LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14281, 1 August 1908, Page 7

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

FRIDAY, JULY 31. Tho Council met at 2.50 p.m. Tho Hon. Mr MACDONALD asked the Hon. tho Attornoy-gonoral. whether there was any reason why full information of all business matters connected with the work of the High Commissioner's Office should not Lo submitted to Parliament each session, duo caro being exercised that confidential communications regarding loans and finance should not bo disclosed. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said tho question appeared to proceed from a wrong assumption that the Commissioner was not an adniinistralifc officer' or the head of a department under Government control, but a parliamentary officer. The reports furnished by him for the purpose of assisting tho Government in connection with various dopia'tmeuts of Government action in England and New Zealand necessarily included a deal of contidential matter. This was not separated from tho non-confidential matter, and consequently if the reports were laid on tno table with tho confidential matter <l'eletcd they would bo witnout. sequence and hardly intelligible. Moreover, a dangerous precedent would bo established, and the, Government for these reasons did not seo its way to accede to the request, THE COST OF LIVING. Tho Hon. Mr BARE moved-" That, in tho opinion of this Council, it is in tho best interests of this country that the Government shoidd take into immediate consideration the devising of soino further practical measures whereby tho heavy cost of living at present borne by the married workers as compared with the unmarried may bo lessened, and that the position of those with families be especially considered so that the rearing of their children may bo looked forward to with less anxioty than at present, and parenthood thereby encouraged." In speaking to the motion Mr Barr said the question had become of supreme moment throughout tho whole world. He believed tbat tho day had arrived when those interested in economic questions had to tako 'into consideration other matters besides a wage question. The employer, employee, and general public would have to bo taken into consideration, and not merely tho employer and employee, as hitherto. They would also have to deal with the question of immigration and birthrate. He contended that immigrants arriving were sufficient for requirements, and that they were arriving in disorganised batches. He instanced the case of a musician, who had told him that he had tried to get out under an assisted passage as an agricultural worker, although ho wa6 no such thing; but though tho precautions had been sufficient in this musician's case, it was quite apparent that others wero getting assisted passages who were not ontitled to concession, He went on to say that this class of workers swolled the ranks of these in the towns and cities. Tho outcry against too much immigration from tho Old Country was not justified, as the bulk of the immigrants arrived from Australia, Tho fact was tho 'number of immigrants arriving from Homo was quite sufficient for tho needs of the Dominion if they belonged to the right class. Thn speaker contended thai the spread of education and- tho love of frivolity in the colonies were some of tho causes of the decreased birth-rate, and the factor was the desire of parents who had been brought up in tho face of poverty and privations to ensure that their children should not be placed under similar disadvantages. Mr Barr went on to say that since he ha 4 drafted the motion it had been pointed out to him that the Government was doing something in the direcHon indicated undej tho Land Act, the Advances to Workers' Act, and under the Post Office Classification and the Government Railways Classification Act. Ho urged that credit should bo given to the Government for what it had done, and he dopreoated the statements mad* by Labour agitators that the Government had done nothing. Let them have criticism by all means, but let it be just..' Ho went on to say flat homes for workers ahould bo the initial step. He contrasted the living expense of*tho single man earning £3 weekly with'that of the married man earning tho 6amo amount. In the former caso it cost £1 per week to live but in the lattex-wll, they all knew the struggle which took place. Mr Barr went on to say that the cause of the high rents in. tie Dominion was tho high values of tho wnd. He urged thai in the matter of employment preference ahould be granted to. married workers, and if the employers were as .patriotic as they protended to bo, then let them show <&eir patriotism and grant this preference as a practical step in the direction of doing something in the interests of the body politic. Ho wed that the Government ahould establish State labour agencies similar to those existing in Germany. Referring to tho tariff reductions of last session, Mr Barr said there had ■been only a alight reduction in the price of sugar retailed to workers, whilst the articles composed mainly or entirely of sugar had not been reduced at all. ' Ho deprecated an import tax on every-day necessities which could not be manufactured rn the Dommion for many years to come. Mr Barr defended the entertaining of the American fleet by tho Government, as being on a par with a citizen entertaining a relative who had come a distance to see u i i H i° W - gctl tliat mcdica l profession should bo lifted from commercialism and placed on the same basis as tho teaching profession in the State schools. Doctors should bo employed and paid by tho Government, and should regularly' visit schools and the houses of people without waiting to bo sent for when it was too late to save life. The birth of a child sometimes led to an expenditure of as much as £100. Mr Barr further said that girls should he educated in tho duties pertainirfg to wifehood and motherhood. In conclusion, ho urged that parenthood was a duty, which was due to the world, and carried with it a claim from tho State.— (Applause.) Tho Hon, Mr LOUGHNAN, in seconding the motion, said Mr Barr represented the true workers of tho country, if ha was not the official mouthpiece. Tho debate was adjourned. , CONSOLIDATED STATUTES, The Confjolidated ( Statutes Enactment Bill, received from 'tbo House, was put through all its stages, and passed without amendment. SOCIETY OF ACCOUNTANTS. The New Zealand Society of Accountants Bill was read a third time, and passed. Tin} Council adjourned at 5.30 p.m. until Wednesday, August 19.