PARLIAMENTARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12557, 19 July 1901, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, July 18. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. SHOPS AND OFFICES. The Petitions Committee reported upon petitions from the warehousemen of Auckland and Christchurch, against their being included in the Shops and Offices Bill.” These petitions were both referred to the Labour Bills- Committee. YOUNG PERSONS PROTECTION. The Hon W. C. Walker, in moving the second reading of the Young Persons Protection Bill, said it was much the same, as last session’s measure, but in the present Bill the power of issuing search warrants with respect to suspected houses was confined to a magistrate, and not shared by justices of the peace. The Bill would be a great preventive of criminal tendencies if the administration were put in proper hands. , ~, -n-,, The Hon C. M’Lean opposed the BUI, on tire ground of tho bad effect on the future of the children dealt with under it. If passed it would probably remain inoperative, like the Inebriate Homes BilL Another inoperative measure, the Contagious Diseases Act, should he enforced. The Hon H. Scotland said that the Bill was much required in Auckland. The Hon S. E. Shrimski defended Auckland, and considered that the Bill was-too drastic. - Tho Hon C. C. Bowen spoke of parental laxity, and supported the Bill. The Hon W. T. Jennings opposed the Bill, stating that a brand would be put on children that would never be removed. The Hon A. Lee Smith said that he thought that parental opportunity should not be limited. , , The Hon J. M. Twomey supported the Bill, stating that there were people about who would take advantage of loitering children. . , L , The Hon D. Pinkerton opposed the B’U The Hon W. C. Walker stated that he understood that a magistrate’s inquiries as to children brought before him under the Bill would not be in open court. The second reading was carried by 20 t 0 6 ’ SCHOOL ATTENDANCE. The School' Attendance Bill, extending the school age to fourteen years, and compelling an attendance of three and a half days per week, was read a second time on the voices. The Council rose at 3.55 p.m, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, July 18. AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30 p.m. A petition was presented from R. G. Knight, Wellington, praying the Government to grant perpetual leases of land to all people who have seven children and upwards. . THE GOVERNOR OF FIJI’S STATEMENTS. The Premier gave notice to move a respectful address to be presented to the Governor, asking him to petition the Secretary of State for the colonies to held: an impartial inquiry into the remarks made by the Governor cf Fiji with regard to the Government of New Zealand taking awav tho land of the Natives. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. The Land for Settlements Act Amendment BiE (Right Hon R. J. Seddon) was introduced and read a first time. LOCAL BILLS. Mr Wilford moved the second reading of the Wellington Harbour Board Act, 1879, Amendment Bill, to increase country representation on the Wellington Harbour Board. Agreed to on the voices. Mr O’Meara moved the second reading of the, Woodville County Bill, which, he said, would merge four local bodies into one and considerably lessen the cost cf administration. Agreed to on the voices. The Invercargi'E Reserves Leasing Bill (Mr Hanan) was read a second) time. DISTRICT COURTS. Mr Hogg withdrew his District Courts Aot Amendment Bill, as the Government has a similar measure now before the House. CYCLE BOARDS. Mr Fowlds. moved the second reading of the Cycle Beards Bill, which is intended to enable cyclists to tax themselves for th© purpose of making and maintaining cycle,tracks for their convenience. He urged that the cycle roads formed by the Boards in outlying districts would be useful for footpaths for settlers in winter time, and would give cyclists better opportunities to see the country, and would generally be the beginning of an eta of better roads. Cyclists in all parts of the colony had petitioned in favour of the measure, which was permissive, and would only be brought into operation by all the cyclists in a district being practically unanimous. Sir Joseph Ward complimented Mr Fowlds on having introduced the. Bill, which, if passed, would do an incalculable amount of good to a large number of people throughout the country. He would cordially assist him in passing the Bill. Mr G. W. Russell said that he thought that the Boards would be likely to expend the money near towns, and the interests of country cyclists -would be neglected. The districts proposed were too large, and the taxation proposed would cause more dissatisfaction than did the dog tax among the Maoris.

Air Palmer said that he hoped that the Bill would be made a good workable measure for cyclists, but he saw no reason why cyclists, more than any other section of the community, should be taxed to provide good roads for themselves. •Mr R. Thompson said that be failed to see why cyclists in outlying districts should be. taxed to provide bicycle tracks for residents ini large centres. ' Mr Meredith said that the Bill required considerable modification in committee.

Air McGowan supported the principle cf the Bill, and) said that he would vote for the second reading, but he thought that an amendment was desirable in the direction of providing that the money collected in a particular district should be expended in that district.

Messrs Bollard, Wilford, Pirani and Witheford supported the Bill, and Air Fla tman opposed it in its present form. Air Fowlds, in reply, said that he would accept reasonable amendments in committee. He thought that the Central Board would take care that the country districts received a fair share of the expenditure, but he was prepared to accent an amendment in committee to provide .that any district could, upon petition, -be excluded from the provisions of the Act if it was not being justly treated by the' Central Board.

The second reading was agreed to on th e voices. STATUTES COMPILATION.

The Hon W. J. Steward moved the second reading of the Statutes Compilation Bill to- provide for tie compilation and printing of Acts of parliament with their amendments, which, he believed, would be of considerable assistance and benefit to the public.

Mr Wilford said that there could be no question as to the necessity for an innovation of this land. It would be of especial value and assistance to Justices -of the

Peace, and the Hon W. J. Steward had compressed into a short and comprehensive measure everything that was required. Air Palmer also spoke of the necessity for a BiE of this kind. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. HAWKERS. Air Houston moved tho second reading of the Pedlars and Hawkers Bill, to provide for the licensing of pedlars and hawkers. Ho said that the principle feature of the Bill was the provision that licenses shall ■be issued only to British subjects who have resided in New Zealand not less than twelve months. This clause was directed against Assyrian hawkers, who did a great deal of harm in the country districts. After a short debate, in- which considerable opposition waAMiown to the measure, particularly in regard to the proposed inclusion of commercial travellers within its scope, the second reading was negatived by 30 to 24, and the Bill was thus thrown out. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. SCHOOL CHILDREN’S DRILL. . The State School Children Compulsory Drill Bill was committed. Mr Pirani moved that the word “compulsory” in the title of the Bill should be omitted. A long discussion followed, in which the question of military and physical drill in all its bearings was exhaustively dealt with. FinaEy the amendment to strike out the word “compulsory” was carried by 30 to 24. In clause 2, which made it compulsory to teach military and physical drill to boys and, girls attending pubEc schools, Air Millar moved an amendment to provide that the clause should apply only to physical drill, thus deleting military drill from the provisions of the Bill. After considerable discussion, Air Millar’s amendment was agreed to on the voices. Air Atkinson moved an addition to- the clause to the effect that every Board may, at its discretion, cause military driE :o be taqght to boys over the prescribed age. This was negatived by 34 to 13. The clause as amended was agreed to. In- subsequent clauses all reference to military drill was struck out, consequent on the adoption of Air Alillar’s amendment-. Clause 6 was struck out, and in its place was substituted a section providing that upon the principal of the school being satisfied that any boy or girl is unfit to perform physical drill, exemption shall bt granted. The Bill was reported as amended, and the third reading was set down- for that day week. EIGHT HOURS. Air Fisher continued the adjourned debate on the second reading of Air G. W, Russell’s Eight Hours’ Bill. He supported the principle, hut said that he would have mo-re- to say in committee. Air Field said that if -the Bill 1 was passed it would paralyse the farm industry. Air Lethbridge opposed the Bill. Air Arnold said that he considered that the Bill was a most unsatisfactory one in its present form, and that it would not accomplish any good. He hoped, however, that it would have the effect, of directing the attention of the Government to the question. Air Atkinson said that he thought that the details of working hours should be left to the Arbitration Court. In replying, Air RusseE said that he believed that the Legislature could reasonably restrict the hours of labour of farm labourers, 1 but at the same time he recognised that the sentiment' of the House was against their inclusion in this Bill, and he had l no desire to force the House on the point. He would accept reasonable amendments in committee. On a division the second reading was carried by 25 to. 17. The House rose at- midnight.