HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 17 October 1914, Page 4

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

In the House, the Wairoa. Harbour Board Endowment Bill was withdrawn, on the motion of Mr. McCallum. -

In reply to Sir Joseph Ward, ■ the Premier. said the Public. Works Statement would be laid on the table on Tuesday. He still ;fchoiight the Houseshould close down this month. Discussing the business of the session, the Premier said they would probably go on with the Legislative Council Bill, the Land Bill, the Education Bill, the.Mining Bill, and the Cook Island Bill; He could not say. whether the Conciliation and/Arbitration Amend-., ment Bill would be put through, hut ., he expected to be able to make a more complete statement on Tuesday or-Wed-nesday next- • The House went into Committee OB the Education Bill. : T ■'.(.;■■■ ■'.-: The Minister accepted an amend-. ment from Mr. Sidey, giving representation to boards, of secondary .and technical schools on district councils,; _ and then the contest.as to whether these councils should be set up was : renewed, tha; Opposition, dividing, the House against the. inclusion of clause 11 in the Bill, the caluse being retained by 29 to 28.. • • >- ' On clause 12 the Minister vin reply

to Mr. Rus&ell, stated that for tW future, the inspectors would be appointed by the Public Service Commissioners. In clause 13 the Minister -moved tlie amendment promised last night, set^" ting up a Commission to allocate ""ntit less than seven and not more "tfialo - nine education districts. Sir Joseph Ward objected to the minimum limit,, and urged that the Commission be given a free hand in - that directiou, the maximum being fixed at ten. The -Minister replied that ha could not accept the suggestion. Mr. Guthrie supported the Minister's proposals. Messrs Hanan, Hine, CJolvin, and Okey urged the Minister to; let the House fix the number, of districts once and for all. and not lefer that question . to the Commission, as it was better to settle the matter now. '' - Sir Joseph Ward moved that there bo nob less than ten . education districts. The amendment was lost by 33 to 25._ The House.then divided on the Min- . ister's amendment, which was carried by 44 to 14. Mr. Hindmarsh moved, at clause 14, to elect members of education boards by popular election. The Minister said it would cost £18,000 for rolls alone, and he could not accept the amendment, which, on a division, was negatived bv 31 to 27. On the motion of Mr. "Witty, subclause 5 of clause 15, struct out by the Education Commititee, providing for the election of members of urban school districts on the municipal fran-" chise, was reinstated.

Clauses 12 to 23 were passed without' ":• discussion or amendment. i In clause 24. at Mr. Russell's sugf r^stion. the Minister, agreed that the s Publio Service Commissioner shall appoint to the public service any .person 5 who, at the time of,coming into opera- - tion of the Act, is permanently em-j^ t ployed by au education board,Tthe ser^BP vice of such officer to be deemed to ' be a public service. / :■ Mr. McCallum" moved a further amendment with the object of retain- • ' ing in the present districts the services of the permanent officers of the education boards that may be abolished. The committee divided on the proposal, which was defeated by 35 to 17. Some objection was taken to' sub/•lauso 6 of clause 38, which provided for a majority of school committees urban districts to form a combined district. Eventually it was decided that the proportion should be two-thirds in- _y stead of a bare majority, and thft clause thus amended was agreed to. :.'■ WELLINGTON, Oct. 17. A division was taken on an amendment moved by Mr Hindmarsh to vest control of secondary schools in Educa- | tion Boards. The amendment was lost by 27 to 17. ~. . V v . ~-.= Mr Hanan moved an amendment to clause .93, to provide for pifpils, holding: a certificate , of competency being admitted to technical schools free. The Chairman refused .-the amendment as it meant an increase in expenditure, and the Speaker, after consultation, sup- V ported the Chairman's ruling.. Clauses.'from- 93 to 122 were then "passed without amendment and the Bill, was then reported.] ; , ,> The National Provident Amend^e^^ Bill was reported progress/ and: the House rose at 2.30 a.m. ■ :' . : i:-