GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15824, 24 July 1913, Page 8

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOOSE OF REPitESENMIVES. (Per United Peess Association.) . WELLINGTON, July 23. The House met at 2.30 pm. ; NEW BILLS. , The Wanganui Borough Council Street Access Empowering Bill (Mr Veitch), the Wanganui Borough Council Special Kate Empowering and Special Loan Bill (Mr Veitch), the Workers Compensation Act Amendment Bill (the Hon. Mr Massey), and tho ■ Methodist Union Bill (the Hon. Mr Massey) were read a first time.

WORKERS COMPENSATION BILL. Speaking on the Workers Compensation Bill Mr POLAND said the present Act did not go the length it should in con- , nection with those engaged in manual labour. The most a man could' obtain now for accident pay was half-pay. It was recognised that a working man had a big fight to keep things going on full pay. Then how could be possibly live j on half-pay with the extra expense in the way of medical attendance? Even Germany paid full rates with a 50 per cent, minimum, and it was payable for life. There was an argument against paying a man from the day he was injured. In New Zealand a man had to wait for seven days before he could claim insurance, Tho insurance of workmen against accident should be a State monopoly, and cases would then be dealt with on their merits by inspectors. Miners' complaint had been taken out of the Compensation Act in 1909 and put in the Miners Relief Act, which was a farce. All a man could get now was £50 for disease contracted while working and which was worse than a fatal accident. Ho urged the reinstatement of the disease in the Act where it originally was. Mr WILFORD oontended that where an action for compensation before a magistrate failed the magistrate should have power to assess the compensation under the Workers Compensation Act. The Arbitration Court had that power. Mr BRADNEY said they would be establishing a very dangerous precedent if they increased the compensation above 50 per cent. Many workmen who drew large benefits plus 50 per cent, of wages were in receipt of more than their ordinary wages, and they were not in a hurry to go back to work. Mr PEARCE said that local bodies should be allowed to set up an insurance fund of their own. It would save the bodies an enormous amount of money. Farmers' mutual companies should be allowed to insure against accident. • Mr ELL said the time had arrived when the House should see that more generous terms were granted to workers who met with accidents.

Mr GLOYER contended that the earnings of workers claiming should be computed on an annual average and not on what he happened to be earning during the week he was injured. Mr WILKINSON advocated a contributory system under which the workers might contribute something to the insurance fund.

Mr M'CALLUM advocated a State monopoly of accident insurance. _ The State should compensate for all accidents, deriving the funds from the graduated tax.

Mr ESCOTT said the local bodies should have the power either separately or in groups to establish their own accident insurance fund and so avoid dealing with the companies. . The PRIME MINISTER said be was not in favour of creating a State monopoly, but he did favour giving local bodies power to create their own .insurance fund, He also approved of the mutual insurance funds, which had worked well. The other suggestions made would be carefully considered. •ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Iu answer to questions Ministers stated: The Government was not aware of a trust operating in the butter trade. The price in the dominion appeared to be due to the comparatively small quantity in cold storage, there "being only 24,231 boxe§ On July 15 as against 37,374 on the same date last year. If a workman was incapacitated for a fortnight half wages were paid from the date of the accident, together with medical expenses up to £1. These allowances compared favourably with the payments made under similar circumstances in other countries, and it was not considered advisable to increase them.

It was proposed to introduce legislation this session dealing with the prevention of the use of pea rifles. The Forestry Commission- had recommended that" tree-planting operations should be carried out on a larger scale than at present, that sand dunes should be some of the lands to be afforested, and that a beginning should be made on the dunes at- the mouth of the _Eangitikei River. Operations were now being started there. Arrangements were being made to appoint a New Zealand trade representative for Canada. The Defence Act dealt, with volunteers for special service outside New Zealand. Service in an expeditionary forcc would be purely voluntary, but in order that any help offered might be effective every detail should be thoroughly worked out and every possible preparation made beforehand-.- This was all that was suggested. When the scheme had been finally completed liie fullest "possible information regarding it would be laid before Parliament.

Clerks of courts who were dorks of licensing committees had been instructed to pay the fees received by them from local bodies for performing the duties into the mtbiic account.

Instructions had been issued by the authority of the Public Service Commissioners in accordance ivith the public service regulations.

There was no power at present to prevent the importation of shoddy boots and shoes provided the same were not marked in such'a manner as to mislead purchasers as tn the material of which they were composed.

The desirability of .introducing legislation to compel certain poods of common consumption, to bear sufficient trade descriptions was under the consideration of the Government.

The matter of inquiring into the origin of everv fire was .under consideration.

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY

Mr BUDDO moved the second reading of the Saturday Half-holiday for Shops Bill, which provides that all shops other than those vending perishable goods shall close at 1 o'clock on Saturdays. He said the system was in vogue in Auckland and Christ-church, and it had been found to work admirably in Sydney.' He thought local bodies would with pleasure give up their present positions of referees in the matter.

Mr GLOVER said that if the Bill was to go through trains, ferry,boats, theatres, and even hotels should be brought under ite operations. Mr WITTY said the Bill would make one-half of the people labour for the other half on half-holidays. The Bill must be universal if it was to go through. He believed in a referendum, as the people concerned should have a word in fixing their lmlf-lioliday. If Mr Buddo'sscheme were carried out in its entirety it would mean that train and tram men who now got away on Saturdays would be compelled to turn out.' He favoured the Saturday half-holiday if possible, but to his mind it was not possible to operate it generally. He warned the Prime Minister that if lie took up the Bill chaos would result. Mr ISITT supported the Bill, contending that the universal Saturday halfholidav was bound to eonie in time. Mr PAYNE condemned the selfishness of the people, who expected the shop hands to remain long hours behind the counter simply to wait on them. Mr HMRIS objected to the Bill on the ground that it would be unfair to arbitrarily fix a closing day. Each locality was the best judge of that. Sir W. BUCHANAN said (he Bill only considered the convenience of the townspeople, and the country workers would be greatly inconvenienced if it was passed.

_ Mr M'KENZIE opposed the Bill, hold-, ing that any district that wanted the Saturday halt-holiday could have it. Mr DICKSON supported a universal Saturday half-holiday with no exemptions.

The "PRIME MINISTER said the Government, would not take the Bill up because, while the present arrangement might not be satisfactory, the Government was not satisfied that tlSe-proposal of the Bill was going to be more satisfactory. What lie suggested wafi that the areas over •which polls were taken should be enlarged and the vote taken over a provincial district. The, people now had the Tight to declare.for Saturday if they chose, and only seven places had so declared. In view of this fact he did not think the time had yet arrived when Parliament should declare for a universal half-holi-day. Mr HANAX contended that the country should not. dictate to the towns in the matter. The ideal day was Saturday, and the time would come when, with the education of the public, it would be adopted. Mr WILKINSON deprecated the practice of neighbouring boroughs _ adopting different days for the half-holiday, but preferred to wait for a Government Bill to deal with the question. Saturday was an impossible day. Mr RUSSELL, argued that the people nmv had all the power they required, and it was not wise for Parliament to restrict 1 the liberties of the more than possible. Mr WILFORD said the question was purely one of local option. Mr BUDDO, in reply, said that Parliament should not try to shelve its responsibility on to the local bodies. Whatever day was observed as the half-holiday, it should be universal, and he thought Saturday was the mo6t suitable. A division was called, the voting being: For, 14; against, 46.

COMMERCIAL TRUSTS ACT. Mr PAYNE moved the second reading of the Commercial Trusts .Act Amendment Bill, adding bacon, butter, cheese, . eggs', and milk to the schedule of " The Commercial Trusts Act, 1910,'' He said that in the disposal oi all these commodities rings and trusts had been formed. The price of bacon had increased 100 per cent, in the interests of the Merchants' Association and to the detriment of the farmer and consumer. It might be necessary to add other articles of daily consumption to the schedule, but that was a matter for committee and not an argument against the principle of the Bill. Mr RUSSELL supported the Bill because it did hot affect prices unless these prices were controlled by a trust. The cost of living was one of the. live questions in New Zealand, and he thought the Government should give the House an opportunity of discussing the report of ,tho commission set up by the Mackenzie Government. That report had been most highly regarded in America. He denounced the recent rise in export freights, and sa-id the time was not far distant when the dominion would have to con-, sider the question of establishing its own line of steamers as a protection against the'shipping combine. It was the duty, of the Government to take the matter up and 6ee that the articles mentioned were added to the schedule of the act of 1910.

Mr OKEY contended the Bill "was an imputation that the farmers were making a ring when they placed their butter in the freezing works to keep up the winter supply. Mr ISITT said a vote on the Bill would find out who were the supporters of trasts and combines. It did not seem to be understood that the Bill di<] not aim at affecting the farmer. The middleman was the man who got all the profit. Mr WILKINSON supported the Bill, though he did not think there was a monopoly; in all the articles mentioned. He advocated a board of trade to control prices. Mr WILFORD said the Bill would only be called'into operation when a trust was proved to be in existence, and why should it not be under those circum- ' Sir W. BUCHANAN said he could speak with authority on the subject of the cost of living in countries _ outside New Zealand, and it was higher. , Even Canada's cost of living was higher than ours. The Hon. Mr MASSEY said no objection could be taken to the principle of the Bill. He knew of several articles which should be included in the Bill, and he hoped they would be. The high price of butter was due to last winter being a particularly bad one, and also owing to the excellent market existing at Home and at Vancouver. He did not know of the existence of any butter "ring" in New Zealand. From the farmer's point of view there could be no objection to the Bill.

The Bill was read a second time. The House rose at 11.45 p.m.