PARLIAMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18424, 9 December 1921, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY’S PROCEEDINGS. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (Abridged from Press Association Telegram.) WELLINGTON, December 7. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. DECEASED MEMBERS. Motions were passed relative to the deaths of the Hon. P. J. Nerheny, of Auckland, and Mr J. H. W. Uru, member for Southern Maori. LOCAL BILLS. Nine local Bills received from the House of Representatives were read a first time. They were: The Tauranga Harbour Board Empowering Amendment Bill, the Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Amendment Bill, the Christchurch Tramway District Amendment Bill, the Auckland City Loans Consolidation and Empowering Bill, the Judea Land Drainage Board Empowering, Bill, tho Taicri River Improvement Amendment Bill, the Tqlaga Bay Harbour Board Empowering Bill, the Tauranga Borough Council Electric Loan Empowering Bill; and the Invercargill Borough Council Special Rate Empowering Amendment Bill. The Council rose at,3.15 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. POISONS BILL. Replying to Mr Y. H. Reetj, the Hon. C. J. PARR said the Poisons Bill being circulated outside the House had not the recognition of the Government, t but he understood it would be submitted to the Public Health Department, and he was awaiting the comment of his officers. At the same time he thought there was little prospect of legislation being passed this session BUSINESS OF THE SESSION. Mr MASSEY, in the course of a reply to a question as to' whether it -would be possible to complete the business of the. session before Christmas, said he thought they should rise on the 23rd and resume on January 9. His own opinion was that they could not finish the business before Christ-, mas. Mr HOLLAND suggested that they should adjourn merely for the holidays and resume immediately after. Mr MASSEY pointed out .that the Government offices would be closed for a fortnight, and they might find it _ extremely awkward to work the- House with all the offices closed. i Mr HOLLAND said in that case the adjournment should be for a longer period, as many members could not. reach their homes for Christmas in the time mentioned by the Prime Minister. Mr MASSEY said the objection to that was it necessitated keeping a largo staff on for, say, three weeks. They could not be discharged, and must be paid. The feeling of members then seemed to veer in the direction of completing the business before Christmas, and Mr MASSEY said he would, see what could be done. So far the business had gone on most satisfactorily. A great deal of business had been done, and in spite of what might be said to the contrary it had been carefully considered. He had never known the business of the House to be done so well. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Ministers gave the following, amongst other answers, to questions:— That an amendment of the law to secure' British nationality for children of foreignborn British subjects was considered by the Imperial Conference, and is being referred to the Parliaments of the various oversea dominions, so as to secure uniformity in the necessary legislation. That the Government is considering an amendment of the divorce laws, so that the position of divorced wives who have led blameless lives, and helpless children, will be made more secure. That the establishment of further special schools of agriculture will no doubt come as an extension of the wide provisions already mentioned, but it was not pbssible at the time to state when and where such institutions can be established. Further, the Agriculture Department will, so soon as finance permits, establish farm schools for the instruction of lads in the practical work of the farm. That the Government is anxious to enter into reciprocal relations with Australia, and on June 14 last a letter was sent to the Prime Minister of the commonwealth asking that the same tariff as is granted to Great Britain should be granted to New Zealand. A reply was received on July 14: ‘That the new tariff has been specially designed to admit of the reciprocal treatment of other dominions, and that as soon as the Bill passes Parliament the Commonwealth Government will be glad to discuss the question of reciprocal duties, with every desire' to accord Now Zealand as generous treatment in relation to the tariff arrangement as circumstances will permit. That in connection with retrenchment, in the public service, the policy of the Government is to avoid hardship in every way possible. and every case will be considered on its merits. That the Government will, on the public works immediately under its control, do everything possible to provide work for the unemployed, as it is considered that by so doing n will be better both for the men themselves, and the country as a whole. That it is not proposed to introduce any amendment to the Pensions Act during the present session. That section 29 of . “The Gaming Act. 1908,” prohibits the transmission to racecourses of telegrams relating to betting, or to investment on the totalisator. The question of the repeal of this section is at present under consideration. The House adjourned nt 5.30 p.m; YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS (Abridged from Press Association Telegram.) THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WELLINGTON, December 8. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. LOAN EMPOWERING BILL. The Auckland City Loans Consolidation Empowering Bill was reported from the Local Bills Committee without amendment, was treated as a matter of urgency, aixi put through all it s stages. The Council rose at 2.50 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. j CUSTOMS BILL. " Tlio House then took the third reading of the Customs Bill, which after a lengthy debate was passed, FORESTS BILL.' The House then went into committee on the Forests Bill, and the remaining clauses were agreed to. MAINTENANCE ORDERS BILL. Tho Maintenance Orders (Facilities Enforcement)' Bill, in charge of the Hon. E. P. LEE was committed. At clause 10, providing for the collection of moneys dme under maintenance

orders, the question was raised as to how the, officers employed were to be paid out of the moneys collected, but as Minister of Justice lie would see that the charges were kept down and made as nominal as possible. i , On going back into the House both Bills were read a third time and passed. EDUCATION BILL. The Education Amendment Bill was then taken in committee. In clause 7 the Education Committee added a proviso that > teachers in private schools must take* the oath of allegiance before a school would be considered as. “efficient” Mr H. E. HOLLAND objected to the pointed exception which was being made of the teaching profession. If the principle' was good enough to apply to teachers, it was good enough' to apply to everyone. That was the logical conclusion, but the Government was riot ridiculous enough to go that far. The clause would detrimentally affect Quakers and others who read the Bible literally. x The Hon. C. J. PARR contended that >lO exception was being made with regard to teachers. Every legislator, every 'judge, and every magistrate had to take an oath before assuming office. Even the Gover-nor-General did so, arid if an exception was being made of teachers they were being excepted in good company. Not one teacher in a thousand objected to take the oath, and he read a letter from 600 secondary school teachers in support of contention. Sir JOHN LUKE said there was no desire to compromise the religious convictions of anyone, and there was a provision to meet the case of Quakers and others who held similar views, but it was felt there should be some guarantee that teachers in private schools were loyal. The clause was passed. 1 On resuming after supper the Bill was reported from committee, read a "third time, and passed. , NATIVE TRUSTEE BILL. On the motion to go into committee on the Native Trustee Amendment Bill, which proposes to set up a Native Trustee in connectiou with the Public Trust Office, the Hon. A. T. NGATA proceeded' 1 to discuss the provisions of the Bill, recommending it to members on his side of the House as a measure that was urgeritly required. ' After the MINISTER had replied the Bill went into committee, and was reported without amendment, read a third time, and passed. The House rose at 10.55 p.m.