PARLIAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 July 1924, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

MAORI TANGIS. LOCAL BODY SUPERANNUATION. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON. July 29. The House ot Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr W. J. Jordan (Manukau), the Hon. Sir W. Pomare said the question ot s.uitability of the steamer iN'gakuta for carrying Island fruit was under consideration by the Government. A properly insulated ship would cost a great deal of money, and it was a question for the State to consider whether it would find that money and find a State steamship service to the Islands.

Replying to Mr H. W. Uru (Southern Maori), the Hon. Sir M. Pomare said it. was not the intention of the Public Health Department toi stop Maori tangis, because that was impossible. and the Department would not attempt the impossible. A tangi was simply a weeping, and people could not lie prevented from weeping, either individually or collectively. In regard to .Maoris, however, there were certain parts of their tangis which were not in the interests of public health, and these must cease. On the whole, however, he thought the Maori people had fairly well observed the laws of hygiene laid down by the Maori Councils Act. The practice of tangis was not peculiar to the Maori race, as he understood that in the case of the Hebrew nation, from whom the Christians borrowed their religion, they wept for Moses fqr forty days and forty nights.. The Hon. Sir M. Pomare asked leave to withdraw the Medical Practitioners Bill. Leave was granted. The Hon. R. F. Bollard moved for leave to introduce the Local Authorities Superannuation Amendment Bill. Upon this motion several members of the Labour Party urged the Minister to extend the scope of the Bill, Mr M. J. Savage (Auckland West) claiming that the scheme should he made universal. The Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) said the value of superannuation had been pointedly brought under public attention since the railway strike. He wondered how long people outside the schemes were going to be called upon to make contributions in the way of State subsidies. A searching investigation should be held, and the Government should take some steps in regard .to national and social insurance Mir H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labour Party) urged the: Minister to insert a clause in the Bill to the effect that superannuation under the measure shall not affect old age pensions. Mr Bollard, in reply, said the Bill was short, consisting of only two clauses. One clause was inserted with the intention of giving power to a contributor and to a. local body to (receive a retiring allowance in order to increase the. annuity to a widow on. the death of a. contributor'. The second clause amended the e'xisting law in order that there should he no .reduction in the amount of the retiring allowance on account of compensation receivable uiide,r the "Workers’ Compensation Act. The Bill was introduced and read a first time. The War Funds Amendment Bill (Hon. W. D. Stew-art) was introduced and read a first, time.

The debate on the Budget occupied the evening sitting, and the House rose at 9.30 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.