PARLIAMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11250, 30 June 1922, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

TRIBUTES PASSED TO DECEASED LEGISLATORS SEVERAL PETITIONS PRESENTED T® HOUSE YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DECEASED LEGISLATORS APPRECIATION AND CONDOLENCES PAELIAMBNT’S REGRETS. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. FIRS? READINGS. The following bills were introduced and read a first time without discussion:—Mr Howard, Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill; Mr Fraser. Unemployed Workers Bill; Mr Fraser. Hotel and Restaurant and Private Hotol and Boardinghouse Employees' Six Hays a Week Bill; Mr Parry, Stone-quarries Amendment Bill. AMENDMENT TO IMPREST BILL. Mr H. E. Holland (chairman of the ■Labour Party) gave notice of his inten-i tion to move an amendment to the Ira- 1 Srest Supply Bill, which ie to bo brought own to-day. RESTORED TO CONSOLIDATED. The Prime Minister read a statement front the Secretary to the Treasury, that the sum of -£o00,0(J0, transferred from the Ordinary Revenue Account of the Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund on April 22nd, 1922, had been restored to the Consolidated Fund on May 31st. LATE MR EDWARD KELLETT "HE DID HIS DUTY." High tributes were paid in the House of Representatives yesterday by memtors of all political parties to the memory of tile late Mr Edward Kellett (Dunedin North). The Prime Minister (the Right ]Jon. W. F. Massey) moved that the House should place on record its high sense of the faithful services rendered to New Zealand by Mr Edward Kellett, and respectfully tender to his widow and family the assurance of its sincere sympathy with them in thedr bereavement. Mr Kellett, stated the Prime Minister, was bom in Dunedin in 1865, in the district which he afterwards represented in Parliament. He took an active interest in local affairs and was a member of several local bodies; also of the Otago Military Service Appeal Board •j nd War Reliof Association. He was olocted member for Dunedin North in December, 1919, and died on May 15thl last. Mr Massey did not think that: any member of the House: at the end of l ist session thought that, before the House met again Mr Kellett would have passed over to the great majority. But it was the unexpected that happened; and, after a painful illness, borne with u ecsirage and patience which were the admiration of his friends, he passed away Mr Kellett had taken a very important part in recruiting, not only in Dunedin, hut in the whole of the provincial district of Otago, and his influence was very widespread there. He could only say this of him that be did his duty to his country and to bis constituents to tire very best of his ability, and not one of them oould do more. Mt T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Op position) briefly seconded the resolution, heartily echoing the sentiments expressed by the Prime Minister and subscribing to all that he had said. He thought, however, flhat under all the circumstances, it would be fitting that he should leave rt to Mr Statham to make the Bpeeoh that he would otherwise have made as Leader of the Opp9sition. Mr C. E. Statham (Dunedin i Central) feelingly supported the resolution. Mr Kellett, he said, was his friend, faithful and true. As a citizen and a public man, he believed that he had always done what he considered to be right and just. He always did his best. He stood faithfully and loyally for his King and country, and for working oat under our present constitution the problems diat confront us. For him at the last death seemed to have no terrors; he seemed onllv to think of those he was leaving behind, and both Mr and Mrs Kellett very greatly appreciated the 'many kind messages they received from the members on all sides of the House during his last illness. The Hon. WJ- Downie Stewart (Dunedin West), Messrs T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South), J. W. Munro (Dunedin North), J. Horn (Waka/tipu), and H. E. Holland (Buller) also supported the motion. Mr Munro said that as one associated with the late Mr Kellett for many years in the trade union movoment, he realised, though he did not always agree with him politically, that Mr Kellett’s ideal was to leavo the world a little better l than he found it, and no man oould have a greater ideal than that. Mr Holland stated that he wished toj associate the Labour party and himself 1 , personally with the motion moved l by the Prime Minister. He was sure thut every member of the House regretted the death of Mr Kellett. The motion was carried in silence. HON. CAPTAIN BAILLIE, M.L-C. "FULL OF YB.AR3 AND HONOURS." The Prime Minister moved a similar! resolution with respect to the late Hon., Captain W. D. H. Baillio, M.L.C., who died in February last at the Hutt afci the ripe age of 95 years. ' Born in 1827, Captain Baillie joined the British Army and served many years iin India, taking part in the oampaign that put down the Indian Mutiny. He lafterwards came to New Zealand, settling in Marlborough, whore he became a, member of the Provincial Council and, ‘ the second superintendent of the pro-, , vince. He was appointed to the Legis-, , lative Council in 1861, and was for /twenty-three years consecutively Chairman of Committees of the House. He was the last surviving life member of the Legislative Council; and in all his publio services in New Zealand extended just over 61 years. He was a contemporary of the late Sir F. D. 'Bell (father of the present Attorney-General), Alfred Domett, Alfred' Saundera, Edward Stafford, Judge Arnold (afterwords Sir George Arnold), Sir Fred. K. Whittaker, and many others. Mentioning the names of these men, one oould not help thinking that New Zealand in the early days had' been very fortunate in its public men. They were men of vision, men who wore able to look forward. Captain Baillio had gone to liis rest full of years and honours. Mr Wilford, in seconding the motion, suggested that while there was vet time, a permanent record should be tnado of the life-stories of there oh l pioneers, the last of whom v-nre «o passing awav. Wn had lost in the lain Captain Bailie a fine onlccnist, a great citizen, and a man of undoubted worth Mr Tt. McCallum, AT.P., .in support pvt the motion, remarked that onl~ PMr P ( ,. fort Stout was nor lofr of aid'ttj.. t lators of the Pnr’inmenf op r-7~. o■ paid a high tribute to tin da-,'"—.-! The resolution was v"■■■■■ I to -d -u ■ I

ME ROBERT THOMPSON’ "VALUABIJD~SERVICE£>.'' A similar motion vras moved by t)lid Prcmior respecting the into Mr RolAerf Thompson, member for Marsden from 11:37 to 1892. Mi- Thompson, he aaicf, camt to N-env Zealand and .settled in' tJig Whangaroi district in iSVu. He diedl oil April Ist, -aged 82 years. He wod one of whom it could; be said that h# did his duty a,s a private citizen and £ public man. ; Mr Wilford endorsed the words of thd Prime Minister. He described M*j Thompson as a determined man of tutt compromising opinions. Mr F. Marsden said he felt the conn-* try had not done its duty by Mr Thomf** son in not putting him in the tTppof Chaml>er. He was a man who had doiu? good service to the north and' to the country generally. MR THOMAS PEACOCK IMPRINT ON~PUBLIC LIFE, Speaking - c f tlie late Mr Thomas cock, Mr Massey said lie was a man tvho had loft his imprint on the public Hfo of the country. JBoin in Glasgow in 1H37, he arrived in Auckland in 1862/ Ho look an active interest in the aifafr# of Auckland City, and was Mayof ill LB7B and 1879. Messrs Wilford and A. Harris alsfi spoke. The House then adjourned out of re* spect to the deceased. CLAIM FOR SALARY WIDOW OF DATE! NEWTOWN HEADMASTER PETITIONS PARLIAMENT. Mr R„ A. Wright (Wellington Subfttbt# presented to the House of Represents* tives yesterday the petition of Mrs Mary Bethune, widow of the late Mr Finlay Bethune, headmaster of the NewtowU Public School, Wellington, (praying iot redress. The petition set out that the date Mr* Bethune died on December 25th last during the eohool holidays, that the Wellington Education Board had paid hid salary up to and including December ?6th, but that when she made application to the hoard for payment of his salary up to and including February Oth, 192% that being the end of the holidays, during which he would not, had he lived, have been required to work, the board declined the application on the ground! that it had no legal power to pay any; further salary for any period after liie death. The petitioner claimed that her late husband had earned anil was entitled to the holiday on full pay up to February 6th, and stated that his service with the Wellington Education Board exceeded 35 years. She, therefore, prayed that she be granted the sum of d£6s 14s Id, the amount of his salary from December 26th to February 6th, and such other relist as the House might deem just.' A WELLINGTON BILL LOANS AND PRIVATE WATS. SUNDAY CHARGES AT THE ZOO. In the House o{ Representatives yesterday, Mr R. A. Wright gave notice of his intention to introduce the Wellington .City Empowering Act Amendment Bill. The bill is described as a measure to amend the Wellington City Trading Department’s Reserve Funds Act, 1917; to confer further power on the corporation and council of the city of Wellington in connection with the control end maintenance of private ways; to confer further powers in relation to street widening; to provide for certain payments on account of interest and sinking fund out of certain loans raised: by the corporation; and to authorise the council to jfix charges for admission to the Zoological Gardens on Sundays. ! One clause provides that persons having linterest in land on which the erection lof buildings is forbidden shall be entitled to full compensation. There is also a olause covering the question of i compensation for land taken under the Publio Works Act. The term “private way” is extended to include every private way in use at the time of the passing of this measure, even though such private way shall not have been consented to by the council. Nothing in the measure is to validate, authonse, or recognise any private way unless the council shall have applied the operation of the provisions of this part of the Act to such private way. Other portions give the council power to make private ways and charge the cost to those considered to be concerned. Provision for tho hearing of objections is included. . . There are special provisions relating to interest and sinking funds on loans aggregating j 81,708,916, authorised to 'bo raised by the council by a poll taken on September 15th, 1920. It is proposed to take authority to pay the first year s interest and sinking fund during the construction of several works for which the leans were authorised one year from the dnte when the money was first borrowed. Sinking funds on loans on which no .money has been borrowed are to run from the date of first borowing, and percentage contributions ore to be calculatied on moneys from time to time borrow!**Permission is sought to charge at the I Zoo on Sundays. The wording of the seeItion, it is proposed, will be: "Such bylaws may authorise charges to be made In Tespect of Zoological Gardens on any day, including Sundays."