DUNEDIN PARLIAMENTARY UNION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13653, 24 July 1906, Page 8

DUNEDIN PARLIAMENTARY UNION.

K : The Speaker, Mr J. B. Callan, opened the proceedings of the Dunediu Parliameny tary Union at 7.31) last evening at the Vic--0 toria Hall, the benches in every part of tlio li House being well filled. Mr L. Deans Ritchie (member for Thames) 0 roqucstbd leave to ask the Minister of Rail- ' ways: '" Docs lie consider it proper and consistent with the principles of true dei niocracy that railway servants shouTd be 1 allowed froo passes during their holidays, and that'they, their wives, and families should be granted privilege tickets which _ enable them at all times to travel at a. ; ( j considerably cheaper rate than that charged the general public, to whom the railways j belong?" Mr J. F. Kirby (member for ,j Lyttelton) of motion—" That lc whenever it happens that a statutory holi- ■(] day falls on any day other than a Monday | n it shall be held on the- Monday of tho j 0 following week." Mr K. S. Moss (Wairau) Ifi also gave notice of motion—"That in the | r opinion of this House it is desirable that in all duties on foodstuffs between New Zeast land and Australia should be abolished." m Mr Burnard, Minister of Labour, then proposed the second reading of "Tho Oldth' ago Pension Act, 1906." This is a bill 0i framed to form part of, and to be read in H, conjunction with, "The Old-age Pension Act, 3 k 1893.' The scheme, laid out in the new le bill is for the most' part similar to that ks involved in the principal act of 1898, with m its amendment.? of the years 1900, 1902, and p- 1905, but there are in addition sections if which provide for the establishment 'of a in pension fund, and the setting anart of id Crown lands in different parts of tbc colony yo as endowments for the purposes of this fund, in The object aimed at is to provide a nnian vcrsal pension scheme, which, while not innt terfcring ■to any large extent with the proni- sent system, will enable any man or woman ed to make voluntary contributions, and so ve ensure a pension dating from an age stipuan latod, and according to the amount of pay j ire ments made. Tho amount of pension is be to he computed on aSJ per cent, basis, but, be in order to eneourago thrift, the Governed ment is to pay in addition a subsidy of 10s " e in tho pound out of the Consolidated Revenue for every pound up to £26 of the °' pension thus earned, and 5s in the pound ' CI on sums in excess of £26 up to £52. Another section of the bill provides for tho payment "■''• of a pension not exceeding £25 per annum a ~ to persons under the age of 65 who, through _ n JJ accident or incurable disease or physical doc" formity, are prevented from earning adoj"" 0 qnato means of support; while another section provides for the payment of a pension i to the widow of a man who has, up to his decease, paid money into the proposed g0 pension fund. The, discussion that followed was based mainly on these sections, I the following members speaking to . the '/ motion:—Messrs Bedford (leader of the uld Opposition), R. Gilkison (Marsdcn), W. _l„ Davidson (Orona), .7. Gilchrist (Wellington 9i East). W. Michael (Hawke's Bay), J. Lillio va3 (Waitcmata). W. R. Brngh (Egmont), A. IT. , w Burton (Masterton). D. Ramsay (Nelson), JI" C. Darling (F/.'en), E. S. Moss (Wairau), J. cu . F. Kirby (Lvttelton), ,T. G. Hewitt (Waia.pau), t | le L. D. Ritchie (Thames), J. Edwards (C'ourtonay), and A. D. Aitken (Premier), Mr ; ] e . Burnard then replied, and tho motion for „ ar the second reading of the bill was put to j 0( ] the House, the result, on division, being— lnf ] Ayes 26, Noes 4. The House then adt)le journed. • na . The first item on the Order Paper for next Monday night, is the motion for the jas second reading of "The Indeterminate Sen. a fences Bill."