GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15820, 19 July 1913, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(Abridged from Press Association Telegram.)

WELLINGTON, July 18. The House met at 2.30 p.m. ,

SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL.

'Did Shops and Offices Bill was read .1 second time pro forma and was referred to the Labour Bills Committee. Conciliation and arbitration. Tlie Hon. Mr MASSET moved the second reading o[ the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. The measure was to Temedy a flaw in the Act o£ 1911 discovered recently. The word "award'' was struck out, and the words " industrial agreement" inserted in lieu thereof in clause 2. The Bill as amended will be made retrospective, and will be deemed to have come into operation as from 1911. Mr Massey explained that there was no such thing as an "award " in the Conciliation Council. An award was not made until the dispute had been before the Arbitration Court. Tlie second reading was agreed to on the voice.?. AMENDMENTS INCORPORATING BILL. The second reading of the Amendments Incorporating Bill was m.oved by the Hon. Mr HKRDMAN, It provides for amendments being printed in the Acts when reprinted. Mr Hcrdman said a similar measure was in force in the Common 1 wealth of Australia, and would prove useful in tracing amendments to our laws. The second reading was agreed to. COPYRIGHT KILL. The linn. Mr HERD MAN moved the second reading of the Copyright Bill. He traced the history of copyright Loin ancient times. In 1701 the tirst definite step was taken to place the matter 011 "a more' perfect basis. In 1842 it was recognised ■ that thfl law was in an unsatisfactory state, and a conference was held in 1878 to investigate the whole matter. The main feature of the Bill before the House was to bring the law here into line with that o[ European countries —viz., for the life of the author and 50 years after. Unpublished works were protected so long as the author desired, and as soon as they were published the main provisions would apply. The law in New Zealand at present was 28 years or the life of the author, whichever was longer. The copyright- of an architectural design was given to the owner of the buildings and not- to the architect. The Bill was being introduced in accordance with the resolutions passed at the Inter-, national Conference of 1910, at which Sir William Hall-Jones represented New Zealand.

Mr HAXAX -welcomed the Bill as showing a tendency by nations to harmonise their laws.

The Bill was read a second time. ARCHITECTS BILL.

The Hon. Mr HERDMAN moved the second reading of the New Zealand Institute of Achitects Bill. He said the measure was devised to ensure that the men who were engaged in the construction of our homes were competent to design them in accqrdanco with the principles of sanitation and other conditions requisite to the preservation of public health. : It was framed oil the same lines as tiie Institute of Accountants Act.

Mr HANAN said the Bill was commendable for the reason tlllltr it llliulc toi national efficiency. Other professions had been similarly protected, and lie thought tiieie were sufficient safeguards against the architeetonical profession becoming a close corporation. Mr PEARCE objected that engineers employed by local bodies who were capable of doing the work required ,by_ their employers would under this Bill be disqualified unless tiiey were approved by the council set up under the Bill. -That would be a hardship to both employees and employers. Mr LAURENSON objected to the tendency of thiv Bill to create a close corporation of the profession. Mr ANDERSON contended that the Bill had some dangerous clauses, and suggested thai the Bill be referred to the Labour Bills Committee. Mr WILFORD pointed out that there was 110 provision for permitting women to ioin the arrihitectonical profession. Women were oiten the most competent designers of residential houses. Messrs Thomson, Malcolm, _ M Callum, Russell, and Young urged caution in dealing with legislation affecting the yirotes&iou of architects. Mr HERDMAN, in replying, agreed to accept the suggestions to refer the Bill to a committee to endeavour to see if a Bill could not be devised which would bring about a desirable state of affairs in connection with architecture. It must be admitted that we were a long way behind the time with regard to architecture. Ho did not tlruk the Bill would mibtatc against the interests of workers either in the cities or the country. He would move next week to set up a special committee to consider the provisions of the Bill, with power to call for evidence. _ The Bill was read a second tame, on the voices. MAGISTRATES' COURT BILL. The Hon. Mr HERDMAN moved the second reading of the Magistrates' Courts Act Amendment Bill. In the pa"st, said the Minister, magistrates' salaries depended upon the House, and it had always seemed'to him that the practice'placed the magistrates in an invidious position. The procedure was objectionable. The Bill provided, in a sense, for two classes of magistrates —senior magistrates in the cities <>nd the others. With two exceptions the senior magistrates would receive ££00 a year and the others £700. A better type of man would be offering, he thought, it' the Bill was passed. He did not reflect upon the present magistrates, but contended that, good men would not leave their work fo,r inadequate salaries, Magistrates were placed on practically the same footing as county court judges in England, whose salaries were lixed by statute. The increases would date from the coming into operation of the Act, and would cost. £1600 extra this year. He was not taking into Recount the increases which magistrates' would have received in the ordinary course of events. Next year, when the

Act would be in full operation, the extra cost would be £3200. The Bill provided that no person should hereafter be appointed as a magistrate who was not a barrister or solicitor of the Supreme Court of not les3 than five years standing. He thought that if the Bill was put into operation it would induce good men from the legal profession to go on the bench. Mr HANAN said it was difficult to get men with that judicial faculty which was essential for a good magistrate—to wit, common sense—lo go on the bendh. Tho men put on the bench should be thoroughly trained, and so should their officers. He had always contended that magistrates should be well paid. The highly-paid magistrates' salaries could have been heid over until the teachers' salaries had received attention. He had hoped that the .Minister would have gone further than he had. They had been led to believe that magistrates were going to bo put on the same footing as Supreme Court judges, but he was pleased that the Minister had not gone that length, The. second reading was agreed to. LAND AND INCOME ASSESSMENT.

'The Hon. Mr- ALLEN moved the second reading of the Land and Income Assessment Act Amendment Bill, which provided for a further sum of £25 being deducted by way of special exemption from the yearly income of every taxpayer in respect of each of his children (not exceeding four) under tho age of 16 years, and were dependent upon him. Provision was also made for ascertaining from the banks the amounts of depositors' accounts, and also from local bodies thCamounts of deposits in trust. The scheme would cost the country from £15,000 to £20,000 annu-

ally, but that amount would be more than made, up by the increaso in the graduated tax.

Mr HANAN said lie did not sec that the Bill would effect the desired object. It did not touch the man who had a large family and whoso income did not lying him under the provisions of the. income tax. They should reduce railway fares for children if they desired to assist the poorer classes. They should endoavotir to assist in relieving the burden of the

poorer classes. He was convinced that the measure would not meet with the approval of the working classes. Mr FORBES contended that the man with a family who reaped' no benefit through the Bill—tiie man whose income did not exceed £300 yearly—paid more through the customs in the way of taxation than those whom the Bill aimed to benefit. Nothing was being done to help the poor man with a large family. Mr ELL said they were starting at the wrong end. He desired to know what the Government intended to do in connection with the reduction of taxes' which the _ working people paid on their foodstuffs. Until he had a definite announcement as to the Government's intention in that matter ho would oppose the Bill. Mr Buick said he would like the amount allowed per child to be £50 instead of .£25, and llic total number of children raised to eight; but they had to remember that this Was only a start.

Mr HARRIS said he did not agree with the Minister that the Bill would have the effect upon the birth-rate which-the Minister claimed for it.

Mr HINE agreed that he could not see much in the Bill. They were starting at the wrong end.. He wanted the burden on the working people relieved. He hoped tho Minister would comply with Mr Ell's request and inform the House what the Government intended doing for the masses.

Mr ALLEN, in reply, said he could not understand what the Opposition members were cavilling at. He "had already told them that the Bill would cost'nearly £20,000 a year. The argument appeared to be that there was no reduction in the Customs tax. but it must he remembered that this Bill was not a Customs Bill. Did the Opposition wish it to go to the country that they had opposed a poor :nait with four children getting a reduction in his income tax? It was quite possible that tho Government would later on bring in amendments to the Customs tariff.

The second rending was challenged hy Mr Hinc, who railed for a division, which resulted in 47 votes for, and 7 against, the second reading, which was carried. LAND TRANSFER BILL. The Hon. Mr HKRDMAN moved tho second reading of the Land Transfer Act Amendment Bill, which aimed at the removal of anomalies in the existing law. The. Minister explained the provisions of the different clauses, which were of in exceedingly technical character. The second reading was carried on the voices. The PRIME MINISTER moved the adjournment at 10 p.m., congratulating members on the excellent work done during the day. The motion was carried.