HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6362, 9 November 1907, Page 10

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8. The House mot at 2.30. . VARIOUS BILLS. 1 I The Hon. J. McGowan gave notice to ; introduce the Fisheries Conservation ! Act Amendment Bill .and the Mining {Act Amendment Bill. • | The Otago Presbyterian Church Board of Property Act Amendment Bill and the Parliamentary and Executive Titles - Bill were read a first time. POST AND TELEGRAPH. Sir Joseph Ward moved the second reading of the Post and Telegraph Claesi- | fication Bill. He explained that all the existing classifications of the Poet and Telegraph Department were repealed and the classes reduced from thirty-two to fourteen. This made the classification more compact, and provided for the 1 more rapia advancement of the men in the different grades than was the case before. It was proposed to increase the Secretary's salary from £BOO to ,£IOOO, the Government recognising the groat, development of the service, the revenue from which in the course of a few years would reach .£1,000,000. The Assistant-Secretary was raised from £7OO to .£BOO. The maximum of the clerical division, first-grade, was raised from £SOO to £6OO. under the classification a lad entering the service at sixteen years of age in twelve years could reach a maximum of £220. This would, he thought, act as an incentive to young people to join the service. In this respect considerable difficulty had been experienced in getting a ci?ncy of applicant® for appointment to the service. A young fellow, however, need not stop at the maximum: the pick of the brains of the service was required for the different branches, and it was quite possible for a young man with exceptional capacity to pass on to another grade without waiting for the full expiry of the twelve years. In regard to women employees, two grades were pro- 1 vided, from £l6O to £IBO, and from £l3O to £l5O. Junior letter-carriers, commeiio ing at £SO, could go up to £l7O by the time they were twenty-eight. The whole of thess increases the first year involved an additional expenditure of

£7OOO, and £3700 the second year. He had reason lo believe that what was proposed in this Bill met with the general acceptance of the service. Mr Massey said the lions© was perfectly willing to do justice to what was an important branch of the public service. He did not believe in in the public service. Messrs "Mm* Hornes, Jennings, Hornsby, Malcolm and Arnold expressed approval of the measure. In the course of debate pleas wore made for country postmistresses, who, it was alleged, at present received miserable pittances; and for linemen, who had to go out in all kinds of weather to repair the linos.

Tho Postmaster-General, in reply, said that under the classification provision was made for country who were in tho service of the «opartmont, but those who wore being rmid fees, of course, could not bo included, oocau&o they were not members of tho service. There was a general revision of the fees now going on, in order to seo whether improvements could bo effected. The Bill was read a second time on the voices. RAILWAYS CLASSIFICATION. Sir Joseph Ward moved tho second reading of the Government Railways Department Classification Bill. He deprecated the comparisons wliich had been mado with a view to showing that the classification In the post and telegraph soryice was better, from a monetary’ point of view, to the men in that service, than tho classification of tho railway service, and quoted figures at length proving that there was no basis for these statements. By inadvertence croesingkoepers in charge of important and busy crossings, blacksmiths on special engine' work, and steel moulders had been omitted from tho sixpence per day additional. Under 'this classification cadets who joined could reach a salary of £llO by tho time they attained the ago of twontytwo years. It would not bo very long before there was an income considerably over three millions from the railways. Apprentices* pay had been increased by sixpence per day, attaining to, the rate of 4e per day on entering-the fifth year, with full wages of 9s 6d a day on completion of apprenticeship. He thought those who wanted to be fair would recognise that a great deal in the way of improvement was proposed under this legislation for the railway employees throughout the country. Complaint had been made that the first division was worse off in some respects than men of the second division, but if all the privileges connected with that division were to be enjoyed there must be an equivalent in the way of work if special treatment was to be extended. The overtime, in addition to the increments provided for under the new classification, amounted to £27,000, by way of the shortening of hours, etc. Tho total increases provided for amounted to £84,772 per annum, and with overtime allowances, to £106,272 per annum. The former in*creases totalled £SO.OtX). He thought it would bo admitted that tho Government in submitting these proposals had endeavoured to bo fair.

Mr Massey hoped that the proposals would go a very Ibng way towards remedying the grievances of the men and placing matte™ on a more satisfactory footing than they had been for the last few- years.

Mr Wilford said for the first time this Bill dealt generously with apprentices. For the first time for many years men in the locomotive department got an increase of pay. While enginemen and firemen got an increase of 6d a day, cleaners got an increase up to Is a day, and he was pleased at the readjustment. He commended to the .Minister’s attention the rase of the iron-machinists and' blacksmiths. He congratulated the Government upon making tho railway labourers’ wages 8s minimum instead of fs 6d.

Mr Hornsby said an attempt had been ma de 'to grapple with a, big j question. There must, however, be something wrong in the service, when they found men so-king to. leave it in the way they were doing. He was glad to hear from the Premier that the question of lodging allowance-was. under consideration. The temporary 1 transfer system required remedying, for under it men were deprived of their lodging allowance. Tlie House adjourned at 5.30.

, EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. .RAILWAYS CLASSIFICATION., The debate was continued by Messrs Sidey, Hogg, Barclay, Lit, Bennet, Hogan, Hauan, and Ross. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, entered into 1 details regarding tho various representations, made in respect to particular branches of tho service. He said ho would be glad, to give consideration to tho representations' made during the course , of tho debate. Tho Bill was read a second time on the voices.! THE PUBLIC SERVICE. The Premier moved tho second reading of the Public Service Classification Bill, which, he said, provided the machinery; for bringing in a definite system of classification .of the officers of the dorvice outside post and telegraphs and .police, already provided tor. In regard to tho 15s travelling allowance, when' in committee they would require to amend this, as in some oases tos a day was necessary. , An lion, member: What about members of Parliament P The Premier: The decision arrived at is’ to fix 15s; the present rate of 10s is too low, when travelling to and from home, Mr Massey supported tne Bill. It contained the germs of an idea which on many occasions had been put forward by himself and other members of the Opposition. The Bill, however, scarcely effected the reform ho wanted in regard to making appointments to the public service. Me wished to see appointments made on merit and not tnrough political influence. .PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS. The Premier, in topiy, informed the House that when the Bill was in committee he would make a proposition which would remove the Civil Service from the influence of members of Parliament, by making it illegal for any member to make a recommendation in regard to tho promotion or- transfer of any officer. (Hear, hear.) Mr T. Mackenzie; Appointments ns well ?

The Premier: Tes, I am quit© agreeable to do that; because it will- be certainly better for the service, the country, and members of Parliament. (Hear, hear.) If that is done it will elevate the status of the service. Mr Massey: Do you agree to the Board making appointments? Tho Premier replied in the negative. It introduced another question altogether '—the placing of control outside tho authority of Parliament. -The Bill was road a second time on the voices. INFANT LIFE PROTECTION. The Infant Life Protection Act received from the Legislative Council was read a first time. PREVENTION OP MONOPOLIES. The House- went intb committee upon the Flour and Other Products Monopoly Prevention Bill. The Order-in-Council remitting duty piay be revoked not earlier than three months after it has been gazetted. Tho term had been altered to four months bv tho Commerce Commirtcc, but the original term was restored on the Premier's motion. The Bill was read a third time and passed. i'ACTOEIES ACT AMENDMENT. This Bill was read a second time upon tho motion of the Hon. «. A. Millar. Tho motion to commit tbo measure provided an opportunity for discussing the half-holiday question, some members advocating a referendum on the subject of the day upon which it should be observed. In committee the discussion was re-

newed on clause 9, a sub-clausc of which allows the factory and shop half-holi* days to bo observed on tho same day where a chop and factory aro combined, in boroughs having a population of Ick* than 5000.

un the Minister’s motion 8000 was sulv for 5000 and an addition made tfiar the section should not apply to establishments where the number employed in tho shop is greater than tho number employed iu the factory, nor to boroughs within combined districts. The Bill was reported with amend* ments, and passed its final stage. The House rose at l.*u . a.xa.