LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Grey River Argus, 3 July 1914, Page 3

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

YESTERDAY'S SITTING. ijper Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 2. Whon the Council met at 2..30 p.m. a Message from the 'Governor was received to the effect that Hons J. Rigg and J..E. jenkinson had retired by effluxion of time . The Land Agents' Bi'H was read 1 second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. Hon. «F. 11. D Bell moved the second reading of the Master and Apprentices' Act Amendment Bill •The Bill refers only to farm apprentices, whose passages to New Zealand are assisted by. the Government. It .was ■■' proposed that the Government become responsible for the boys • and take the place of the parent :-n making arrangements for their employ ment of the boys during" the period of the indenture. 'He warmly repudiated the suggestion that the Government wished to introduce and press child slavery. They wanted to give city boys from the Old Country an opportunity to sjart a new lift in a new Dominion, a .system which would ecouTage the immigration of boys. Lads of 15 or 16 years of ■>p'> needed some restraint. Hon. J. Carr sai>d that Labour had watched the movement to see whether there was not any sinister attempt to flood the country with cheap labor. Hon J. T. Paul said that he was pr« . pared to help put through the Bill which was carefully drawn up Hon. S. W Hall- Janes said that he found .rothing in the measure to t;»Ve exception to He approved of the Bill and congratulated the MinisteT in at tnrrntinjr to get the boys Hon. W: C. F. Carncross said that th<=- Bin was a jmod one They wantofl ' bb v s for country work The Council adioumrvl ?t t; p.m