PARLIAMENTARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 16061, 16 October 1912, Page 10

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Abridged from Press Association.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, Octoivsr 15. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Council mot at 2.30 p.m. LOCAL BILLS. The sixteen local Bills passed by the House on the previous evening wore received, read a first time and referred to various committees. PUBLIC SERVICE. The Public Service Bill was further considered in committee and several clauses were put through without material amendment, The Council adjourned. EVENING SITTING. The Council resumed at 8 p.m. IN COMMITTEE ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE BILL. In Clause 34, sub-section 2, allowing the Commissioner to lino up to £SO anyono committing a minor offence, tlio Hon J. E. Jenkinson moved to substitute £lO for £SO. The Minister not opposing the amendment was agreed to. Clause 38 was amended to allow of all candidates ; whether in town or country districts, being afforded reasonable facilities for competing for employment or passing examination. Clause 41, providing that no appointments from outside the service should bo made except (a) at the instance of the Commissioner or (b) upon the written request of a permanent head to the Minister to be transmitted by the Minister to the Commissioner, tho Hon J. E. Jenkinson moved to strike out the reference to the Minister. The motion was defeated' by fifteen to eight. Clauso 41, Section 4, providing for the permanent appointment of legislative clerks having three previous years service was amended to also include messengers. Clause 50 was altered to extend to tworvo months after tho commencement of the Act the period for the Commissioner to take notice of the claims of candidates who had passed certain examinations when he was grading and promoting officers, and the list of examinations was extended to include technical. mechanical and scientific examinations. Clause 60, dealing with the question of officers of the public service engaging in other employment, was extended to includo trades as well as professions. Progress was reported, and tho Council adjourned at 11.35 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, October 15. AFTERNOON SITTING. Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. FIRST READINGS. The Kaiapoi Reserve Bill (Hon W. H. Herrios) and Wanganui Harbour District and Empowering Bill (Mr Veitch) were read a first time. MOKAU LANDS. Tho time limit for bringing up the report of tho Joshua Jones Committee was extended for ten days. WIDOWS' PENSIONS. Amendments to tho Widows' Pensions Act Amendment Bill were introduced by Governor's message. The main feature was the repealing of the section excluding a child born out of New Zealand from tho benefits of the Act. FISHERIES. Replying to various comments on the fishing industry, the Hon F. M. B. Fisher said that ho had instructed Mr Ayson to prepare a comprehensive report, including notes on the conditionsin Britain, Canada and Australia. The Minister had also arranged for i.n estimate of tho cost of importing an expert to assist in establishing the fishing industry hero on an improved basis. All this information would be placed before Parliament next year. FINANCE. The Hon J. Allen laid on the tablo a statement of receipts and expenditure of the Consolidated Fund (ordinary revenue account) for the six months ended September 30, 1912, compared with tho corresponding period for 1911. Receipts £4,812.954, an increase of £170,02u. Expenditure Permanent appropriations, 1912 £1,879,832, 1011 £1,774,200, an increase of £105,830; annual appropriations. 1912 £2,921.340. 1911 £2,704,992, an increase of £210,345. After transferring £50,000 to the Public Works Fund the total exnendituro was:—l9l2 £4,851,178, * 1911 £4,479,195. Tho balance at September 30, 1912, was £939,078, 1911 £920,239. Sir Joseph Ward said it was very interesting to hear the statement, but itdid not appear to him that tho statement of expenditure could be reliable, because the position of imprestces could not bo finally known at this date. The expenditure, lie said tho Minister would admit, was only approximate. Hon J. Allen: Yes, approximate. Sir Joseph Ward went en to say in reference "to tho falling off in Customs duties that it was due to the effects of the strike in London. Tile increase in the cost of working tinrailways was partly due to tho higher wages granted railway servants, and the results of the year's working as a whole would be very good. All the indications throughout the. country were for a good year. The Minister agreed that over the next six months there would be a considerable increase in the revenue. BILLS. The amendments by the Legislative Council in the Pharmacy Act Amendment Bill wero agreed to. Further amendments will be brought down by Governor's message. The Thomas George Macarthy Trust Bill was put through its final stages. The amendments made by the Council in the Justices of the Pence Act Amendment Bill were agreed to. WIDOWS' PENSIONS. Tho Widows' Pensions Bill was recommitted, in order that it might be further amended. The amendments provided Tor the benefits of the Act being extended to all children born in New Zealand where one of the parents had died. Provision is also made for temporary absence from tho country, as in the case of tho Old Age Pensions Act, and for the of tho furniture and effects of a widow from the definition of property and perperty and permitting the expenditure of a certain amount as eapirnl in any one year without prejudicing the pension claimed. On the third reading of tho BUI, Messrs Wittv, Poland and Ell congratulated tho Government on having accepted amendments from the other side of the Homo and on having parsed a really useful measure. The third reading was carried on the voices.

DEFENCE. In commit-too on tbo Defence Act Amendment Bill. Mr Witty asked on Clause 2 (power to commit to military custody) Acre it was intended to confine offenders. , . , Tbo Miniver said it W desired as far as possible to avoid nnyt imp; reproaching prison. They va-uld be confined to barracks. Mick as tbey had nfc Taiaroa Heads, Dnnediii, ana would there be required to g° through the ordinary drill. ■ . ... Mr WitW said that-.thterc would be the same bhiection to' committal to barracks as to prisoir. ! P K T e w P"J-j bo the record by the Jtagistrate. would there not?" lie askedMr Wilford: " Yes. Of cptirso. A discussion then took place conscientious objectors-, .

Mr Isitt raised points covered by I him m the second reading debate. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. j EVENING SITTING. | The Louse resumed at 7.30 p.m. j 'the Defence Bid was further con-: sidered m committee. In clauso 3 Mr Witty moved an! amendment excluding military barrack ■ orisons as places for detention of mili-1 tary defaulters. ! Lost by 34 to 21. ! Mr Russell then moved to amend tho i same clause to make the Minister of instead of tho Commandant of the Forces, responsible for selecting officers under whom defaulters would be placed. He argued that they should not oxalt the military element, as such a course did not tend to strengthen public opinion. After somo discussion. Mr RusselL withdrew hjs amendment, and moved in the next clause, dealing with the discharge of persons detained, an amendment substituting tho Minister for Defence for the Commandant as the person authorising such discharge. Tho Minister accented the amendment, which was carried on the voices. In clause 8, dealing with the military training of those detained, Mr Russell moved to vest the power of prescribing such training in tho Minister, instead of the Commandant. Mr Russell withdrew the amendment on tho Minister agreeing to insert words providing that the training prescribed shall be with the approval of the Minister.

The clauso as amended was passed. In clauso 9 Mr Davey moved to alter the clause so as to provide that arrest shall relieve any offender of fines or costs.

Lost on tho voices. On tho Minister's motion the clause was altered, vesting the power in Hie Minister instead of the Commandant. The clause then passed. Sir Joseph Ward objected to clause 10, which gives power to recover a fine imposed on offenders under ordinary civil process. That meant that a man's wages could he attached for payment of a fine.

The Minister replied that the climi?iation of the clause would mean the wrecking of the whole Act. The clause passed. Mr Hindmarsh attacked clause 11, which provides that fines may be recovered by way of attachment of wages.

Mr Robertson said he would oppose tho clause in toto, as it was purely in the interests of the employers. Sir Joseph Ward said he would vote against tho clause. He would not agree to attaching a man's wages after they had already passed clauses providing for fines and imprisonment. Mr Isitt held that tho clause would irritate both the man and the employer. ;

Mr Hindmarsh said that at the first hearing of a easo against offenders tho question of their ability to pay fines 'was never gone into by tho magistrates. ' °

The Minister said-he had no idea of attaching a man's wages without his having had a fair hearing.' In any ease, the clause was not mandatory, lie would have the whole clause looked into, and if an amendment wero necessary it would be inserted in the Upper House.

The clause was carried after a division, by 38 to 25.

Iho Minister, replying to argument on clause 12, said he would inquire into the matter of exempting technical college students from military drill At clause 23 Mr Russell contended that twenty-one should be the a<*e • i j Ho dicl not think thov should weigh down their young men from eighteen until twenty-five. They should be discharged as soon as they Se^ rC< L a cartlfi «*to °f efficiency. The Minister said he could not accept the suggestion. The regulations now provided that after four years' of service, providing the man 'w as efficient, the man could be let go. The clause passed. On the next clause Mr ~ Wittv moved an amendment to.make tho ago limit twenty-one instead of twenty-five. Mr Allen said he could not accept the amendment.

Mr Veitch said that he would like to -co the period reduced to twenty-one years if efficiency could be obtained, but he doubted it.

Mr Lanrenson said that never was hero a time in the white man's history when the country was so menaced Ho pointed out that Australia was sending homo in all haste to secure coal and Mr Andrew Fisher was a practical coal miner. " Whv " he ask ' rn^ as t,,is bcin ? done?" When was; China going to wake up, and when it did, would it leave this half-popu-lated country alone? , -.%. Bu ''ok 'said he would support the flimister, though he personally thought twenty-one years was sufficient. , Mr Isitt, again asked whether the , Minister would not accept a comproI nnse, twenty-three years of ago. Mr Witty's proposal was rejected by 4/ rotes to 12. At Section 36, regarding deprivation of civil rights, Mr Davey said that' a Justice of the Peace should not have power to impose the maximum of ten years. The Minister said he was prepared to consider the point. The draftsman had inserted '• Justice of the Peace " because in some districts it would be difficult to obtain tho services of a Magistrate. The clause was passed on an understanding that it would be reviewed. Mr M'Callum raised a question on Section 37 that youths or men at training camps should receive their full ordinary wages for rendering personal military service. The Minister held that 4s a day and maintenance were a fair allowance. Mr Isitt made one more appeal on behalf of the conscientious " objector when Section 43 was reached. This section restricts exemptions to grounds of religious belief. Mr Isitt moved an amendment to include the conscientious objector (in addition to the religious objector), provided that an equivalent non-military service should be the alternative. The Minister repeated his previous explanations, and said he intended to adhere to tho clause. The conscientious objector could not bo defined. The amendment was lost by 44 to 10. The remaining clauses, including the schedule were passed with discussion on minor points. Somo new clauses wero added at the instance of the Minister. One provided' for the repeal of the present courtsmartial and for a maximum of imprisonment of throe months. The other clauses provided for the recovery of

fines, giving effect to the findings courts-martial, tho representation ot accused persons by counsel, and the method of taking evidence. . ' The Bill was reported with'amendments at 1.15 a.m., and the' Houso rose.