PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16675, 20 October 1917, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL.

OPPOSITION TO MEASURE. [by TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

, - ' ;■;'",. WELLINGTON, Friday, ■ Tot Houso of Representatives mot at 2.30.. , Replying to a'' question, the Primo •L Minister ■ said .ho had : : rcceivod a; number i of' complaints rogdi-diiig t the want of com- . munity of intoreits in connection with , the new electoral boundaries, but the posi- : tion was not sufficiently emphasised to i warrant tho Goveniaiont introducing legiii- ; lallon.on the/'suoject.! this V Bossion, .; if i boundary , commis3ioners. through their > chairman, expressed the opinion that some i legislationv was necessary, that opinion ,'• could .bo considered, and legislation intro- • duced next session. I Tho State Supply Electrical Energy Bill ' was "; introduced by V Governor's Mossago, ' and read a first time. !;. ; ; '; . In.reply ,to a question, - tho Minister 1 for'r Defonco stated that proposals aro now i being . formulated for the establishment ; of a soparato prison for all military'offenders, so that these may Jbe kept apart from the ordinary criminal class. The House went; into Committee on tho : Socia]iHygioneV]Mll,i ; ;Tho'Hon;-R.--H.. Rhodes (-llosmero) moved , that . the, title ; should bo'. Vonereal ■' Diseases . Bill." '■ ■•' Ho . said an '; honest*'effort to : bnttlo with ' the problem "'was being mado, and; he ) thought '■ it better to adopt a straightforward title. Mr. R. McCallum t, wairau) supported '--. thb';''am'6ndm'oht.'' : "3 t 's:'"','.X^; ; -. ,;.; : ; ' i •; The; Hon. G. W. Russell said he would noj, accept tho amendment. The title had ; boon' carefully .selected, The Bill not ,-' cuily dealt with"; health,' but doalt with .it . from tho '■ social' point of view, and that to a very remarkable extent. ■ ,1. After ;an -; hour's discussion, tho amendt ment'was rejected bv 35 voti»s ; to 18.' : '• ; Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East)' advised 'the Minister to ..withdraw his ! 'Bill, and. during the year consult, the :• ' medical profession. ; The •> Bill > was' hastily ; drawn, : and in its administration:it would I be found that it would apply only to;the' female sex. Thoughtful women of the country , wero opposed to the Bill, because it was harsh and ' lopsided. ,;! In order to ( givo timo for - further .'consideration he moved to report progress. •' " \~; "; Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) said the Minister .himself had moved 49 amend- [ ments: to his own Bill, whichr was the best evidence that the measure had been hastily drawn,, and that it required more mature consideration. .; r - ::.' _ - Sir John Findlay (Hawko's ; Bay) said ; the elements of -opposition'; to ■ the : Bill were so*: many ] and ; various that : ho was bound; to advise the Minister to report progress. v: .■ -■■■ ' . Mr. Russell ; denied '. that \ the Bill had taken the people by surprise. .. Ho also denied thoro was any moro compulsion in his Bill than' was already on tho Statute Book. If progress was reported and the Bill swept out of existence, then compulsory. powers which , we: e'already! on the Statute Book/but had never,been enforced, would be brought v; into - force ; ' within:; a month. >Tho ' groat .majority .of ; women \ were favourable to ;; the Bill and , anxious to see it in operation.. . The motion . to ■ report Progress was defeated on the voices, and a long discussion on clause 1 ensued. , At 12.30 the Premier interposed. He suggested, that they ; should : pass clause 1 j and then report progress, but he'maa e the suggestion only on the; understanding that tho ; two contending } parties should = coma together; during , the; next few days and corne r to : common , understanding • as ■to what should go. on ' the Statute Book. He intended ■ to 'stand by; the Bill and by I thi) • Minister, but he made ,the' suggestion with I a view to facilitating progress, .*■•'■ ' Tho Hon. 0. W. Russell' said he would i accept the suggestion/ but on the under-1 •tending that if the compulsory clauses! of the Bill were struck 5 out- then the pres- j ■ ent law. must stand and bo enforced. ;.;.'.:•'■' | : ' ;T At 1 a.m. clause 1 was passed and pro- 1 gross 'was reported. : , • ■J.i .'■ The Prime Minister announced; that the ' managers appointed ■:by- the Legislative! ! : Council and . the ; House had come 'to an -.1 agreement on clauses.lA, 3A. 4A, and 40 ; of the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill but ! h not in regard to clauses 4D and 4E,' con- ; 1 cerning.Uhe question of persons found or; I - licensed ;: premises i when closed, ; and > the ■ i definition, of licensed premises. He moved !i that the House agree with'the first part of 11 tho report, but request another confer- 1 ence : with regard '.:to clauses 4D' and 4E' ' j the * Hon.; : ; W.;;! D. -,; S. » Mac Donald !' and * i .Messrs. ;G. W. Witty, C. J. Parr, : and !-i tho mover to be managers to confer with I) tho.Council. The motion was accented, and tho'Hoiiset rose at 1.15 a.m. "!\ ,■;■,. ] ■;.'-'" ■ ■■'''.. : i ' LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. • ! [fIT TELBQRAPH. —TRESS ASSOCIATION. 1 :••.--. ... • .".-■.- ~' ■ -. . , ... ~ ] WELLINGTON. Friday, y, 1 Ths Legislative Council resnmed to-day.' ( The Shops and Offices Bill and the Hutt '■ Road Amendment Bill were read a second I * time. ;; ; ;-:! ; .■>'.-'., ■*:" ; -...;, t >>'-... : .-. ; .-.= ] h