Parliament

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 244, 28 September 1922, Page 3

Parliament

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Legislative Council met to-day at 2.30 p.m. The following Bills were read a second time pro forma, and referred to various committees: —State Advances Amendment, Hauraki Plains Amendment, Fire Blight Bill, Canterbury College and Canterbury Agricultural College Amendment. The Hon. J. MacGregor moved the second reading of his Juries Amendment Bill, providing for majority verdicts in all but capital charges, after .two hours. The debate was adjourned, and the Council rose at 4.45. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. In reply to Mr G. Mitchell, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie said he had beeu spending the whole morning arranging the selection of members of the Soldiers’ Land Board. The moment the final selection was made the names would bo announced. The members will meet him here to discu.-s the order of reference, after which they will immediately commence their duties. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. In reply to further questions, Ministers gave the following answers:— The Minister of Defence stated ’that enrolments to date were as follow: — Officers 853, other ranks 12,156, nurses 394, chaplains 11; total 13,414. That the contribution from New Zealand officially notified by the League of Nations for 1922 is £5300, and that amount has been paid. The Government is asking the High Commissioner to ascertain if the allocation of levies has been revised. That the New Zealand Government is already co-operating with the Imperial Government in its overseas settlement scheme, though some important details suggested by the Government of this country have not yet been agreed to in their entirety. IMPREST SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill was introduced by Governor-General’s message. Mr T. K. Sidey complained that the Government had not shown much alacrity in furnishing members with returns ordered by the House. He had asked for a return showing the amount of laud and income tax outstanding on March 31 for the past three years, and this had not been supplied, though the information would be most interesting. Mr D. G. Sullivan criticised the re-cently-appointed Railway Board because it did not contain practical men from the rank anti hie. The Department of Industries and Commerce had missed a great opportunity of inducing the people of the Dominion to use Domin-ion-made goods in preference to the imported article. It had done nothing whatever to encourage secondary industries. Mr R. McCallum dealt with the probability of prohibition being carried, contending that if so, the loss of revenue could not be less than £2,500,000, and he could not conceive how that loss in revenue was to be made up. Mr Wilford said it was time the Government gave a definite declaration of their policy on the question of the removal of the civil and political disabilities of public servants by the introduction of legislation. It was also time the naval policy of the country was propounded, even if the time had not arrived for putting that policy into operation. Ho also criticised the practice of appointing commissions to deal with public questions at great public expense, and then nothing is done. Mr L. M. Isitt replied to Mr McCallum’s argument against prohibition, contending that while there might be some temporary disorganisation in thi country's finance, if prohibition were carried, there were compensating advantages which would more than equalise the loss in revenue. In support of this view he quoted Gladstone’s dictum: “Give me a sober people and I will look after the revenue.’’ Mr R. Masters dealt with the administration of the education system, contending that there was too much control, which resulted in excessive expense, while there was insufficient coordination in the system, which resulted in much waste of time on the part of the pupil. Mr. W. T. Jennings complained that in many of the backblocks settlements no school buildings were being erected, but public halls built by the people were being used instead. Mr. H. M. Campbell dealt with the high cost of freezing to farmers (reported elsewhere). Mr. Massey, in reply, remarked that he had not much to reply to so far as the debate had gone, which was the best proof that members generally were well satisfied with the administration of the Government. Dealing with the question raised by Mr. Wilford regarding public servants’ disabilities, he reminded the House that he previously introduced legislation for the purpose of removing these disabili. ties which was rejected by the Legislative Council. He had discussed the matter with the law draughtsman and another bill was being prepared, a more elaborate measure, which be hoped to introduce this session. He did not mind what the public servants thought or said, but there was doubt. Before a public servant could become a candidate for Parliament be must get the consent of the Minister at the head of the department. On that point he had quite made up his mind. He did not propose to say anything about naval defence as he had already stated the policy of the Government, when speaking on the Budget. z On tho subject of commissions, he did not consider those appointed during the past three years had cost more than those appointed in anv previous three years. If members wished it he was quite prepared to lay before the House a return on the subject He defended the appointment of the Railway Board, which would give the General Manager more freedom to move about and become better acquainted with the requirements of the public. The new arrangement should be given a fair trial and see how it would work out. He was not in favour of giving the low grades of the railway service representation on this noard. as this country had not arrived at Socialism vet He admitted that the Government was not so welt prepared n.itli the business of the session as in tor-

| mcr years, due to the fact that last session continued well Into February and the Law Drafting Department could not be kept working at high pressure all the time. The House, however, had never been short of work and he could see enough business ahead to keep them engaged well into October. Continuing the discussion, Mr. S. G. Smith denounced the proposal to establish junior high scnools. He supported the plea for greater unity for control over the education system and thought one education hoard for each provincial district preferable to numerous hoards. Messrs D. G. Sullivan and H. E. Holland advocated the inclusion of representatives of the lower grades of railway employees on the new board of control, the choice of representatives to be by an election by the various railway labour organisations. Mr. Holland maintained that the position of the coal industry was at present extremely unsatisfactory, because the miners had no say in the management of th© mines or in their economic environment. He advocated > full and complete civil and political r rights for public servants. The Hon. C. J. Parr said he was not adverse to the appointment of women inspectors as an experiment. About half the children were girls and two-thirds of the teachers were women, ’ so that there might with advantage be a number of women inspectors. Some 85 per cent of the children attending schools were found to have bad and diseased teeth and in spite of the bad times he was pleased to sav the Government was able to cope - with this problem, and the school den- . tai system now in vogue here was , winning aprobation in other parts of the world. Junior high schools had got past the experimental stage in other countries and why should th*»v not try the experiment here? It could t be clone at small cost, for he proposed - to use the same schools and the same r teachers. All that would happen was s that the children would be taught in a different way. Tn this decision he t had the best educational authorities behind him. After the supper adjournment the 8 debate on the Supply Bill was continued by Messrs Veitch and E. J. ’ Howard. The hill was then put 1 through the remaining stages without discussion and passed. The bill authorised the expenditure - of £1,799,100. Th© House ros© at 10.50 p.m.