PARLIAMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19261, 27 August 1924, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. CPek United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 26. The House mob at 2AO p.m. SECOND READING. Tile Roman Catholic Archbishop Empowering Bill (Mr W. S. GLENN), the Reman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin Empowprmg Bill (tho Hon. J. A. HANAN), and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland Empowering Bill were read a second time without debate. <1 ; ADVANCES DEPARTMENT. Replying to Mr do la Perrello, Mr MASSJBX said he intended to make a statement to tho House in the course of a day or two concerning now capital for tho Advances Department, but his information was , ppt yob quite complete. LEGISLATURE AMENDMENT BILL. K 3W’MASSEY stated that he proposed to withdraw tho Legislature Amendment Bill providing for a modified form of proportional representation and to substitute another Bill which ho would bring down by Governor-General’s message. That would get it out of the way of other Bills which ho would like to see introduced. MOTHERHOOD ENDOWMENT. The Motherhood Endowment Bill, introduced by Mr BAY AGE, was read a first time. Nationalisation of coal mines. Mr HOLLAND moved tho first reading of tho Coal Mines Nationalisation Bill, which, ho said, proposed to give effect to tho main provisions of tho Industries Committee’s report of 1919, which provided amongst other things for tho comfortable housing of miners, superannuation provisions, and State ownership and control of the shipping necessary to carry tho coal produced. This report, Mr Holland said, was accepted by the House without dissent nearly five years ago, and the Government had not taken any steps to give effect to recommendations of its own committee. The Bill provided for the sotting up of a Mining Council consisting of four members (selected by the Government and four by the Miners’ Federation, tho Minister of Mines to bo chairman, and in his absence the Under-Secretary would act. Tho Bill proposed that the Government should take over all the mines, which was considered advisable. The Mining Council would have power to prospect for coal and give directions regarding wages, etc. All tho coal required by the dominion would, under tho measure, be produced within the dominion. Tho Labour Party supported the Bill because mining was the most highly organised industry in the dominion, and Nationalisation would put it on a belter footing. Mr SIDEiY regretted that nothing had been done by the Government to give effect to the recommendations of the Industries Committee. Coal was a wasting asset, but nationalisation did not mean that the mines must be worked by the State. If it proved to bo of advantage there was no reason why private industries should not work searns.

Mr O’BRIEN deprecated what he described as the wasteful means used in mining coal under private ownership m New Zealand. Much of this was due to gambling by companies which worked the mines or closed them down just as it suited them, not as it suited tho country. Mr do la PERRELLE declared that no one should be allowed to hold the mineral wealth of the country without developing it. It was rather absurd that our railway engines should bum Newcastle coal when they went up to tho mines to bring local coal down to the consumers. Mr WILFORD said that everyone wanted to know why the housewife had to pay so much for coal when it cost so little to produce. Who was getting tho difference? The people also wanted to know why Newcastle ooal was being used on our railways, and ho desired to have some information ns to what effect tho working of tho mines on the co-operative system had on the marketing of coal. Those in authority and In a position to get at the facts seemed too tired to do so. Messrs FRASER and M'KEEN supported the Bill, which was road a first time. UNEMPLOYED WORKERS. In introducing tho Unemployed Workers’ Bill. Mr JfxvASER said he knew he had rio‘ hope of getting such a Bill through, hut, hf> hoped the Government would take the matter up this session. The Bill was talked,, out. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. REGISTRATION OF ENGINEERS. COPYRIGHT AND EXTRADITION BILLS. . At.'7.30 tho House went into committee o«vthe-Copyright Amendment Bill ami. the Extradition Amendment Bill, which were both ‘passed without amendment. The Bills were then road a third time and passed. Tho MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS moved the second reading of the Engineers’ Registration Bill. In doing so he said the Bill was designed to enable civil and mechanical engineers to register. A board was set up to inquire into the qualifications of the engineers, but there was no ompulsion about-registration. Tho Bill met the objection raised by many local bodies Which urged that their foremen or inspectors often had just as good a practical experience and knowledge as any civil engineer. Local bodies could employ whom they pleased, hut no one who had not satisfied .the board as to his qualifications would be entitled to describe himself as a qualified engineer. Mr WILFORD objected that tho educational limits imposed by the Bill were too narrow to permit rnanv desirable persons to- come in under the Bill. He also asked that wider provision be made for soldiers whose studies were interrupted by the war. Ho agreed with tile general principle of the Bill, which was to protect tho public against incompetent men, but ho thought there should bo a proper definition of the term. “Engineer.” committee ho would move certain amendments. Mr EDIE urged that surveyors should be permitted to come in under the Bill. Mr HAWKEN urged that the House be cautious about establishing another close corporation. The Hon. C. J. PARR said the Bill was long overdue. In no country in the world had more money been wasted through incompetent engineers than in Now Zealand. We had only to study the history of our harbours to realise that tho demands of the Bill wore not severe. The door was so wide open that probably 90 per cent, of the men working for local bodies would bo able to register under the measure. If the Bill had a fault it was that it did not go far enough. It should make registration compulsory upon all those who wished to practice engineering. Conditional approval was given to the Bill by Messrs SULLIVAN. GLENN. MACP'HERSON, WRIGHT, BUDDO. O’BRIEN and SMITH. The Hon. ,T. A. HAN AN said he had no desire to put obstacles in tho way of ensuring that the men engaged in engineering should have the necessary qualifications, but he did not wish to impose undue hardships on those now following this business. After tho Minister had replied tho Bill was road a second time. A SUPERANNUATION BJLL. Tho Hon. Mr BOLLARD moved the second reading of the Local Authorities Superannuation Amendment Bill. He explained that so far only four local bodiesthe Auckland Harbour Board, Wellington Harbour Board, the Buller and Westport County Councils —tiavo adopted the 'superannuation schemes. Under this amendment, in consideration of an increased annuity to hia widow on his death, a contributor may make an agreement with a local authority under which ho may accept a reduced retiring allowance rate, and terms of the annuity are also a matter for agreement. The annunity shall be in addition to tho existing annuity of £IU per annum with 5s a week for each child until attaining the ago of 14. Provision is made for applications, which must bo lodged within six months of retirement, to bo submitted to an actuary appointed fcy the J Governor-General, and % the local authority may not grant an annuity m excess of tho amount recommended by the actuary unless on terms approved by him. tyJr WILFORD said this was a mosc important measure, because the time was coming when there -would bo an agitation fort Superannuation or pensions lor every one, He wanted to know how many peopie would bo affected bv the scheme, because if there were not sufficient contributors to the fund then the fund would not be sound. The. question of maintaining superannuation* funds was becoming a serious matter for the State, it was costing now about a quarter of a million sterling, and ;s would bo unwise to permit tho estaoiisnmaht 1 of another unsound fund. Did tho Government propose to subsidise this fund? Mr NASH said he would like to see luperannuation funds established by every . ooal bodv.

Mr SULLIVAN said this scheme could not be made effective unless all local bodies in the dominion were linked up in on* common fund. He was afraid individual local bodies would not function under this Bill. Mr MASSEY said the Government did not propose to subsidise this fund, but ho tbrought tho general trend was in tne direction of superannuation all round. Hast year the State provided a subsidy to tne railways’, teachers’, and public servicefunds of no less than £329,000, while tho employees contributed £463,000. On the House resuming after the supper adjournment tho Bill was read a second time. FRUIT CONTROL BILL. The Fruit Control Bill was. on the motion of the Hon. Mr NOSWORTHV, read a second time pro forma and referred to the Agricultural and Stock Committee. REGISTRATION OF MASSEURS. The Masseurs Registration Amendment Bill was read a second time on the motion of Sir MAUI POMARE. The Minister said that the masseurs bad asked for leg is lation, which was mainly technical, bringing them into lino with other countries. The Bill defined tho term massage. Tho Bill provides for an increase from ono to two masseurs on the Registration Board, the remaining members of the board being tho registrar and a medical practitioner. As under the 1920 Act, tho Bill did not apply to chiropractors. Mr WILFORD said if the Bill wo;« eo amended ns to allow tho use of violet my he would not object to it. If not ho would strenuously oppose it. The MINISTER said lie would look into the point. THE REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS. The Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Bill, which is purely a consolidating measure, was read a second time on the motion of the Hon. Mr BOLLARD. The House rose at 10.15 p.ni. till 2.30 p.m. to-day.