IN AND ABOUT PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 2851, 20 June 1896, Page 3

IN AND ABOUT PARLIAMENT.

THIS HALF-HOLIDAY FOR DOMESTIC SERVANTS. Mi* J. W. Kelly’s Domestic Servants Halfholiday Bill proposes to enact that all domestic servants nhaUTiavo a half-holiday from 3 o’clock in the afternoon of one working day in each nook. Within the limits of cities, boroughs and tjwn districts the halfholiday fixed under the Shops and Shop Assistants Act shall bo tho day, and in all places outside it shall bo snch day na shall bo agreed upon. "Whore more than one domestic servant is employed, it shall bo competent for tho employer to fix tho day for tho holidays of tho various domestic servants. Tho penalty provided for a broach of tho Act is not to exceed J 35. By the schedule of tho Act domestic servants include housemaids, parlourmaids, kitchonmnids, cooks, general servants, waitresses, nuraogirls and houseassistants. ABOLISHING THE TOTALIZATOR. Xu his Totalizator Abolition Bill Mr Carnoll seeks to enact that tho totalisator shall bo hold to bo an instrument for gaming or wagering, and that the police may seize every such instrument and destroy it. Tho penalty for possessing a totalisator is to bo .£SO, or six months’ imprisonment. Tho Act is not to come into operation until one year after its passing. DIVORCE BILL. Under the Divorce Bill, introduced by Mr MoNnb, it is sought to provide that divorce may bo obtained on tho ground, of adultery, or desertion, or on tho ground that the respondent has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment or penal servitude for attempting to tuko tho life of tho petitioner. THE TWO TOURISTS WHO WERE ARRESTED. Messrs Henry Austin and Henry Mounsoy, of Sydney, are petitioning Parliament for Compensation for tho indignity they suffered by being arrested on tho unfounded charge of robbery from the Post Office at Rotorua. JOTTINGS. Numerously signed petitions in favour of the introduction of tho Irish Text Book into State schools wore presented by Messrs W. W. Tanner, 0. J. Smith, G. W. Russell and R. Meredith yesterday. “A party that is absolutely effete so far aa being a power in the polities of tho country,” is how Mr O. Wk liussoll speaks of the Opposition. Tho sale of tho Arowhonua estate, noar Temuka, has boon postponed ponding tho Assets .Realisation Board considering an offer from tho Land Purchase Board to purchase the property under tho Lands for Settlement *‘lb doesn't matter about politics, blacken one another’s characters,” says Mr Crowthor.