LEGISLATURE IN SESSION

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12196, 22 July 1925, Page 8

LEGISLATURE IN SESSION

PENSIONS REPORT BEFORE THE HOUSE CHILD WELFARE BILL SIR JAMES PARR’S MEASURE DISCUSSED

The annual report of the Pensions Department was laid on the table of the House of Representatives yesterday by the Hon. 'G. J. Anderson. The following table shows the pensions in force in the last two years and their annual

The gross payments in 1923-4 were £2.417.643 (£1 17s 4d per head!, and in 1924-25 were £2,408,598 (£1 16s 4d'per head). ' • A summary of the annual liability at March 31st, 1925, gives the following : Number An- Aver-

THE MINISTER’S VIEWS The Hon. Mr Anderson made a plea for more uniform pensions. He did not think it was' right to have three .pensions. If they were to have uniformity they must limit it to one pension. That was what he wanted done, and if it had been done he would have had sufficient money, to put the half-crown over the whole of the old age pension. He referred to the great work the Reform Government had down in regard to pensions. The present system was, however, no doubt more or less patchwork, but ho did not think there was any way in which it could be altered other than the way he bail suggested. An outline of it would be given to the House later in the session. -Mr Holland: In the form of a hill? Mr Anderson: I don’t think I will put it in the form of a bill. I will state the cost and principles, and let the electors say whether they are prepared to vote for a bill, because it is going to cost a lot of money. The Secretary of Pensions has got the scheme as far as the financial side of it is concerned fixed, and this country owes a debt ol gratitude to him for the care and interest he has taken in the matter of pensions. He has looked after the interests of the pensioners, and also of the taxpayers of the country. As to discretionary power in the granting of pensions he did not think the secretary for pensions would care about it, nor would any magistrate. There wa4 discretionary power left to the Minister under clause 13 of the Act, but only after it had been left to the magistrate. He had had to disagree with the magistrate in one case, and in one ease only as a' general rute he did not think discretion should be given at all in case of pensions. The House should take the responsibility of what it thought a fair thing. In regard to reciprocity there were difficulties. They had had an Act on the Statute Book for twelve years which was to enable Australians coming to New Zealand to obtain the pension, but the Australian Government would never have anything to do with it. Mr Parry: The Labour Government, I suppose? Mr Anderson: The Labour Government and other Governments, too. A Labour member: Queensland would. Mr Anderson: No, I don’t think so. The reason, added the Minister, was not far to seek. It was the difficulty ol adjusting pensions. For instance, people came from the Old Country. Was it our pension that they were to bo paid? Who was to pay? Were we to pay, or was it the Home Government that had to pay? , Mr Wilford: We are to pay. Mr Anderson: Then there are these people coming in over the age, and are we to pay pensions to them the moment they come into the country? t Ax hon. member* Not many. Mr Anderson: Yes, hundreds of them.

CHILD WELFARE The Hon. Sir James Parr moved the second readiVig of the Child Welfare Bill. He said, that two things were necessary, one to give an appropriate name to the undertaking of the special schools branch; and secondly, to provide a children’s court. At present they had reception homes to which the children were taken in the first instance. Normal children were boarded out from these, incorrigible children had to go to tho training farms. But these homes were more; they were bureaus ol information and guidance. They did not go oiit seeking these childron: it was the duty of the parents to keep them if they could. But often the services of tho probation officer were asked and he would have half-an-hour’a talk with the boy. Often the. boy would give no further trouble. And he thought that some of the most valuable service of the department to the community were of a preventive and not of a punitive nature. They wanted to give' both i.oys and gills a fair chance and to prevent cases from reaching the courts

at all. And in 90 per cent, of . the cases they did not. He paid a tribute to the manner in which the department worked, and to the type of officers they had. The 3300 children in the homes represented a great responsibility, and were being very well cared for. Ho had sent out an officer to make surprise visits to 100 homes, and she had reported that the treatment which the children reoeived was excellent. For the purposes of the Bill they were interested in subnormal children vho dame under the department and were decidedly feeble-minded, but ~ quite able to receive the benefits of education. They had 200 of these children at one institution, and they were taught husbandry, care of animals and farm work. Husbandry, they found, appealed to them particularly.' As for the non-educable child the report on mental defectives recommended the constitution of a board to deal with them and this should be under the mental hospitals branch. So long as the child was educable it remained the charge of the education department. Every possible effort was made to reclaim delinquent children before they reached the incorrigible stage, and with 99 per cent, of the cases they were successful. In the other eases the children were sent to the Weraroa Training Farm. There were about 100 children there now. and their ages ranged upwards from 12 to 14 years. They were mostly adolescents. Even here they were able to get 90 per cent of recoveries. That was to gay 90 per cent, of the children, on being sent out into the world did not come Pack again.

The procedure in dealing with these children was the same ha with others. A policeman was sent after them and they were brought, before a . magistrate. Thte cases were taken into his room; but unfortunately there was no waiting-room at these courts, the children were put in with the other prisoners, and it was impossible to keep them from contact with the police court. And the further they could keep them from the police court the better. The newer cases might he dealt with in the probation officer’s room. They had no lack of suitable magistrates for the work. As for the women, referees they wanted experienced women for the work, and she would sit upon the bench with the magistrate. Tho decision would be the decision reached jointly by the two, although the magistrate would have the privilege of delivering it. The city mother, mentioned by Mr Wilford, was Found only in California, and he was fold that this state was not amongst the most advanced in the ■matter of children’s legislation. In New Zealand they used their probation officers for. much the same purposes. , Children did not go into the Magistrate’s Court nowadays.’ said Mr T. M Wilford. He, would' advocate that the cases should he dealt with bv women as well. The women here had had the franchise in the ’nineties, and no woman had yet sat m that CNiamher.. America was 100 years ahead in thVse matters, and he hoped that the Dominion would follow. He believed that there were many cases in which women were the ohlv possible judges. v Mr H. E. Holland (Bnll.er) advocated that the justice, of peace should not he permitted to bear one of these cases unless thev were specially trained men. He advocated the abolition of the word “sentence” in children’s courts. He hoped also that the name would he changed from “children’s courts” in favour of something else. Bovs and girls who went through the institution; should not be reckoned cjirnna the Dominion’s crime said Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne). The Bill* was read a second time and referred to the Education Committee.

LOCAL LEGISLATION The Local Legislation Bill has been introduced by the Hon- R. F. Bollard. The object of this Bill is to provide- a method by which ratepayers and all other persons interested may have full prior information both as to the purpose of proposed minor local legislation and as to the actual legislative method by which effect is to he given to such proposals. The prooess adopted in recent years ( by which a mass of minor local legislation is collated and passed by Parliament at the end of each session in the Reserves and other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act. has been substituted for the method of former years under which each local authority proposing legislation was reouired to promote a separate local Bill dealing with its own subject-matter, in which case the Standing Orders of both Houses provided for ample public information by advertisement and the deposit of the Bill in the locality affected. It liaa been found in practice that during the session, and especially towards the end of! the session, demand is made for the insertion in the Reserves and other Lands Disp©al and Public Bodies Empowering Bill of an extraordinary number of clauses, each dealing with an independent subjectmatter, which are presented to Parliament in one or more masses at m time of the session when it is impossible that each clause should receive careful consideration . bv a special committee, and when Parliament itself is forced to rely largely .upon the responsibility of the Government which has accepted the clauses for insertion in the Bill. By the present method it is intended to obviate the prooess. which has been tested and found unsatisfactory, partly because of the jyant of reference to a special committee with full time and opportunity for consideration of the effect and details of each proposed clause, party because members of Parliament have not themselves sufficient opportunity to consider each clause in all its aspects, and partly because the ratepayers and persons in the locality affected have, in many cases no notice of the intention of a clause, and. *even when they have knowledge of, the intention, have no notice of the language in which that intention is to bo carried into effect. Under the present. Bill a local authoritv desiring specific empowering legislation oil its behalf is required to submit its proposals in a concrete form to the Minister for Internal Affairs for consideration by the Government. Tf the Minister is satisfied that the pro posal is one which should properly he submitted to Parliament he publishes in the “Gazette”, a notice to that effect, together with n copy of the clause, thus enabling all persons locally interested in the jiroposed legislation to become aeouninted -with the proposals for a sufficient -time before Parliament deals with the subject, and also enabling objectors to present any

objections for consideration by a\ committee of Parliament. A fut-her object is to enable members of Parliament, and any special committee appointed by either House of Parliament to deal with local legislation, to have the exact details of the proposed legislation in their hands. Due provision is thus made for, full consideration by the departments of Government, and for full notice to the public, before Parliament is called upon to consider the advisability or otherwise of passing the legislation. It is desired to emphasise the fact that under the process which has been followed for many years the responsibility for such legislation has been practically thrown upon the Governjttmt, which promotes as a Government measure■ the Reserves and other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empower ing Bill in. each session. Under the present Bill the Government assumes the same responsibility for departmental inquiry, and investigation before the submission to Parliament of a local proposal, but ensures to the public and to Parliament the full opportunity (which is -wanting under the present method) of consideration of, and, if necessary, objection to. the proposal before its finaPcoufirfnntion by '• Parliament.

PIG IRON BOUNTY The , Iron and Steel industries Amendment Bill, which increases the rate of bounty for pijriro.n. was put through committee without ame»d ment, read a third time, and passed

tin, £261 6s 3d and £263 16s 3d; silver, standard 32d, fine 34£d. - - DAIRY produce BUTTER MARKET FIRM. ; Messrs Joseph Nathan, and Company, Ltd., have received the" following cablegram from their’ London house, dated July 20th, 1925:—“New Zealand butter, 1945; market firm!."’ KABBITSKW SALE RECORD PRICES SECURED I SUPER-BLACKS tOBd PER LB. The third sale pf rabbftskins wap held in Wellington yesterday, when a good catalogue of all grades web offered. The southern and* local buyers, were well represented, and competition'' was ' very keen., As compared , with last sale, in ■June, prices were fully,'3d to 10d per lb. better for good winter skins. The top, grades were eagerly sought : alter, ana, Dalftetv • and Company secured 'the . remarkable price ofilo2d per lb for a line of super blacks, which must be a record for the Dominion sales this season. Su, per winter bucks brought 97d. per lb, and super winter does 96Jd. Trappers are advised to forward skins to sales as early as possible and secure the present high prices ruling. If top prices are desired, careful stretching is absolutely necessary; also the skins must be thoroughly fatted. The following is the range of prices : Runners and suokers, 28!a per lb/ summers 33)d, prime racks 403 d, light racks 36d, heavy racks 364 d, milky does 45id, early autumns 52d, late autumns 65d, autumns 65d, incomipg winters 79d, early winters 86d, first winter bucks 90id. first winter does 90id, super winter bucks 97d, super winter does 96id, winters 76d, winters’ (spotted) 65d, early winter spotted 63d, incoming winter spotted 594 d, autumns (spotted) 55Jd, late autumn spotted 55d, outgoing 56d, super blacks 102 d, winter blacks 94d, early and incoming winter blacks 72d, winter B.S. 65id, winter broken 61)d, springs 45d; hareskins 48i'd. _d___ CANTERBURY MARKETS FURTHER RISE IN POTATOES. Ter Press Association.' , CHRISTCHURCH, July 21. The potato market has taken a further jump, values appreciating over week-ehd by £1 a ton, and farmers who are prepared to accept the price, have been receiving £6 a ton on trucks, but a big proportion of growers hold the idea that values have not yet reached their peak. The Sydney market is having a rather unsettling effect on their ideas, but the scarcity in Auckland has been the, main factor in sending the market up. Some consignments on the Katoa, which left yesterday, were sold at £8 a ton f.o.b.s.i. This vessel, took only 2500 sacks from Lyttelton, but Including Timaru anil Oamaru shipments, a total of about.ll.ooo sooks went forward. The Katoa is understood to bo calling at a wayside port and will probably reach Auckland about the week end. The Waihora sails from Lvttelton on Thursday and,the Wingatui about the week-end. To-day’s f.o.b.s.i. price is £7 10s to £7 12s 6d a ton, with an easing tendency . . . Oats are weak and buyers are difficult to find at 4s f.o.b.s.i. for B’s and 4s 4d for A’s. / Prices to farmers ,are, 3s 3d and 3s 6d respectively. Shipments of Algerians are still going steadily north, values to farmers being, 2s 6d to 2s 9d. Perennial ryegrass has been sold at 6s f.0.b.5.i.. Bluff, for 27-281 b seed. Them is not the usual demand for Canterbury light perennial. Cowgrass is selling at 120 s per cwt for machine dressed, and values to farmers are Pd to lOd. with not much offering. Cocksfoot is worth lid. machine dressed. , CUSTOMS REVENUE. The Customs revenue received at the port of Wellington yesterday aggregated £3009. S. George Nathan) and Co.. Cus.tomliuuso qun.v, Wellington, -Chief- City' Airents for Phoenix Assurance Co.. Ltd.. 235. Lambton quay.—Advt.

At March 31et, 1924. At March 31st, 1925. Close of Pension. Number. Annual Value. Number. Annual Value. 28 £ War 23,166 1,213,126 21,318 1,140,168 Old-ace 21,468 780,664 22,062 850,795 Widows’ 3,526 209,739 3,598 281,141 Maori War 589 28,861 519 25,431 Miners* 586 36,634 607 37,934 Epidemic 457 25,886 365 16,226 Boer War 72 3,100 69 2,949 Sundry pensions & annuities 93 7,891 102 10,380 Civil Service Act, 1908 74 19,702 67 17,776 Blind — 114 4,485 J. Totals ,£50,025 2,325,603 48,821 2,387,285 0 "3 > -

Class of pensions of pensions nual age value p’sions Soldiers (permanent) 7,58& £ 367,871 £ 58 Soldiers (temporary) 5,251, 309,441 59 Dependants a of disabled soldiers 716 57,984 81 Widows (without children) 585 51,327 88 Widows (with "child817 127,774 156 Other dependants of deceased soldiers— Parents 5,644 198,798 35 Other adult dependants 161 5,746 36 Guardians of children 561 21,227 37 ' Totals, etc. 21,818 1,140,168 53