GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13387, 13 September 1905, Page 6

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COIJNCIL.

TUESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 12, , Tho Oounoil-mot nt-2.30 p.m. VALIDATING:.'MARRIAGES.

■Tlio Hon.-G. JONES t moved to rooommit tlio Marriago Validation Bill to amend tho clause validating ' marriages between any person arid" his ■ deceased wife's nieco ov botwoon any potson and hor decoasod's husband's, nephew. 'which -has horctoforo been contracted by adding the words "or may horoafter" bo contracted.—Tho motion was lost by 16 to 10, and tho third reading carried by 17 to 9. SHIPPING AND- SEAMEN'S BILL. Tho Shipping' and Soamen Act Amendment Bill /passed;'its final stages. ' LOCAL BILLS. Tho Mastertori Trust Lands Trust Empoworihg Bill was read a sccond timo. Tho Oamaru Voluntcor Drillshed Sito -Bill was reported from' commiltoo with amendments. The Council rose at 4.10 p.m. ' HOUSE OP'R'ICPRESENTATIVES ' TUESDAY;, SEPTEMBER.-12. ; Tho House mot.at' 2.30.p.m. , ; 1 PETITIONS. ' - ' Messrs Taylor,. Fisher, Ell, and Lauronsoii presented so'yoral petitions asking for a full publio inquiry into tho vouchor case. FIRST READING. The Education, Act Amendment Bill and Lincoln Collego Reserves Bill woro. introduced by Governor's Mcssago and read a um time. SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL. Tlio amendments already mado in cominittco in the Shops, and Offices Bill were ■tgreed to on the voiccs, and it was agreed to recommit the bill to reconsider clause 3ti and other proposed-, amendments.

Mr BAUME moved to recommit to conudcr an amendment to section 4 of the u'incipal act, allowing overtime for stockaking to bo worked, on 40' instead of 30 lays in any ono year and without tho :pre■iou's written tonsont of tho inspector.— Phis', was opposed by tho PREMIER,' and ost by 31 to 16 Mr MASSEY moved to recommit to conidcr an amendment exempting fruiterers 'rom tho operations of -tho bill, except that irovision which limits tlio hours of. shop tssistants.—This was lost 36 to 15. Tho bill was then recommitted.

Tho first clause dealt with was 3a, dealing with the employment of shop assistints.—Mr KIRKBIIIDE moved that portion of tho clauso, be struck out. He irgucd that country storekeepers' would bo wvcroly handicapped by being unable ..'to linploy their assistants more tlmn's2 hours a wool;.—Mr SEDDON ' opposed tho notion. The clauso, lie said, was only iperat-ivo unless shonkoepers camo to an urangoment as to the.hours of closing tnder section 21 of the principal act.—' Mr ELL objected to anyone who did not imploy labour being, given an advantage iver a man who did emoloy labour.—Mr BARBER urged that the House should not take any connse which would unduly intor"ero with peoplo who woro endeavouring •gainst odds io earn a living.—lll tli» 'ourso of considerable, discussion Mr TAYr.OU said the timo must como when !ho '•Touso would havo to leave tlio oneslion if closing bourn to a. tribunal outside Par'iament. —Mr BAUME agreed that Parliament was not the proper body to regulate "ho hours of vnrinui occupations carrying w under varying conditions.—Mr ELT. -■lid it looked as if Parliament was nre•uretl to go back nil tho labour lesrjlation if tho past.—Mr B.ATJME retorted that ho 'id not think llicro was a single mombor if tho House who wanted lo negative the 'abour lcfi'lation of past years.—Mr HOGG ureed lh«t tho consumer, navtieu'arlv of the working class, was entitled (o -onie considornlion in (lying tho hours of "lo=inc of rot-j.il places. Tho House roso at 5.30.

EVENING SITTING. Tho llouso resumed at 7.30 in committee 'THE SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL. - On tho motion of 111- KIRKBRIDE subcction 3 of clauso 3a was struck out by !? votos lo 25. This subsection provided 'hat a shop assistant shall not bo employed in any shop after 6 o'clock in. the evening f none of tlio trades mentioned in tho Irst and sccond schedules is carricd 011 'herein—viz., bakors,. booksellers, butchers, 'hernials, confectioners' fishmongers, f ruitoroi'3, dairy nroducfi sellers,- florists, hairdressers tobacconists, pork butchers, refreshment-room keepers.

Tho following is tho division list :—

For, Mr Kirkbridc's Amendment (27).—Messrs Aitlcen,. Barber, Baumc, IJcnnet, Bolliu-d, Uuclianan. Field. Hall, Hawkins, Hcrdmaii, Homes, Ilcgg Houston, Jomiing.s, lurkbride, I'/ang, I.etiibridge. Mander, Jfcsoy, il'Lachlan, Keid, lthodes, lti'ithecford, Symes, J. C. Thomson, J. W. Thomson.

Against the Amendment (23).—Messrs Carroll, Colvin, Davcy, Duncan, Ell, Fisher, Graham, Guinness, Hall-Jones Kidd, Laurenson, Lawry, M'Gowan, It. 31'Kcnzie, Mills, Parata, S-eddoji, Sidey, Smith, Steward, Tanner, Taylor, Ward, Wi'.ford, Wood. In placo of tho subscction struck out on Mr ' Kirkbridc's motion, tho PREMIER moved a new subscction lo make 6 p.m. employment of shop assistants apply to tho shops contemplated in tho struck-out subsection only in tlio enso of combined districts. He also moved a now subsection to establish the 3 p.m. employment of shop assistants in similar shops outside of combined districts.—Mr MILLAR said he would sooner sco the bill thrown out altogether than have it passed in tho form it now was. By carrying Mr Kirkbridc's amendment tho Houso bad swopt away llio safeguards eortain shop assistants, had enjoyed for years post. In tho interests of thousands of workers throughout tlio colony ho asked the House to agree to the now subsections proposed by tlio Premier.—Mr BARBER urged that tliero should not bo special legislation for tho four cities, and that tho provisions of-tho bill should apply to tho whole colony.—Mr HOGG objected to tho apparent attempt, to bring tho country shopkeepers into the samo tronblo as tho city shopkeepers had been in.—Mr BAUME saw no reason for differentiation between combined districts and other places. Why, ho asked, should towns like Timaru, Invercargill, Napier, and Wangantii bo exempt? After further discussion Mr SEDDON said if the committee continued to waste timo over tho bill ho would bo forced to report nropress and leave the law as it wag.—Mr TAYLOR succrosted that this bill should bo dropped, and in its place a bill of ono clauco should be brought down containing tchedulo oxomptions to clauso 3 of last year's act. If that were dono ho ventured to assert that the shops ahd oflicos law would stand for manv years to comc.—Mr EUDDO mado a similar suggestion.—After further discussion (Mr SEDDON withdrew tho two subsections ho had proposed and moved the following new provision: --Subject lo tho provisions of any requisition gazetted under soot ion 21 of Mio principal act, and if within three months after tho passing of this act no resolution shall bo carried as provided in the said section, a shop assistant. shall not bo employed in -anv trade other f.han tlioso mentioned in the first and second schedules hereto after It o'clock in tlio evening on one working day in-each week or 7 o'clock Ml ;on»ioothor working days.-rMr .DA.VEY thought it was vory unfair to the shop assistants io work nil hour lonfer -than they, h»<l been doing hith«rk>. V He moved to'strike out "7 o'clock" in-.t.he Premier's new proven, with a view to-insert-in? oVloek."—Mr WILFORD urged that all that was required was to repeal clause 3 "of last year's act. At 10.30 Mr ELL moved to'report progress on the ground that the House was in no mood to deal'seriously-with-the bill—Mr SEDDON intimated' - that unless tho bill went through that night he would'drop it. If the bill were roieoted and' dropped he woukl not trouble the House with another bill this session.—Mr ELL then withdrew his motion to report progves;.—Mr SEDDON suggested that the words "in any combined'' district be inserted m his proviso after the word employed," and at his invitation Mr Fisher moved tn that direction.-Eventuallv' botJi Messrs Davey's and Fisher's amendmenta were agreed to, and the Premier's proviso as amended was added to the clause. I ho whole clause 3a as'amended was then put. and carried by 42 votes to 23, Clauso 4b, dealing with ovcrthno. in ex- 1 cepted offices, was amended technically in' order to'give effect to'tho amendments previously made.-Mr-BAUME, on advice from the Auckland Chamber' of Commcrcc, ob*

jeoM to.tho clause a 9 a whole, and oil a division it was retained, by W to 16.— Mr TANNER then proposed to amend section 8 of'tho principal act by providing that tho combined- districts should consist of borougla .'.'adjoining" tho four oontros instead of; boroughswithin a mile" of tho contres, as at present.—Lost on tho voicos. ,Sir W. J. STEWARD moved to includo Empire Day in tho list of statutory holidays. Loot by 32 lo 24.—Mr SEDDON-niovou a. new daijfo providing that.no femata assistant under 21 yearj of ago shall bo employed in any shop after 9 p.m.-.Mr BARBER moved to add at tho end of the clause the S'S£™c. oxoept; , on 'Saturdays," and Mr RHODES moved to add "exoopt on Christmas and Now Tear's . Eve."-Both these amendments were agreed to on tho voices.—' Mr MANDER.moved to acid tho following;: rrovidcd that this olausc 6hall not apply to t.ho > ivi/o or member of tho oecupior's family. —Agreed to on tho voiees.-Mr fceddonso auso as amended was then added to tho bill by,3l votes to 25. The bill was thon reported with amendments, which were set down for consideration next sitting day. Tho House rose at 1 a.m. I