PARLIAMENT.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 215, 25 September 1896, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

EDUCATIONAL RESERVES. Mr McGuire asked the Minister of Lauda if he would introduce this session legislation with the object of placing leaseholders of ' educational and other reserves, many of whom are suffering great injustice, in the same position as leaseholders of Crown Lands. If only for the sake of uniformity and regularity he thought all lands should he placed on the Waste Lands Board, and so do away with the difficulties that now exist where too high a rent was paid, and from which no release can •be obtained except through the Bankruptcy Court. The Minister of Lands, replying, said he had, on seve» ral occasions, introduced legislation in this direction, but that the House was not inclined to pass it. He promised that if he was in the House next session he would introuce legislation in direction of the question, as it had his sympathy.

Mr McGuire also asked the Minister of Lands if he would introduce a Bill with the object of having all reserves and other endowments now set aside for secondary and university education vested and administered for primary education only, the reserves in question to be administered by the Land Boards. Mr McKenzie answered the second part first, and said that all reserves and endowments should be administered by LancT Boards, but as to the first part, he could not hold out any hopes. J* LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS^)!. The remainder of the afternoon was taken up with the consideration of the Land for Settlements Act Amendment Bill in Committee. Clause 2 caused much discussion, but the only material amendment made was in Subsection 8, which was altered to provide that the applicant should be deemed to be landless unless he held town or suburban land of improved value of at least £2OO free of all encumbrances. 'A motion by Mr Earnshaw to increase the value to £3OO was negatived on the voices, SHOPS AND SHOP ASSISTANTS. In the House, the Shops and Shop Assistants Act Amendment Bill was committed, j An extended definition was given of shop assistants. An amendment was inserted to make it clear that bona fide commercial travellers did not come under the definition. On the motion of Mr Collins, a new clause was inserted giving inspectors the right of entry to offices, including banks, and providing that no employees under 21 years of age shall be employed in any office after 6 p.m. without a permit, or not for more than ten hours per day. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. A speech which annoyed the Premier considerably on Friday night was that made by Mr McGuire on the Imprest Supply Bill. He showed that the Colonial Treasurer had, out of £200,000 for goldfields, anticipated to the extent of £65,000. Of £250,000 for land improvement, no less than £127,000 had been already pledged, and of £150,000 for the purchase of native lands, £BB,OOO had been anticipated. The colony of course meets its liabilities, but the position was not satisfactory after hearing so much about surpluses and self-reliance. The Ministry had not* been candid. They professed to ask the sanction of Parliament, but had set at naught all the rights of the House, and-it was time such a mockery and farce was ended. EIGHT HOURS BILL. Members are generally concurred in the principle of the Eight Hours Bill, in moving the second reading of which Mr Seddon said it was merely intended to apply to factories, gold and coal mines, and persons employed by local authorities. Many committee objections, were, however, raised. The only real out and out opponent of the measure was Mr Willis, who spoke of it as an electioneering measure, but the idea of doing away with overtime was freely condemned, it being pointed out that there were occasional rushes of business in every trade, and that unless overtime were allowed under exceptional circumstances the Bill would be unworkable.

Sir R. Stout thought the Bill ought to be made more general. He saw no reason why it should not apply to all Government employees as well as employees of local bodiaa and to agricultural labor as well. The Premier, in replying, thanked the members for the way the measure had been treated. He said that 32 years ago he had taken part in an eight hours’ demonstration in Melcourne, and repelled the insinuation that the Bill was brought in for electioneering purposes. He warned the House that it those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits were brought within the provisions of the Bill, then the Bill was as dead as Julius Cfflsar. As to overtime, labor must be spread over as large a surface as possible, having at the same time a practical application.

The second reading was agreed to on the voices, and the committal of the measure fixed for next sitting day.