THE POLITICAL ARENA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16665, 25 September 1914, Page 9

THE POLITICAL ARENA.

[From Our Special Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, September 24. THE FACTORIES ACT.

It looked at one time last night as if the prolonged discussion on the Gaming Bill was going to kill Mr Willord's Factories Bill, hub a lew minutes before twelve o'clock (lie member for.Hutt gob his chance, and lie was not the man to let it slip. The Minister of Defence, who was in charge of tho House at the moment, suggested that on account of the latonoss of the hour the committal of the Bill should be deferred, but Mr Wilford, alter simulating hesitation for half a minute, said ho would prefer throwing himself on llio generosity of the tired members and knowing his fate at once. Ho moved to tho table with the determined air of a man leading a forlorn hope, but, to his obvious surprise, his little measure slipped through committee with only one vote of dissent, a stentorian No lrom the irrepressible Mr Noswortby, which was greeted with loud laughter lrom both sides of the Bouse. r lhe chairman put the question again, fixing his eyes upon the member for Ashburton, and this time the "No" was repeated in scarcely more than a whisper. No dmsion was demanded, and the Bill was safely out of the bush so far as the representative chamber was concerned. A LITTLE STORY. Mr Wilford's Bill has an interesting story. It consists of an operative clause, and its purpose is to repeal the olause of the Factories Act ol IUW which excludes women and boys employed in woollen factories from the Forty-five hours week enjoyed by women and boys working in other factories. The clause was produced by the Legislative Council alter the measure Yeducilig the week from forty-eight hours to forty-five in all factories had passed through the House, and the nominated chamber insisting upon its amendment .Mr Seddon finally had to accept it in order to save the Bill. There the law still remains. Mr Wilford carried tho second' reading of his Bill at the end of July without a division, but a member of the Reform Party at once moved that it should be referred to the Labour Bills Committee. Perhaps it would be unfair to sav this gentleman was seeking to kill the measure, but almost certainly this would have been the effect of carrying his motion. The party whips had a busy ten minutes when it was found Mr Wilford was not disposed to hand 1 his Bill over to the tender mercies of tho committee, and. thanks to the assistance of four members from the Government side of the House, it was saved by the narrow margin of two votes. A SIGNIFICANT DIVISION. The issue before the House was perfectly clear. It was just a question whether women and boys employed in woollen factories should be condemned to work under worse conditions than prevailed in other factories, or whether they should enjoy the same conditions. It took the House back to the strenuous nineties, when the Liberals were making their first bold steps towards the amelioration of the condition of the workers, and the House found itself divided in much tho same way as it was in those days. The Liberals voted solid for the better conditions, while the Reformers, with hut four exceptions, voted for vested interests. That, at any rate, is the interpretation placed after the division by people who understood the forms of tho Houee. Now we shall seo what will happen to the Bill iu the Council. THR MAORI CONTINGENT. The Native members of the House are very disappointed that the Maori contingent is not to he sent to the front. Of course, they are glad to have the men's rights to serve the Empire recognised in any form, but they would have preferred the fighting line to Egypt. However, they have formed themselves into a committee, and are assisting tho Minister in allocating positions in the contingent. Mr T. Parata is looking-after the interests of the South Island Maoris in this respect, and he expects seven places will be allotted to Canterbury, seven to Otago, and seven to Southland. The whole forty places allotted to the South Island "could be filled from Canterbury, but the Minister and the committee wish to make as wide a distribution as possible. ANOTHER AVAR HOLIDAY. It is very unfortunate for the Prime Minister that just after he had told the House it ought to be going about its business in a normal way, the Minister of Defence should have found it necessary to give members a further five days' holiday, but it is undcr- ! stood tho circumstances are of such a character that Mr Allen had no option in the matter. It will be very unfair to the Opposition, however, if members are kept kicking their heels in Wellington till the usual time for the prorogation, and then sent baok to their constituencies with only three or four weeks to prepare for the general election. Both Mr Massey and Mr Allen have declared they have no intention of doing anything of this kind, but time is moving on, and Ministers are still talking of passing the remainder of their policy measures this year. There has been a general exodus of members from Wellington to-day. Most of them have been bent on seeing how the party breeze is blowing in their own districts, and very likely the majority of them will not return till tho middle of next week. If Parliament goes along in this fashion muoh longer the country will begin to take notice.