HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1802, 19 September 1906, Page 20

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

The House met at 2.30 p.m. SECOND READINGS. The following local hills were read a second time: —New Plymouth Borough and the Taranaki School Commissioners Exchange (Mr E. M. Smith), Havelock Athenaeum and Mechanics’ Institute Incorporation Act, 1877, Amendment (ME J. Allen), and the Waimunru Stream Drainage (Hon. Mr McNab). QUESTIONS. Two hours of the sitting were devoted to questions (to make up fer the loss of two hours of which members were deprived last "week through the financial debate). MARRIAGES VALIDATION. • Sir William Steward moved the second reading of the Marriages Validation Extension Bill, to amend the act of 1905 (which made valid marriages with deceased wife’s niece or deceased husband’s nephew prior to the passing of the act) by making valid such marriages that shall hereafter be contracted. The Hon. J. A. Millar said the hon. member had again brought forward a question which the House had declined to accept on a previous . occasion. There was too great a tendency to * widen the marriage ties, and he did not know where they would be before long. He had voted against the prhs ciple contained in this bill previously, and intended doing so again. Sir Joseph Ward: Who could be married under this bill if it become law ? Sir William Steward: A man could marry his deceased wife’s niece.

Sir Joseph Ward: What relation would she be to him ? (Laughter.) Sir William Steward: No relation. The hon. member is only chaffing. There is no physiological reason and no Scriptural reason why the bill should not be allowed to pass. The second reading was lost by 44 votes to 16. The House adjourned at 5.30.

The House resumed at 7.30. SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY. Mr Laurenson’s Saturday Universal Half-Holiday Bill was thrown out on the second reading. FA&RIERS. Mr Major moved the second reading of the Farriers Bill, requiring farriers to pass an examination to Qualify them to undertake farriery work.—Agreed to on the voices. LAMPS ON VEHICLES. Mr Major’s Lamps on Vehicles Bill, providing one law for the whole colony in regard to lamps on vehicles, failed to get its second reading by 30 votes to 17. NOXIOUS WEEDS. Mr R. McKenzie’s Noxious Weeds Act Amendment Bill (compelling local authorities to clear lands and roads under their control, provided that the weeds may not reasonably be supposed to have spread from an adjoining property) was committed. Mr Flatman was voted to the chair. Mr A. L. D. Fraser maintained that this was too serious a question to be handled by a private member. It should be in the hands of a Minister. The question was one of the largest affecting the North Island. How \vm;V: Crown and native lands stand under this hill ? A wrangle ensued on various points of order raised by Mr Wilford, which elicited from the/Premier the remark, “If you do this ’sort of thing we had better adjourn. This is not play business*, We have responsibilities here.” Tne chairman ruled that the bill did not deal with Crown or native land, and therefore that aspect of the question could not be discussed. Mr Wilford proceeded to criticise the clauses of the bill, and moved to amend clause 3 by striking out the words “other than the Minister” in the provision that “every local authority other than the Minister” shall clear lands and roads under its control. The Minister of Customs pointed out that if this was agreed to the responsibility of clearing the roads would he cast on the Crown under certain conditions. (Laughter.) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. The House met at 2.30 p.m. FIRST READING. The Divorce Act Amendment Bill, No. 2 (Mr Lauren sen), was read a first time. ESTIMATES. Consolidated Estimates were further considered. CLASS VI. Working Railways Department £1,750,000. Mr Wilford referred to the contract for the construction of twenty locomotives given to Price Brothers, Thames, at £3398 per engine, or a total expenditure of something like He did not wish to question the capacity of the contractors, hut urged that this work should be done in the railway workshops of the colony, and so keep the profits to the State. Messrs Hornsby, Wilford, Arnold, and others urged that men in the second division should receive more consideration, and their promotion to firstgrade rendered easier. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones, Minister of Railways, said he did not like the tone of certain speakers who indicated that great unrest was alleged to exist amongst railway employees). He had never found any railway man or other men afraid to come to him and give full expression to their grievances. Let them know any case in which an injustice Avas being done and he would take the whole responsibility and iguorp the General Manager or any of his officers. (Hear, hear.) All things being equal, men with the longei* service Aver ei first entitled to promotion. Mr Wilford: Whoso recommendation will you take? Hon. Mr Hall-Jones: The recommendation of the officer in charge of Hie work-shops, but I shall see every application put before me, and the report of the officer as to the length of service.

Mr Laurenson said this question of non-promotion .was the cautte of serious discontent. There were 7000 permanent hands in the service, a small minority of whom were employed in the first division. Last year only 31 were transferred to the first division. Meli in receipt of 7s <or 8a years ago were, after many years’ service, only receiving the same money, notwithstanding the fact that the cost of living had gone up enormously. Shunters, considering their dangerous occupation, the numbers mangled every year, shoulo, after* a few years be transferred to other branched of the service.

Mr Poland maintained that what was wanted was the breaking down of the harriers that now prevented the ’promotion of second division men. The present distinction was too great. The Hon. Mr Hall-Jones said his opinion was that any boy in the service should he able to rise to the highest position. (Hear, hear.) Chorus of voices: They can’t do that now.

Hon. Mr Hall-Jones: I was under the impression that it was so. (Voices: “No, no.”) In regard to shunters, he agreed that after a man had, been ten years at that work he should have a change. (Hear, hear.) The House adjourned at 5.30.

The House resumed at 7.30. THE ESTIMATES.

Mr Fisher represented to the Minister the necessity of providing a new railway station for .Wellington., the present being ante-diluvian and inferior to those at Palmerston North, Masterton, and other places. Mr Hogg complained of the want of footAvarmers on the Wellington-Waira-rapa trains.

The Minister for Railways said the member for Masterton Avould he pleased to knoAV that footwarmers had been ordered for the Wairarapa trains. (Hear, hears.) Mr Hogan, as an old railway servant, desired to represent the difficulties under Avhich IoAV-paid men Avorked. Last year it was flashed throughout the colony, just before the election, that a sum of £65,000 Avas to be distributed amongst men in the railway service. Yet abie-bodied men were not getting more than 5s a day. Before the State dictated to outside people it ought to set the example itself. The Minister replied that the payments were in accordance Avith the conditions. The employees come on as learners, and had to work their Avay up until they got full pay. The £65,000 increase in pay given last year to railway men had caused every other branch of the service to expect something similar to be done for it. The vote Avas passed unaltered. GLASS VII. Public buildings, domains, and roads, £64,437. This class Avas passed unaltered. GLASS VIII. Printing and Stationery Department, £41,888. This class Avas passed unaltered. GLASS IX. Stamps and Deeds' Department, £33,564. This also Avas pass unaltered. CLASS X. Native Department, £18,867. A long discussion took place on the inactivity of the Native Department, the small salaries paid to Native Land Court Judges, and the administration of the department generally. The Native Minister stated that the department had noAV been placed on a better footing, and he hoped for good results from the neAv era. Progress Avas reported on the motion of tho Premier, and the House rose at 12.15 a.m.