PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10116, 25 October 1917, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (Pin Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 24. The Legislative Council met at. 2.3 C pan. SI ’PERA XXU AT IOX. ilon. Mr Paul presented a petition from the Amalgamated Society of flail way Seivauts asking that they be heard in the piof.est against- superannuation postponement under the provisions of the War Legislation Amendment Bill. SHOPS AND OFFICES. The Council passed the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill, with a now clause providing that no girl or woman he employed m a restaurant alter 10.30 p.m. with v. iit|,on permission of the inspector of factories, who must be satisfied tli.it reasonable pro- \ ision is made for the employees sale ietnin home. Such permission is not to extend beyond midnight, or to be granted on more than thirty nights in the year. Loral Dills passed by the House, of Representative.- parsed their final stage.-. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ADULTERATION OF POLLARD. Tiie House met at 2.30 p.m. . . Replying to Mr Xosworthy, the Minister for 'Agriculture said that the Board of Trade Jiad received complaints regarding uie adulteration of pollard. Samples miu been obtained, and it was found that adulteration was going on. The Board of J ratio intended issuing" a Gazette notice on the subject, when tfie grade would be fixed. VEXER!•: M, DISEASE AMOXGST SOLDIERS. The Minister for Defence made a .statement. in which he cast doubts on _ 'be accuracy of certain allegations made in an article published in ft M eilinglou papei on tin* subject of venereal diseases among-t Xew Zealand soldiers in England. He admitted that there was a certain amount of disease amongst soldiers, but _ deprecated the publication oi such alarming a Hides without due enquiry as to the accuracy oi the statements contained therein. THE WASHING-UP BILL. The Reserves and other Lands Disposal (Washing-up) Bill was introduced _ I>> Governor’s message, and read a first time. The Premier slated that it contained 136 clauses. Mr Hind marsh moved that the amend mom-: made in the Shops and Ollices Bih by the Legislative Council be agreed to. "Mr Ell moved that the, amendments ingch bv the Legislative Council in trie Christchurch Milk Supply be agreed id as they were immaterial. The motions were adopted. Hon. Mr Fraser formally moved 'ln second reading of the State Supply of Electrical Energy Bill, explaining ihal it winpurely technical in nature. 4 lie Bill passer all its stages, after a brief discussion. I)EKEXT‘E EX 1 1 EXDITLI l E (DM .MISSION.' Replying to a ipteslion, A 1 r Massey saio ihal tme of the lir-l duties lo be underlaken by lie- I Jovcriiim nt early m Ihe recess would be the ,-i tting uj> of a commission to enquire into Defence, expcnditni'e. LAND LAWS AMENDMENT. Mr Massey moved tiie second reading ol the Land Laws Amendment Bill, which walking discussed t ih.e _ supper adjournment. Tint hccond reading was agreed to at 10.45 p.m., when the -Bill was taken in committee, and passed with the amendment moved by the Premier, It, was read a third time and passed. SOCIAL HYGIENE MEASURE. Tice House went into committee on tin. Social Hygiene Bill. Hon. Mr Russell i.r plained that the Bill had been remodelled a: ihc result of the conference, anti lie wuc.ro only ask the llou»c to pass those parts in U:e original measure, lie said that- up tc clause LO the Bill had been withdrawn, ana the 1 measure, as it,now stood, would not re peal the drastic portions of the Hospital Act, 1913, or the Prisoners’ Detention Act, vif 1915. lie claimed urgency tor the Dill. Mr V.TTfurd said that lie would oppose by all mean.-* in his power ilios? portions oi tin Bill which gave the Minister power to do in

regulation what the House ret used to permit- him to cl> by statute. .Sub-clause a and d of clause 16 must lie repealed bdort he would give hi- consent to tlie passage oi the Hill. Mr McCombs said that he thought Mi Wilford was drawing on Ida imagination in condemning regulations which were all right. As the result of subsequent arrangements, die Hill jias-vd all stages with minor amendments acceptable to all partie;. The House rone at 1.5. COST OF LIVING REPORT. (From Gun Special Reporter). WELLINGTON, Oct. 24. The amended report of the Cost of Living Committee was placed before the (louse ol Representatives yesterday by the chairman, Mr Stadium. The original report had been referred to the committee for re-considera-tion of a clause proposing to give a Food Controller authority to buy foodstuffs at their market value and sell them to the consumers at lower prices, and to charge the loss to the Consolidated Fund. Mr Statham said Unit the committee had deleted the proposal objected to by the House. It hail also modified its proposal as to the powers to be conferred upon a Food Controller, and the phrase “of plenary powers” had been deleted. The amended report- was accepted by the House without discussion. THE SCARLET SCOCRGE. Questioned in the House to-day regarding the reports of the prevalence of venereal disease among New Zealand soldiers. Sir dames Allen said that the reports were exaggerated, and that the Government, was active in the. matter, but he did not. altogether allow that uneasiness was caused by the very definite statement-- that New Zealanders are suffering more than Australians or Canadians from the red plague. LAND LAWS AMENDMENT. The Land Laws Amendment Hill, which '.makes technical amendments in the land system, was passed after several members had made an ineffective effort to insert clauses preventing land aggregation. THE “WASHING-UP” HILL. The annual Washing-up Hill was introduced. if is a bulky measure of 126 clauses, dealing with all sorts of subjects. Air Massey mentioned that he did not, intend to press any clauses objected to by members whose districts were affected. SOCIAL HYGIENE. Late to-irighf the Social Hygiene. Hill was] re-introduced in a much modified form, and) Jfon. Air Riir-sell explained that he had removed the propositions to which exception Jiad boon taken by members. The new Hill provided .that persons suffering from venereal disease should undergo treatment at the hauiL of a registered medical practitioner. It restricted the employment of persons suffering from venereal disease pro-j hihited treatment by quacks; makes it an I offence to infect any person with venereal j disease ; provides for the appointment of j Health patrols; require hospital rooms k>, be provided for the treatment of patients suffering from venereal disease, and gives the Minister power to make regulation-. Air Wilford protested against, the. Hill on the ground that the .Minister was reserving power to enact, by regulation, the piotisiojis. that: had been removed from the Bill.