YESTERDAY’S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 20310, 19 October 1929, Page 11

YESTERDAY’S PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL rpcß United Press Association.] The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. Leave of absence for tho. remainder of tho session was granted Sir Thomas Mackenzie on account of illness, and for the same reason leave was granted to the Hon E. W. Alison. The Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Amendment Bill was received from the House and read first time. The Local Authorities Empowering f Aviation Encouragement) Bill .was put through its final stages and passed' with amendments made by the Statutes Revision Committee. Speaking on the resumed second readinf debate on the Education Amendment Bill (the Hon. G. M. Thomson) proposing that religious teaching be introduced into State schools, the Hon. W. Earnshaw said the mover had given no lead as to what religious instruction should be given to children. Members were entitled to ask what the teaching was to be. In face of the modernist trend in thought of those who were challenging the past teaching of the evangelical churches, the mover could not show that lie had a large measure of public .support behind him. Mr Earnshaw moved—“ That the Bill he read a second time three • months bonce.”

Seconding the amendment, the_ Hon. C. J. Carrington remarked that it was curious an attempt had been made to Christianise the State schools by excluding from any discussion thereon the representatives of the Roman Catholic Church. Why had 181,922 Catholics in New Zealand been studiously ignored whenever through their episcopal representatives they had asked that they might meet in a round table conference those who wished to improve the State guarantee and a State-supported form of diluted Christianity in our State schools. He said he had intended to vote for the second reading of the Bill in order that amendments might be moved in committee. With regard to the conscience clause, he congratulated Mr Thomson on omitting from" the Bill the objectionable features in respect of conscience which had been contained in former measures of the kind. In conclusion, he declared that-the seemingly difficult question of religious instruction in schools could he solved, and he ventured to say, would be solved when all the Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, met in friendly conference. The debate was further adjourned, and the Council rose at 4.35 p.m. HOUSE Of REPRESENTATIVES The House resumed at 2.30 p.m., and consideration of the State Forests Account vote (£262,802) was continued in Committee of Supply. Air K. S % Williams (Bay of Plenty) said he thought it was recognised that there were two main objects in afforestation, namely, growing trees for commercial purposes'and- planting them for the conservation of water and the prevention of floods. He instanced the Hutt Valley, where, he said, it would be in the interests of the whole community and it would he a very wise thing to start planting trees. He

pointed out that it would bo possible in tins way to engaged'unemployed men who were not capable of doing heavier work. ■ Tho Minister undertook to look into the matter. Replying to Mr A. M. Samuel (Thames), Mr Taverner said that any areas held as provisional State forests would be brought up for review as occasion demanded. As he had previously stated, land suitable' for pastoral and agricultural ■ purposes would not be taken for forestry. Mr IT. E. Holland (Duller) asked the Minister if he would indicate when it would bo possible for'him to make a statement on the subject of private afforestation companies. Mr Taverner said he agreed that the public should be protected,as much_ as possible and assisted in investing money in a proper manner. It was, however, hardly a matter for the State Forest Service' if they insisted on investing in the type of. undertaking to which Mr Holland had drawn attention. Dir Holland: 'Would yon consider making a Ministerial statement concerning the whole matter ? Mr Taverner: Yes. , The vote was then .passed. The following votes were'put through practically without discussion Stamp Duties Department (£96,410),. National Provident and Friendly Societies Department (£26.301), Public Trustee’s Account (£271.667), Public Service Commissioner’s Office (£7.818). The Chairman of Committees then reported progress. AVIATION ENCOURAGEMENT. The Local Authorities Empowering. (Aviation Encouragement) Bill was reported from the Legislative Council with amendments. The Minister of Defence (Dir Wilford) stated that the amendments did not affect the Bill adversely, and on his motion they were agreed to. The House rose at 5 p.m. till 7.30 p.m. on Monday.