PARLIAMENTARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12935, 1 October 1902, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, Sept. 30. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Council mot at 2.30 p.m. RAILWAYS" SUPERANNUATION. A message was read from the House disagreeing with the amendments made by the Council in the Government Railway.; Superannuation Bill. The Minister of Education moved that the Council should not insist on its amendments. An amendment by the Hon J. E. Jeukinson that managers should he appointed to draw up reasons for adhering to its amendments was carried. CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. The Hon J. Bigg moved that the Government should be requested to take into, consideration the administration of the Industrial Conciliation and' Arbitration Act by the Court of Arbitration. The. mover quoted the awards made by the Court in support of his contention. He said that they were unfair, and had in most cases given dissatisfaction. He was satisfied with the Act so long as it was capably and impartially administered, but he considered that its administration lately placed the Act in great danger. The- Hon W. C. Walker said that he did not think that the mover had made out a good case, and he did not think that it was judicious on the part of a friend of the Act to discuss the findings of the Court in the manner that had been done. The Hon W. T. Jennings said that he believed that several awards had given dissatisfaction, hut he asserted that there was a general and deep feeling of satisfaction with the Act. The Hon J. M. Twomey deprecated reviewing the judgments of what was practically a Court of Justice. The discussion was interrupted by the arrival of the hour When, according to the Standing Orders, Orders of the Day should be proceeded with. BILLS. The Poisons Importation and Carriage Act Amendment Bill, Bluff Harbour Foreshore Reclamation Leasing and Borrowing Bill, Waikokopu Harbour Board Bill, Weber County Bill, Nelson City Streets and Reserve, BUI, Oxford and Gust Road Districts Alteration and Boundaries Bill, North Canterbury Common Hospital Reserves Bill, Christchurch City Council Empowering Bill, Mount Herbert County Bill, and Hawera Hospital District Bill were read a second time and passed their final stages. The Council at 5 p.m. rose till 8 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The Council resumed at 8 p.m. TIED HOUSES. The • Hon J. M. Twomey resumed the discussion on the motion to go into committee on the Tied Houses Bill. He bore testimony to the fairness of the committee in framing its report recommending that the Bill should be dropped, and asserted that six members of the committee who were in favour of the Bill were converted to opposition after hearing the evidence against it. Although tire promoter of the ■Bill had rnusackcd the colony for evidence in its favour ho had failed to. procure such evidence. The Hon G. Jones urged the necessity for the Bill in the interests of the public, not of brewers and publicans, who seemed to be the particular care of -some opponents of the Bill. Ho quoted evidence given on the subject in Victoria and New South Wales in favour of his contention that the tied hOjiise system was inimical to the public welfare. The Hon G. Jones adversely criticised the evidence given before the committee. Referring to the statement that if the BUI passed it would ruin half the publicans in the colony he implied that that would prove no disaster. The Hon W. M. Bolt contended that the question involved was one of more importance than a quarrel between brewers and publicans. It was one as to whether or not the law had been observed. He asserted that there hadi been a gross violation of the law for years. He argued t-h-at

the liquor- trade should be in the hands of the State, and until that was done there never would be proper control of the traffic. With the object of bringing the debate to a close the Hon W. Harris moved that the Council should divide on the question, which was carried by 11 to 6. The motion to go into committee on the Bill was then put, and negatived by 12 : to 5. The Council rose at 11.35 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Monday, Sept. 29. EVENING SITTING. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION FOB ACCIDENTS. After the Telegraph Office closed the debate on the motion, for the committal of the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act Amendment Bill was continued. Almost unanimous approval was expressed of ■ the proposal to bring agricultural labourers within the scope of the Act, and the motion was agreed to on the voices. On going into committee on the Bill Messrs Ma?«ey, James Allen and others urged that the Government should agree to an adjournment, and! protested against the practice of legislation fay exhaustion. The motion to report progress was lost by 30 votes to 15. Mr James Allen then moved that the Chairman should leave the chair, and a lengthy discussion ensued, the Opposition continuing their protest against late sitting. Eventually at 6.10 a.m. Mr Allen withdrew his motion on the understanding that ■ the first three clauses of the Bill should bo passed and the new clause be brought down by the Minister at the next sitting. This arrangement was carried out. The first three clauses of the Bill were agreed to unaltered, and on the Hon IV. ilallJones’s motion progress was reported. The House rose at 5.25 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30. AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30 p.m. FIRST! READING. The Westland and Nelson Coalfields Administration' Act, 1877, Amendment Bill (Mr R. McKenzie) was introduced and read a first time. FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY. Mr Euddo brought down the report of the Select Committee which was set up to inquire into the condition of the frozen meat industry in the colony. Objection was raised that this committee had sat, and finally completed its report, that morning, despite an order of the House, made at 5.25 a.m., that no committees should sit. Sir J oseph Ward suggested, as a way out of the difficulty, that the report should he referred back to the committee, as there was pkntv of time to have it brought down, without transgressing an order of the House. Mr Hornsby said that all that was done that morning" was to confirm the minutes. The report had been adopted the previous day, after full consideration. The Speaker said that he thought that it was a laudable desire -on the part of the committee, at that late stage of the session, to bring its labours to a close. Mr Buddo said that only formal business was done at that morning’s sitting. After considerable discussion, the report Was ordered to lie on the table, and be printed along with the evidence. BILLS DROPPED. On the motion of Sir Joseph Ward, the following Bills were struck off the Orderpaper :—-Land for Settlements Act Amendment, Crown Tenants Rent Rebate Act Amendment, Orchard and Garden- Pests, Destitute Persona Act. Amendment, Tenants Bights, Young Persons Protection, Simps and Offices, Medical Practitioners, Legitimation Act, 1894, Amendment, Electric Lines Act, 1884, Amendment, Contempt of Court, Lyttelton Harbour Board Act Amendment, .Absolute Majority Vote, and Thames High School Borrowing. Tile motion was agreed to on the voices. Sir Joseph Ward stated that if tho House yyoukl co-operate with the Ggyermacnt in

disposing of the remaining Bills on, the Or-der-paper, members ought, without any difficulty, to be able to get away during the Week. AUDIT AND TREASURY.

Mr Fisher brought down- the report of the Public Accounts Ooraniittee on the correspondence as to the difference of op in-ion between the Audit Department and the Treasury, as to the payment of a draft of £3OOO, in respect of the Coronation Contingent. The committee found “ that the charging of the £3OOO to the imprest account was in accordance with the practice followed by the Treasury for years, but that, in order to remove contentions between the Controller and Auditor-General and the Treasury, an amendment of the Public Revenues Act is necessary.”

On. tho motion that the report of the committee should lie on the table, Mr James Alim complained that the sum of_ £3OOO had been paid out of the general imprest account da London, instead of being defrayed out of unauthorised account. They had evidence before the Public Accounts Committee of the payment of further sums of £ISOO and £IOOO for the expenses of tho Coronation Contingent, and there was reference to another .sum of £3OOO, so that the total cost of the Contingent would probably amount to £IO,OOO or more. Ho contended that the money should have been paid out of unauthorised expenditure, and objected that a slight bad been put upon the House in nob asking it last session to vote a sum of money for the despatch of a contingent. Had the House known pirn probable cost to be incurred, ho believed members would bavei hesitated to sanction such a- large sum ire view of the requirements of the colony in the matter of Public Works. In bis opinion... the stand taken up by the Audi tor-General was the correct one. He further urged that more details should be laid bare in presenting the public acounts of the colony. Sir Joseph Ward said that the end of last session the Cabinet had decided not to send a Coronation Contingent to England, but after the close of Parliament the invitation! to send contingents was extended' to. all British dependencies, in the face of which New Zealand could not stand aloof. The Government then decided to accept the invitation, so that there was no slight upon) the House in not haring consulted members last session. Sir Joseph, went on to say that any allusion to any sum outside the £3OOO draft under review had nothing to do with the question, and was only made for thei purpose of creating a wrong impression. The contingent consisted of 150 mem, and the grant of £2O to each man made up the £3OOO, besides which there was the cost of equipment, passages, etc. It came in evidence, he said, that unauthorised expenditure was occasionally charged to Imprest Account in London, and' he contended that no departure had been made from the usual’ course in regard to the payment of the £3OOO under review. Sir Joseph expressed the opinion that the colony ought to adopt a post audit system, and so obviate these continual differences of opinion between the Audit and Treasury Departments. Had there been time this session, he would have! brought down an amendment of the Public Revenues Act, which would have provided for a post audit instead of a pre-audit system. Mr Hornsby complained that while other colonies had withdrawn their contingents upon, the announcement of the serious illness of the King, tho men from New Zealand were kept in London. “Were we,” he asked, “so rich that we could afford to pitch away so much money on gew-gawa and Jingoism ?” The Hon W. Hall-Jones wanted to know Where there had been any wasteful expenditure in regard to this contingent. The invitation of the King was equivalent to a command, and how could men have been sent sixteen thousand miles without expenditure of money ? The men had to go in spick and span condition on a special service, where they would meet men similarly equipped. New Zealand would not have done her duty if she had not sent her representatives when contingents had gone from every other part of the Empire. ilr W. Eraser said that he believed that tho Unauthorised Expenditure Account was almost, exhausted, and that that accounted, for the anxiety of the Government to have the £SOOO charged to General Imprest. Mr Hutcheson said Unit last session, he had suggested that the cost of the contingent would be nearer £15,000 than £ISOO, and he was prepared to hear, somewhere in the course of the year, that the cost was £15,000. , , f Mr Jackson Palmer defended the action ot the Treasury and of the Solicitor General in, the matter of the dispute. Mr hf Nab said that no doubt an attempt would be made during the elections to .show that this £3OOO was used by Mr Sedrton. for his own expenses, and he deprecated any such misrepresentation. . Mr Fisher, Chairman of tbs Public Accounts Committee, in replying, said that the people were not aware that the Government was entering upon au expenditure of £ls 000 in despatching the Contingent. (Sir’ Joseph Ward: /‘The cost is not £15,000, or anything like it.”), and he contended that Parliament and the people had been misled in the matter. The cost of the Contingent should' have been charged to unauthorised account, so that the House would haw had an opportunity of discussing the matter. , ~ The report was ordered to he on the table.

B AIIAVAYS SUPERANNUATION FUND.

A message, was received from the Legislative Council, insisting oiv its amendments in the Government Railways Superannuation Fund Bill. Sir Joseph Ward said that he did not want to jeopardise snob an important Bill at this late stage of the session, and, therefore, moved that the Council’s amendments should be agreed to. The motion was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.50 p.m. SECOND READINGS. Sir Joseph Ward moved the second reading of the Methodist Church- of Australasia, in'New Zealand Bill, to give statutory sanction to the change of name of the- Wesleyan Methodist Church in New Zealand. Agreed to. The Hon IV. Hall-Jones moved the second reading: of the Military Pensions Bill, to amend The Military Pensions Act, 1866, and to further extend the provisions of The Military Pensions Extension to Contingents Act, *I9OO. The Bill extends the principal Aofc to the Eighth, Ninth andi Tenth Contingents, and Mr ITall-Jones explained that it also extended the time, within which a pension, or gratuity would ho granted, from six to twelve months after the date of injury. That provision would meet the wishes of several members, as expi'm&tl in a. recent debate. Mr James Allen said that he regarded the Bill as a.n improvement so far as it went, but ho was very disappointed- that the Government was doing so little to bring our. Militarv Pensions law into line, with- thel English Act. He regretted that the pro-mis® to make this Bill cover the whole scope of the Royal warrant had not been fulfilled-, and he urged that this colony should not) be behind the Imperial authorities in t-ha matter of generosity. Sir Joseph Ward said that everybody was desirous of seeing our returned soldiers

treated with consideration and- generosity,, and the Government was doing w&at was generous, just and right towards these! men. Tiffs Bill really provided a second! pension,, as the men also got a perts»>ni from the. Imperial authorities.

Mr James Allen: Only some «f them. Not all.

Sir Joseph Ward: Well, the majority of them do. He went on to say that ©very recommendation made by the Commandant; of the Forces and the Under-Secretary for Defence had been, embodied in the Bill, and he. strongly resented the suggestion that the Government was lacking in generosity towards the men who formed the colony’s various contingents. Mr Monk urged that special transport facilities should be provided for colonial troopers, especially in returning them to their homes. Another lesson to be learned from the Britannic revelations was that the Government must thrust aside all political considerations in officering future contingents, Mr Fisher said that old soldiers who had taken part in the Maori wars were entitled to as much, consideration as the men who were being provided- for by this Bill. Mr O’Meara also urged the claims of old soldiers. © The Hon Yf. J. Steward said that he did not think that the Bill went far enough in cases in which men were permanently incapacitated from work through woundb. Mr Laurenson said that he thought that there was too great a difference between the amount of the pensions drawn by officers and by the rank and file.

The Hon W. Hail-Jones, in replying, said that the old soldiers referred- to by Mr Fisher and Mr O'Meara would receive assistance.

The second reading was agreed to on the voices. RAILWAYS AUTHORISATION.

The Hon AY. Hall-Jones moved- the second reading of the Railways Authorisation Bill which, he said', was a formal measure giving authority for the construction of the Helensville northwards, Gis-borne-Karaka and Catlins-Seaward Bush.

Several members urged the construction of railways in their respective districts, and against this it was urged that before commencing new lines, the main lines of the colony should be carried to a paying point. Mr Ell raised a point that the owners of property opened up by new railways should be made to pay some of the cost of the railway, which added considerably to the value of the estates, and in this connection it mis stated that speculators bought up land along the line to be followed by new railways, in expectation of a consequent rise in values. After considerable discussion, amotion by Mr Symes, for the adjournment of the debate, was carried by 38 to 22. AMENDMENTS DISAGREED WITH. It was decided to disagree until the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Poisons Importation and Carriage Bill. SECOND READINGS. The Pharmacy Act Amendment Bill, Tauranga Educational Endowment Reserves Bill and Inebriates Institutions Act Amendment Bill (which provides for the punishment of unruly, inmates), which have passed the Legislative Council,' were read a second time on the voices without debate. PUBLIC HEALTH. Sir Joseph Ward, in moving the second reading of the Public Health Aob Amend'menb Bill, said that be intended in Committee to move for the excision of Clause 8, which gave power to the Govcrnor-in-Council to order a vaccination on the outbreak of small-pox. * In the course of the discussion which ensued, considerable objection was raised to Clause 6, which empowers local authorities to raise the amount required for expenses in carrying out the provisions of the principal Act by striking a special rate not exceeding twopence in the £. Sir Joseph Ward said that he would reduce the rate to a half-penny. Opposition was also shown to sub-section 3 of Clause 3, which provides that all expenses incurred by the local authority in cases where infectious diseases are suspected to exist shall be paid by the occupier of the premises. Sir Joseph Ward, in replying, said that he was prepared to accept reasonable amendments in Committee, but if the Bill was strongly opposed, he would have to hold it over until next session. It was an important measure, and ought to go through. The second reading was agreed 1 to on the voices. COMPANIES. It was decided to disagree with the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Companies Act Amendment Bill. RAILWAYS AUTHORISATION. . The second reading of the Railways Authorisation Bill was agreed to on the voices. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS.

’ In moving the committal of the Municipal Corporations Bill, Sir Joseph Ward said that ini Committee he would rectify an obvious error in regard to air space requirements, as set out in Clause 20. In its present form, the clause would have involved an additional expenditure of some £15,000 for air space in the case of hotels like the Empire Hotel, Wellington.

Mr Ell said that he intended to. move in Committee to give compulsory purchasing power to boroughs and cities in regard to gas works. Mr Willis also said that he would propose an amendment in Committee, to the effect that any surplus profits from gas works

owned by municipalities should be transferred to the general account. The motion for committal was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at midnight.