliem into practice in this country under a system of insurance. Mr W. E, Barry (Auckland Central) said that if accident insurance were made a State monopoly injured workers would benefit. It was immoral that private companies or any section of the community should make a profit out of the hurts of the worker. Large municipal corporations were carrying their own risks, so there was nothing new in the suggestion for a State monopoly. After the supper adjournment; the debate was carried on hv Messrs H. T. Armstrong. F. N. Bertram. B, M-'Tvcon, H. Atmore. T). G. Sullivan, and H. G, R. Din son (Eden), all of whom simnorted the Bill. After Mr Howard had replied the second readme was carried on tho voices, and the House, rose at 0.45 a.m.