LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 6

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

STRAIGHT TALKING BY MEMBERS. The legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. A PHIVATE BILL Tho Field Divorce Bill (the object of which is to permit an Aslibnrton resident to petition the Supremo Court for divorce from liis wile; was read the first time. SESSIONAL COMMITTEES Tlic acting-loader of tho Council, the iron. J. McCiowan, Rave notice that next sitting day he would move the appointment of the usual sessional committees, lie said that at this juncture as little alteration as possible would be made in the committees, as further alterations would have to be made on the arrival of the Attorney-General. A DDRESS-LN-REPLY INTimESTTNG TOPICS TOUCHED UPON. The debate upon tho Address-in-Keply was resumed by tho Hon. J. Ban' (Canterbury), who said he agreed with tho mover as to the desirabiluj- of tho formation of some kind of council to deal with affairs of Empire. Ho regarded the reciprocity agreement between Canada and tho United States with some apprehension, thinking it pointed to the likelihood of tho annexation of the Dominion by her great neighbour. He was surprised at the objections to tho defence Koheruo raised in some quarters. Everyone who intended to stay in New Zealand should come under the training sehome. (Hear, hear.) Tho youth of New Zealand required more discipline and lie was only sorry that under the defence scheme they would not get all the discipline they should have. Tho National Provident Act of last session would never attain tho success it deserved until some improvements wore made, especially in the direction of reducing tho period which must elapse before benefits became payable. At present a contributor could get no benefits until he had been on the schemo for at least three months. That period might very well bo reduced to six weeks, or even one montn. I TI-TH DOMESTIC SEEV.ANT PROBLEM Ho noted that at a meeting held in Auckland to form a Domestic Servants' Union it had been stated that "hundreds of girls wcro out of employment- and were looking for work but could not get it." He did not know much about Auckland conditions, but if the statement were to be taken as referring also to Wellington, Christcnurch and Dunedin, ho could only say it was ridiculous nonsense. His .experience was that there was a very widespread call for domestic nelp._ It was generally a matter ior complaint that large families were very rare. Bringing girls out from lingland would not solve the domestic problem. This must begin in th-e schools by educating girls properly for tho duties that would devolve upon them in later life. He agreed that it was necessary to induce girls to come out hero for domestic service, but great care must bo taken to select only girls suitable for the conditions of life in- New Zealand. lajjoTjS~an"d THE ARBITRATION COURT. He differed from a previous speaker who had urged that Labour legislation had been going on too fast. Amendments of tho law were necessitated by the constant changes in conditions. A number of improvements were wanted now, notably in tho Shops and Offices Act and the Arbitration Act. In connection with the latter ho said that he did not think that the wholesale criticisms of the judge of lite Arbitration Court were justified. Neither did he think that it was in the best interests of eitlior masters or men that such criticisms should have been made. (Hear, hear.) He could not recaH any one instance in whiph the judge had gone beyond his powers. (Hear, hear.) Many of tho critics of the judge were really enemies of tho Arbitration Act and were criticising, not because of the attitude adopted by the judge, but because, in their own plirase. they were "up against tho Act." In this, unfortunately, they were playing into tho hands of many' (if the 'employers. There were many unions which could not exist at all were it not for the Act, and he believed it was in the best interests of the country that such people should bo allowed to organise. What was necessary to cut tho ground from under the critics of the judge was to strengthen tho conciliation parts of the Act and leave the court nothing to do but a very few items; in fact, as little as possible. (Hear, hear.) Tho time had come for a very radical cnange in the constitution of the court. The present system of representation should bb done away with altogether and in its place should T>e substituted something like tho system allowed In tho original Act. Instead of permanent members for all disputes, two experts should be appointed to sit with tho judge on any particular dispute. Such a plan would work much better now than in days past. There was room for some scheme for insurance against unemployment, but caro would have to bo taken not to make tho premiums too high. SOME DOMESTIC MATTERS. MEMBER OP LOWER. HOUSE TAKEN TO TASK. The Hon. J. E. JenMnson (Wellington) said he would like the council's attention to some "domestic" matters, first among which he would placo sorne remarks .made by the member for Wellington North, Mr Herdman, wten speaking at Wanganui the other evening. Mr Herdman had severely commented upon tho Legislative Council as at present constituted, saying that it was "a most extraordinary thing, the most wonderful in the world,*" "without equal . . . even in China," "neither useful nor ornamental." Really scurrilous remarks were also made by this man. He said that the Council "consisted of two sections, men in for life and men appointed for seven years. The life members . . . were admirablo gentlemen, wise and upright . . . but the other members . . . were bond-slaves, mado tho Legislative Council a silly superfluity and did exactly w-hat the Government wanted them to." Stuff like that, said Mr Jen Vinson, wa3 really not fit '.to be read in tho Legislative Council, it was not fit to bo uttered by a man who held tho position of M-P. It was not fit to be said in any^company of intelligent people. Tho Hon; J. McGowan: Do you not think yon are bringing yourself down by referring to it? "Perhaps I am making' a mistake in doing so," said Mr Jenkinson. It was quito a common, occurrence for the Legislative- Council to be decried, but fortunately it was not a common thing for a member of the House to descend to such depths as Mr Hordman had dono at Wanyanui. A WORD ON- RESIGNATIONS. Ho wanted also to refer to another domestic matter. Ho extremely regretted tho circumstances that, led to the resignation of tho Hon. T. K. Macdonald. lit wits a great pity, and he and others felt sorry that the Council had lost him. "But," added Mr Jenkin-=on, "if that example were followed by at least one ether member of tho Cormcil I think that tho majority. of us would: bo, very

pleased. I regret to have to say this, but 1 think that it is duo to the Council to mention it, e.-pe-cialiy as Mr Macdonald saw fit to resign his eeat. I don’t think there was anything to compel him to do c~o save his sense of tho dignity of tho Council, ami 1 certainly believe that many of tho councillors—" The Deputy Speaker; I am sorry to have to interrupt you, but I think that your remarks might bo construed ns a reflection upon a member of the Council. I will ask you not to purtmo tho subject any further. "1 will not do so,” said Mr Jenkinson, and ho passed to other subjects. The distribution of Coronation honours, in the main, met with lus approval, but he objected very strongly to the bestowal of a knighthood upon the Attorney* General. Ho wa,s commenting upon Sir John Findlay’s title when the Deputy Speaker pulled him up again for reflecting on a member of the Council. Mr Jenkinson said he would reserve his remarks upon this point until the Attorney-General returned. Dealing with tho Govomor’s speech, ho said it was a great pity that some definite forward policy had not been outlined. The debate was adjourned upon the motion of the Hon. W. Bcch-an (Auckland), and the Council rose at 4.30 p.m.