HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Grey River Argus, 23 November 1910, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House^met at 2.30. The Education Commitiee reported on petitions praying for improvement in the classiification of coum-ry schools and expressed the opinion in favour of the existing- condition of affairs, and -chat the boards are not using the powers they possess to carry out the improvements necessary. The committee ■recommended that the necessary regulations should be altered to give inspectors '• greater powers of classification in smaller schools, so ~as to remove the sole teachers of such ' schools from local influences. On. the motion of Mr Sidey the report was referred to the Government for consideration. The Native .Lands Disputes Bill was introduced by Governor's message, read a first and second ' time pro forma. The House went into committee on ;he Shops and Offices Bill. Clause 2 (defining hotel and 'Restaurant) was amended on the motion of the Minister to read as follows : — Hotel means any premises in respect of which a publican's . license is granted under the Licensing Act 1908 ! and restaurant means any premises (other than hotels), in' which meals are provided and sold to the general public or consumption on the premises, and whether or not lodging is provided for hire for the accommodation of persons who desire to ledge and includes tea room and oyster saloon. Clause 5 specifying the hours of em ployment, was amended by reinserting- the word restaurant (struck out I by the committee) and providing that the hours of assistants in a 'restaurant shall hot exceed 62 hours, exclusive of meal times, in the case" of males over 16, nor to exceed 52 hours in any other case. The following new sub-clause was added: — "Neither the wife inor children of an occupier shall be deemed to be shop assistant within the meaning of this section." A new clause was added providing th.it notwithstanding- anything in the Act any award of the Court of arbitration relating to hotels or restaurants in force in the passing of the Act shall continue in force for the period for which it was made. A new clause was proposed by the Minister providing that every shop shall be registered by the proprietor thereof with the Inspector of Factories in the name of one person as occupier, and except in the case of the husband or wife, any other person engaged, in the shop shall be deemed to be a shop assistant. The Minister explained that the clause was intended to prevent Chinamen, competing unfairly with, tobacco nists as at present. The House rose at 5.30.