PARLIAMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19282, 20 September 1924, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

(Abridged from Press Association Telegram.) WELLINGTON, September 19. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. PETONE BOROUGH STREETS. The Petone Borough Streets Bill was reported from the Local Bills Committee with a recommendation that it bo not allowed to proceed in its present form. The report was laid on the table. AMUSEMENT TAX. The Amusement Tax Amendment Bill was introduced from the axonse of Representatives and read a first time. PREVENTION OF CRIME. _ The Prevention of Crime (Borstal Establishment) Bill was read a second time. BILLS PASSED. The Masseurs Registration Amendment Bill and the Wanganui City Council Special Rate Empowering and Enabling Bill were put through their final stages and passed, the former with a minor amendment. The Council adjourned at 2.45 until 2.30 on Tuesday next. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.50 p.m. SUPERANNUATTON AND CLASSIFICATION. Replying to Mir Wright, the PRIME MINISTER said there would be a Bill dealing with teachers’ superannuation this session. He also anticipated there would be a Bill dealing with public service superannuation and classification. THE ESTIMATES. The House then went into Committee of Supply to consider the Estimates for the Mines Department—£4l,ls4. Mr DE LA PERRELLE urged that a geological survey bo made of Southland, which, ho considered, was second to no other as a source of mineral wealth in. the dominion. Mr HOLLAND asked the Minister to give his earnest consideration to the need of installing electric safety lamps not only in State mines, but in such privately-owned mines as did not have them. Mr THOMSON supported Mr Pcrrelle’s request for a geological survey of Southland, particularly with regard to Preservation Inlet. The Hon. G. J. ANDERSON, in reply, said a good deal of Southland had already been geologically surveyed. So far as Preservation Inlet was concerned, he thought the district had been thoroughly prospected for gold, and when further prospecting was suggested it was necessary •to look into the matter closely, because there was sometimes a tendency to go prospecting where there were no prospects. However, ho would look, into the matter. Mr HOLLAND stressed the importance of developing now mines in the dominion so that the whole of the coal consumed in New Zealand could bo produced locally. He moved that the vote bo reduced by £5 as an indication that New Zealand’s coal supply should be produced locally. Mr ANDERSON said that of the Government departments the railways was the one which imported most coal. Ho wai appointing a committee, which would go into the whole question of the use of coal in tire railways, and when its report came in it would bo acted on. As a matter of fact, the Government was not the largest importer of coal. Most of it ■was brought in by private dealers. Mr WILFORD said Mr Holland’s amendment looked to him like a reflection on the miners. If all the coal required in the dominion was not produced here, why was it not produced? Mr HOLLAND said it could be produced if the industry were properly organised. Mr ANDERSON said he agreed with the principle of the amendment, but it was impossible to produce all locally-required coal iu Now' - Zealand until all the miners and the employers agreed to sink their differences and accept the decisions of the official tribunals. Under existing conditions it was impossible to produce all the coal wo required in New Zealand. Mr SAVAGE suggested that they might compromise on the amendment by agreeing that for ell State purposes New Zealand mined coal should bo used, Mr FRASER said a solution of the problem lay in the representative of the Mines Department in the Cabinet insisting upon the State departments using New Zealand coal. Ho should talk quite straight to tho Minister of Railways on this point. Mr HAWKEN said tho amendment was an instruction to miners and coal owners, not to the Government. The fact was that the miners had played ducks and drakes with the markets owing to frequent strikes. It was no use hoping to develop tho market unless a sure and regular supply could be guaranteed. Many consumers would not use°New Zealand coal because they could not depend on the supply, and so instead of exporting ooal, aa we should bo doing, wo were importing coal. On a division the amendment was lost by 33 votes to 29, and the vote was then passed. . , , . Tho next item was naval defence—£33o,46s. Mr WILFORD said he proposed to discuss the question of naval recruits, and ha proposed to move a reduction of the vote by £1 as an indication that the “Philomel” should he scrapped and that naval recruiting be stopped. The discussion, which was interrupted by tho 5.30 p.m. adjournment, appears elsewhere in this issue. At 8.40 p.m. a division was taken on Mr Wilford’s amendment, which was defeated by 32 votes to 26 Tho vote was then passed without further discussion. The Defence Department’s vote, totalling £387,923. was next taken.

Mr WILFORD congratulated the Government on tho fact that the men at the head of the department were so well qualified and deserving of popular confidence. The Leader of the Opposition thought, however, some improvement could bo made in the administration if the men engaged in the outer areas could be brought together with the higher officers for a conference on the methods to be adopted. He also thought the Government should get rid of the surplus left over in the Stores Department before these goods became quite useless.

Mr .SULLIVAN said the vote proposed was larger than last ye-ar. He contrasted this fact with the tendency in other countries to reduce expenditure on armaments. He'moved that the total vote he reduced b v £1 as an indication that the expenditure should not bo increased above that of last JORDAN said the remark had been made that a certain party did not believe in defence at all. He did not know if that referred to Labour, but ho pointed out that the British Prime Minister advocated a policy to reduce the danger of an international conflict. Great Britain waa keeping its military establishment efficient, but was reducing ” the burden of cost. Mr Jordan said he did not contend that defence was unnecessary, but he thought a voluntary system would produce the best results The ‘ MINISTER of DEFENCE said- a conference of officers had already been held, and would bo continued half-yearly. As to the sales of surplus stores, these were bringing in £IOOO sterling monthly. Mr HOLLAND commented on the fact that in 1921 the cost of land defence was increased by nearly £300,000, but the Minister then promised that the amount would be reduced as soon as possible Why had this not been done? Mr Holland also complained of boy conscription, which men of war experience had condemned. Boys should not be punished for an infraction cf law bv being deprived of their ordinary civil rights Such treatment was not accorded "even to the worst type of criminal offender. The MINISTER OF DEFENCE, replying to the criticism of cadet administration said that where discontent existed among' the boys it had been found in many cases that the parents had not brought them up in the most desirable manner. At 10.35 p.m. Mr Sullivan s amendment was put to the division and lost by 33 rotes to 24. The total vote was then carried unaltered. _ . . Tho vote for tbs War Expenses Account—£2o7,762 was passed without comment. On’ tho vote for tho Department, of Labour £40,510, there was only the briefest discussion, and the vote was passed. The Slate Coal Mines Account—£266,o24, and tho Westport Harbour Account—£lß,6l9. were passed without discussion. The Department of Health v0te—£261,940, was next considered. Replying to a question on maternal mortality, Sir MAUI POMARE said the department had been giving this matter very careful considers tion. The medical profession had a grave responsibility in this connection, and he had

been, severely criticised of late, but so long as he felt his opinions were sound he would hold to them. He was fully convinced that the chief cause of maternal mortality in the past was that there had been too much interference with the mother in countries where there was loss use of instruments there was less maternal mortality. Replying to Sir G. _ Hunter the IvIINISTEIT said that provision was made for subsidising nurses in baokblocks districts. Mr TAU HEN ARE said be regretted that ho could see little on the Estimates for the benefit of the Native race. The MINISTER replied that ho had not forgotten his own race. Never before in thoir history was so much being done for them. There was a sum of £12,668 in addition to the civil lists for the benefit of the Native race on the Estimates. Further, the Government had given bursaries to enable two Native students to study dentistry, and he had been informed only a few days ago that these students wore making excellent progress. A closer watch, was being kept on the health of the Maori to-day than at any previous period in their history. The vote was passed. The Department of Internal Affairs —£37,752 —was passed, after the Minister had answered a few formal questions. Department of Industries and Commerce — £84,562. —On this vote Mr SULLIVAN asked the Prime Minister if he could give the House any information regarding the wheat position.—Mr MASSEY stated that the Government had purchased sufficient wheat to carry the dominion on until the new harvest carno in. This wheat had been purchased before the recent rise in the price of wheat took place, and therefore, while there might not bo a large profit in the transaction, there would be no loss.—The vote was passed. Scenery Preservation—£4sß0 —was passed, after several members had brought a number of local matters under the notice of the Minister. Valuation Department (£53,287), Electoral Department (£5245), Nauru and Ocean Island Account (£1120). Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Account (£50,000). and Hours for Settlement Account (£7785) were paesod without discussion. A number of small supplementary accounts wore passed without discussion, when progress was reported, arid the House rose at 1.25 a.m.