PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10112, 20 October 1917, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (Pkh Pbahh Association.) j WELLINGTON, Oct, 19. 1 The Legislative Council resumed to-day. ' ; The Shops and Offices Bill and Hutt Road Amendment Bill were read a second time. The Council adjourned at 2.40 p.m. until ■ 3.15 to consider the report of the managers appointed to deal with the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. Replying to Mr Hudson, the Premier said he had received la number of complaints regarding the want. of community of interest in connection with I the new electoral boundaries, but the posi- , lion was not sufficiently emphasised to war-' I rant the-t lovernmenf introducing legislation lon the subject this session, If the Bound- ; ary Commissioners, through their chairman, , expressed the opinion that some legislation j was necessary, that opinion could be considered and legislation introduced next j session. ! j Replying to Mr McCombs, the Minister I for Railways said the Department was grantins special railway facilities in connection I with agricultural shows, as they were con--1 sidered to have an educative effect, and I were on a different plane to race and sports meetings. Replying to Mr Glover, the Premier said lit was >iot proposed to introduce further j licensing legislation this session, therefore, no provision could be made to enable billiard rooms in connection with hotels to: remain open after 6 p.m. Replying to Mr McCallum, Sir Joseph; Ward said the question of the dilution of j spirits was under consideration by Cabinet. an<l i 1 had been decided to permit dilution to the extent of 33 1-3 per cent, it miglri :be 50 per cent. There was no reason why I people should not have weaker whisky if j that was too strong the blame could be further considered. There was nothing in tielaw to prevent hotels keeping soft drinks in a room apart from the bar. Replying to Mr McCombs regarding the stopping of work on the North Auckland railway tunnel, the Minister for PublicWorks said the men had adopted a "go slow" policy and he had given them the ! option of working on the co-operative prill* | eiple. They could accept that, offer or leave/j it alone, but hje_ was_ not going to allow the men to appoint his officers or run his j department. I. The State Supply Electrical Energy Bill , was introduced by Governor's message and p read a first time. * The Hon. Mr Fraser ex- ' plained that the Bill only defined how < accounts in connection with the sale of elec- j trica] energy Bill should be kept. The .sale of energy had grown to such dimensions \ that. it. had become absolutely necessary I that a proper system of account should_ be ' kept in connection with each electrical scheme. In reply to questions. Ministers gave the : following answers: That the appointment of Mr Thomson as assistant commissioner, under the Public Service Act, 1912, wa s for , a term of seven years. There is no intention to make a change at present: that , amended regulations in connection with black leg amongst young cattle will appear ' in this week's Gazette. The Hou.se rose at 5.30. EVENING SITTING. ; The House resumed at 7.30. and went into committee on the Social Hygiene Bill. On] the short title, the Hon. Mr Rhodes moved: to strike out the title "Social Hygiene" j and call the measure "the Venereal Diseases' , Bill." lie said we were making an honest effort to battle with this problem, and he ' thought it better to honestly call a spade a . spade, as had been done in several other countries. Mr McCallum supported the amendment. He thought, it wrong to degrade the name of the Koddest Flygieu by associating it with such a Bill as this. The Hon. Mr Russell sail he could not 'accept, the amendment. The title had been, carefully selected. The Bill not. only dealt with health, but dealt, with it from a. social point of view, and that to a very remarkable extent. I Mr Isitt opposed the amendment on the ground that every adult would understand, what was meant by Social Hygiene, while I it was not advisable that children should . understand. ' Dr. Newman, Mr Payne, and Mr Wilford supported the amendment, contending that tint title of the Bill should disclose the nature of the Bill. ' After an hour's discussion on the short title, a. division was called for, and the j amendment was rejected by 35 to 18. The short title was agreed to. | ; At clause 1, Dr. Newman advised the 'Minister to withdraw his Bill, and during the year consult medical men and women, | and iigree upon some common line of action. < The Bill came as a bolt from the. blue on the people of the Dominion. It was hastily j drawn and in its administration, it would be found it was only the old C.I). Act under a new guise, and it would be found it would apply to only the female sex. The thoughtful women of the country were against the Bill, a.s evidenced by the meetings held all over the country, because it was harsh, lop. sided, and not well thought out, and in order to give time for further consideration he moved that progress be reported i .Mr Wilford said the Minister himself had moved 49 amendments to his own Bill, which . was the best- evidence that the measure was ' hastily drawn up, and that it required more ! mature consideration. He suggested that ■the Bill be referred to a special committee of the House, and approved of reporting pro--1 gross for that purpose. I Sir John Findlay said the elements o opposition to the Bill were so many and various, that he was bound to advise the Minister to report progress, in order to give him the opportunity to reconcile these con dieting elements. Unless legislation carried with it the force of public approval, it would simply become a dead letter. ! Mr Witty and the Hon. M. Rhodes favoured reporting progress, the former be cause tin; Bill wa.s crudely drawn, and the .hitter because members and tlie pub.|ic were not sufficiently educated on the question. ~.,. 'flu- Hon. Mr Russell denied tt.at the bill had been sprung on the people as a surprise, in view of the publicity given to the question last. year. He also denied that there was any more compulsion in his Bill than was already on the Statute Book. So far from this being the ca.se, his Bill provided greater safeguards for women, but it progress was reported, and the Bill was swept out of existence, then the compulsory powers, which were already on the Statute Book, but which had never been enforced, would be brought into force within a month, and it was for the House to say whether | they would have compulsion with safe guards to women or without it. While some j women were opposed to the Bill, the great majority were opposed to it, and most anxi : on., to set it in operation. He was not go , ing to sel up a false sense of security, bui | as a. matter of health, his policy was to

sweep the disease right, away. At 11 o'clock, the motion to report, progress was defeated on the voices, and tlio discussion on clause 1 proceeded, the vvcaltli of detail with which the clause was being canvassed indicating a certain amount, of organised opposition to tho Bill. No further progress was made until 12.30, when the Premier interposed. lie explained he was ti busv man, and could not possibly be rospon. sibfe for even clause in every Bill. ll l ' uus, however, convinced there was a large amount of support in tho House for the principle of this Bill, and as lie had other business to bring before members, ho suggested they should pass clause 1 and then report progress. But, ho made tho suggestion oulv on the understanding that the two contending parties should come together during the next few days, and come to a common understanding as to what should go on the Statute Book. He intended to stand bv the Bill and by tho Minister. But lie made the suggestion with the view of fiioiu fating progress. The Hon. Mr Russell said he would accept the suggestion, bill on tho understanding that if the compulsory clauses of tho Bill were struck out then the present law must stand and be enforced. If members would meet him on Tuesday morning he would be prepared to discuss the position with them. So long as he had the power io continue tho legislation now on. the Statute Book he. would bo satisfied. The discussion proceeded on tho former lines till 1 o'clock, when clause 1 was passed and the Minister moved to report proSALE OF LIQUOR RESTRICTION BILL. The Premier announced that the managers of the Legislative? Council and the House had come to au agreement on clauses la, 3a, 4a, and 4c of tho Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill, but not in rogurd to clauses •I<l and -le. lie movt-d that the Horn* agree with the firsl purl of the report, but re-

quested another conference with regard to clauses 4d, and 4c, the Hon. Mr -Mac-Donald Mr Witty. Mr Parr and the mover to be (he managers to confer with the Council. The House rose at 1.45. (FBOM OtJB PAnLIAMENTARY REPORT™.) WELLINGTON, Oct, 19. Sir .lames Allen was asked what were the offences for which certain soldiers had been sentenced to terms of imprisonment. lie replied the men were objectors to military service and had refused to obey the order to don lie- uniform. They were tried by court-martial and sentenced to eleven months imprisonment with hard labour for disobeying lawful orders. They would be conhned at country prisons and employed on road making, tree planting, etc. Some had been placed temporarily at Point Ilalswell prison, where they would be kept apart from other prisoners. Proposals were being formulated for a separate prison for all military offenders so that they might be entirely kept apart from the ordinary criminal class. Mr Myers stated that the Imperial authorities had declined to make an exception of soldiers' parcels in connection with the Pood Regulations. The prohibition seemed to be due to the scheme of rationing introduced by the Food Controller.