PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11888, 11 May 1899, Page 3

PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the committee of- the Progressive Linefal Association was held on Monday evening, at the rooms, Gloucester Street." Correspondence wa,s nad :--from the Canterbury Women's Institute, fixing May 15 as the date for the conference on an amended 'scheme for Burnham. From Mr'A, Sligo, in reply to .the circular on taxation, stating that he considered that the duties on many of the necessaries of life too high, and ' th:-it he 'would not agree to abolish the land tax exemption. The Secretory was instructed to write to the members of Parliament for the city and suburbs, asking them to support Mr R. M'Nab's Absolute Majority Bill. The Bills Committee reported having considered the Shearers' Accommodation Bill, and submitted several amendments. Members were of opinion that there was great necessity for improvement in the accommodation for farm labourers as well as shearers, and it was resolved to recommend that all clauses dealing with sleeping and living accommodation, should apply to farm labourers as well as to shearers. It was finally decided to submit the following recommendations :—<l) 'That the title of the Bill be the Farm Labourers and Shearers' Accommodation Biliv (2) .That' Clause 3be amended by the insertion of "qualified" before "inspectors." (3) That Cla-use 4be amended so as to read—".lt shall be the duty of every inspector to visit and inspect, during shearing time, all shearing-sheds within the district assigned to him, and he shall make a full and detailed report of such inspection, to the Minister of Labour; the owner to give notice of the time of shearing, to the Inspector'each year/' (4) That in Clause 6, after the word " shearers," the words " and that the cook has proper accommodation and appliances "be added. (5) That ; in Clause 9, the words " 350 cubic feet of space" be substituted for 240 cubic feet. (6) That Clause 12 be amended by,striking out all reference to a specified number. Further, that policemen should not be eligible to act as inspectors under this Bill.