SUMMER-TIME BILL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 215, 25 August 1927, Page 4

SUMMER-TIME BILL

TAKEN IN COMMITTEE AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. STONEWALL TACTICS. Wellington, Aug. 23. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m., the first order, of the day ceded on was the Legislature Amendment Bill No. 2, introduced by Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition. In his absence Mr P. Fraser (Welling ton Central) rose and said that as the Leader of the Opposition was unfor tunateljt not able to De present, be had requested him (Mr Fraser) to ask the leave of the House to withdraw the bill at that sitting and . set it down for that day week. This course was opposed by Mr W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei) and W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) who claimed tnat it would jeopardise the chances of other private members in getting their bills on next week. On the question that the bill be postponed they called for a division, which, However, was uot insisted on and the motion was agreed to on the voices. The next bill on the order paper was the Fair Rents Bill, introduced by Mr M. J. Savage. He likewise asked that his bill be postponed for a week, and this was also challenged, the object now being apparent that the Labour Party was clearing the way for Mr T. K. Sidey’e Summer Time Bill, the committee stage of which was the third order of the day. The result of a division was 43 in favour of postponement and 21 against it. The bill was accordingly postponed and the House went into committee on the Summer Time Bill. Mr Glenn said the bill was an old acquaintance, but it w’as such a dan gerous bill that he must oppose it in every way in his power. Lt was going to do the farming industry far greater harm than could bo conceived. He had telegrams from every Farmers’ Union, every A. and -V Association in the country protesting against, the bill. The speaker was proceeding to dilate on the hardships the bill would impose on shearers when he was lung down. AMENDMENTS ACCEPTED. Mr Sidey said he was hoping that the bill would have been passed without amendment, but on further consideration he had decided to accept several amendments which he trusted, would facilitate the passage of the bill. He had decided that certain industries working under Arbitration Court awards should be exempt from the provisions o-f the bill. This uppli ed to those engaged in the grain threshing industry and in shearing. If, however, men employed in these industries could agree with their em ployers to do so, they could adopt the principle of the bill. That completely an.-.werer the objection raised by the member for Rangitikei. He was also prepared to exempt the coal minors from the bill, because they too, were working under Arbitration Court awards, and in thia connection ho was prepared to adhere to the arrangement come to last session. When the bill was being read the third time the member for Wairau had “ug gested that t-here should be some variation in the period of summer time and he would accept an amendment from him to the effect that summer time should end on the third Sunday in February, instead of the first Sun day in March. Having made these con cessions, be did not propose to accept further amendments.

Mr A. M. Samuel (Ohnemuri) said that if Mr Sidey would accept an amendment exempting dairy fanners he would have no difficulty in passing his bill.

Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said the bill had been justified hero because it had been a success in Britain, but the conditions were not similar tn the two countries, and there could be no comparison. If the railways could be exempted he would not ob ject to the bill so much. Mr C. E. Macmillan (T|auranga) contended that lue mH »«> snupiy putting fresh burdens on the already overloaded farmeft. Up to the supper adjournment the bill was opposed by Messrs J. R. Hamilton (Awarua) W. H. Field (Otaki), T. W. Rhodes (Thames) and D. S. Reid (Waikato, all of whom spoke on behalf of the dairy farmers. After the supper adjournment the opposition to the bill continued, at times with a good deal of levity. ARGUMENTS AGAINST.