Parliamentary Notes.

Hastings Standard, Issue 495, 7 December 1897, Page 3

Parliamentary Notes.

HOUSE OE REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, Decemki-.l: 0. The House met at 7*Bo p.m. QUESTIONS. Mr Seddon, replying to Captain Russell, said the correspondence between the Government and Judge Kettle was not yet complete. TECHNIC AT. EDUCATION. A committee consist ng of Messrs J. Alien, Gilfeddcr, Sir Maurice O'Rorke, Rolleston, Sir Robert Stout, Ward, Wilson, Seddon, Lethbridge, and O'Meara was appointed to consider the Technical Education Bill. SECOND HEADINGS. On the motion of Mr Seddon the second reading of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Bill, to amend the Act of 1889, was agreed to. In moving the second reading of the Masters and Apprentices Bili, to amend the law relating to masters and apprentices, Mr Seddon said !he bill had been carefully considered by the Labor Bills Committee, and the amendments made had been generally approved of by employers, and the bill also dealt fairly with employees. In order to avoid a protracted debate he would accept the committee's amendments, which latter he explained. Sir Robert Stout said the bill was full of blunders, and in his opinion it would prevent apprentices being employed at all in some trades. He admitted the bill was better than as originally brought down, which would have thrown 6000 or 8000 young people out of employment. Mr Guinness said he would oppose the bill, the most objectionable part of which was the clause regulating the. proportion of apprentices to journeymen. Mr R. Thompson intended voting against the bill, and was of the opinion that the Labor Bills Committee had shown very little regard for the effect it would have. Mr Moore referred to the inconsistency of providing the youth of the colony with technical education and then restricting their chances of getting employment. The bill should not be passed. Mr Morrison said the bill was only a feeble attempt to deal with a troublesome question. He would support any measure to compel unscrupulous employers to teach Jads their trades in a proper manner, as at present a large number of lads were turned out without being taught their trade at all. He denied that the effect of the bill would be to throw thousands of young people out of employment. Mr Monk opposed the measure, and said every mother in the country should resist the social interference it contained.

Mr Hogg pointed out that the object of the measure was to protect, and not ignore young people. At present apprentices were not turned out skilled workmen, and the bill was intended to compel employers to teach them theirl trades. Mr Millar contended that it was of interest to the workers that the bil should pass, and if the country was to be a manufacturing one it was absolutely necessary that the children of the colony should be turned out as competent workers. The practice at present was to take on boys at 2s 6d per week, which was paid them for two years. "When they received 7s Gd per week, and asked for more wages, they had to go. Mr Allen denied the statement made by Mr Hogg, that employers of girl labor starved their employees into immorality. From the speeches of Messrs Morrison and Millar, it was evidently wished to make this measure one to regulate boy labor. Mr Taylor said those who denied there was a serious problem underlying this question simply ignored facts. The bill might be full of blunders, but he felt it was an earnest attempt to deal with this great subject.

Mr Hutcbeson contended that the objections to the bill could be remedied in committee. Mr Massey contended that the effect of the measure would be to hamper the industries of the colony, and objected to the provision for compulsory indenturing. Messrs Fraser and Lang opposed the bill and Mr E. G. Allen supported the measure. Mr Meredith considered the bill contained a great deal that was useful. Messrs Crowther and Wilson gave general support to the measure. • Captain Russell, while in favor of the apprentice system, did not think the bill dealt with it properly. Mr Buchanan said the difficulties which surrounded the subject had not been mastered by the trainers of the bill. Major Steward said that considering the state of business there were more important measures which should have been dealt with. Mr Seddon replied, and the second reading was agreed to by 30 to 20. The Patents Designs and Trade Marks Bill was committed and was agreed to without amendment. The bill was then put through its final stages, and the House adjourned at 1 a.m.