FRIDAY- AUGUST 28.

Otago Witness, Issue 2842, 2 September 1908, Page 87

FRIDAY- AUGUST 28.

In the Legislative Council, The Hon. Mr RIGG moved that the Government be recommended to introduce a bill to provide an efficient means of utilising the credit of the Dominion in time* of financial panic so as to restore public confidence. In a lengthy speech the mover urged that if the Government could do nothing better it could revive "The Bank Note Issue Act, 1893," and it might very well now consider the question in a more comprehensive manner. He- asked why the Government did not take over the note issue in the Dominion. The expense of producinc^jiotes was not much more than that of postal notes, and ho did not see why the profits of tie production should not go to the people. If the Government was not prepared to take over the note issue it could make provision to issue notes in time of panic, and could make them legal tender. He added that if they would have a prosperous people it was necessary that they should have a sound currency. t The ATTORNEY-GENERAL eaid it was impossible to traverse Mr Riga's very excellent speech, as he would require at least two hours to reply to it. He had covered the ground of the greatest of public questions. The more one read about an inconvertible paper currency the more one felt that it was a, question to be treated with caution. He pointed out that Mr Rigg had adopted the course followeu by many men of comparing the state of affairs, in New Zealand wiih that of older countries. The Dominion was not a country subject to financial crises such as befel America recently, as there were many safeguards, and panic demands could not occur as they had done in America. He did not think it was- a question to pTess on the Government, as the head of tie Government had these matters as much at heart as anyone, and was satisfied that there -was not the faintest reason to introduce legislation of this kind. Indeed, he was so alive to the country's needs that if exigencies should demand such a course he would be the first to in-fcrochiee a measure. The Hon. Mr KELLY said he thought Mr Rigg ehould withdraw his motion. Mr RIGG, in Teply, said he regretted that Councillors were disposed to shelve the discussion of such an important question. The motion was negatived by 24 votes to 5. In the Houee of Representatives, THE ESTIMATES. The House*" resumed consideration of the Estimates in- Committee of Supply. On Class 19, marine harbours, inspection, and Machinery Departments (total vote £82,680), in reply to various members who referred to salmon hatcheries and Government oyster beds, the Hon. Mr MILLAR stated that the Government proposed to import Atlantic salmon ova this year from England. No more Pac : fic salmon ova would be imported. He also stated that the Government O3'ster beds had been a great success. The oysters had never been so well supplied to the public before, and though the Government had charged only 12s 6d per sack instead of £1 or 30s it would make a handsome profit of between £500 and £700 on the year's transactions. — ("Hear, hear.") On class 20, Department of Labour (total vote, £27,162). in reply to various questions, Mr MILLAR stated that the cost of the Arbitration Court and the Conciliation Boards for the year had been, roughly, £8800. The cost of the Conciliation Board's inquiry inio the farm labourers' dispute in Canterbury was £800. Continuing, Mr" MILLAR said there was an impression abroad that the department was not collecting fines. He quoted £gures to show that this was not the case. Between 1903 and 1908 of the fines imposed on men 72 per cent, had been collected, and of the fines imposed on employers 90 per cent, had been collected. He desired to inform the House that the Blackball miners had paid their fine in full, with .all 006t6, amounting to a total of £147 10s. Of £1350 in fines imposed on the slaughtermen, £692 had been collected, and £356 was owing by men who had left the country for Australia before the Government could take the necessary steps. When these men came back here the Government would collect the fines due. The Government was distraining for £33 5s 9d, and warrant}- were out for another £58 9s 4d against persons who had nothing to d'strain upon. Mr BARCLAY urged the nec-resity for more female inspectors of factories, and also compfained that the salaries in the Libour Department w<?ie tuo low. The MINISTER eaid he did not believe in more female inspectors owing to divided authority. The Employment Buieaus for females had been much appreciated. He agreed that the salaries were too low. On class 25, Public Health Department (total vote, £38,910). Mr JAS. ALLEN said he regretted that the report had not been presented. He hoped that the Native Health Office was promoting improved sanitation in the Maori kaingas. Mr J. ALLEN said he hop<>d the Government would repeat the Waikato experiment in Central Ota>£o. He was glad

to see that a subsidy appeared on the Estimates towards the funds of societies for the promotion of the health of women and children. This was great work, and it was right that the State should encourage it. He hoped that if £400 was found to be insufficient the Government would increase the amount. Dr CHAPPLE emphasised the protective character of the sanatoria to the community at large, as well as their curative value to patients. The best climatic conditions for the treatment of tuberculosis were to be found in Central Otago, and nowhere else in the Dominion. The growth of expenditure on the Health Department had greatly increased of late years, and the question arose whether the results justified this. The death rates were as high as ever. Zymotic disease was as prevalent as ever, and he thought much medical knowledge was going to waste. Except in times of scare the medical officers of health had not much to do, and should be used for the purposes of medical inspection of schools. Mr BARCLAY applauded the work of the Karitane Home for Infants in Dunedin, and said he thought it ehould be subsidised. Similar institutions had been opened elsewhere in the Dominion. Mr GRAY said that 45 per cent, of the total vote was for salaries, and- the results were not commensurate with that large expenditure. The administration was very defective. Mr HOGG said he thought a good deal of money spent by the department would be more usefully expended upon training nurses. The facilities to enable consumptives to enter the sanatoria should be increased. Mr BAUME advocated a sanatorium in Central Otago. He 6aid the Waikato Sanatorium had done good work, but wa6 not big enough to cope with the requirements, and further provision should be made. He did not agree that too much was spent on salaries. The health officers were doing valuable work, and a large staff was inevitable in a department of this kind. ' Mr ELL said he thought that local bodies should subsidise the work done by the Church of England, the Church of Rome, and the Salvation Army in training nurses to go amongst the poor. Replying to a question, Mr FOWLDS said the Pure Foods Act wa6 operating well in the direction of a higher standard of food offered for sale. As far as the Natives were concerned, the Government was subsidising medical men, and also chemists, in the Native districts, and Native nurees were being trained to-give instruction in the rearing of children. The vote was passed unaltered. - - On class 26, mental hospitals and hospitals and charitable- aid (total vote, i ±5104,534), Mr WILFORD animadverted upon the high lunacy rate of the Dominion. During last year, he 6aid, 1 there were 3240 - inmates, an increase of : 34 -over the previous year. Of new arri- ! vals, 31 in 1906 became insane within a year of coming into the Dominion, and in 1907 the number was 21. The chief cause wa6 heredity, according to Dr Hay. That gentleman pointed out that there was at the present time inadequate accommodaion for 55 female inmates. It was gratifying to see that the revenue from cropping hadi greatly increased. Mr FOWLDS said the 'department was at present selecting a suitable site for a new asylum, with a view to abandoning the Wellington Asylum. He was opposed to large piles of buildings. Separate buildings were preferable, allowing of better classification. Additions were going on in various country institutions to tide over the requirements of n«xb year or so. Mr WILFORD, referring to the classification, said, in regard to Sunnyside, that Dr Gow's report stated that drafts of patients were sent to the theatre regularly owing to the kindness of the theatre managers. This class of patients had to mix with old men suffering from senile decay and with raving maniacs, who had to be kept under restraint. Obviously classification was urgently necessary. It was uselecs for the Minister to talk as lie did of selecting a site for a new mental hospital. Unless one man selected the site it would never be selected. Dr Hay should do so. If they had an annual chase for a new asylum ac they had on the other side for a Federal capital, it would be 15 years before the new hospital was an accomplished fact. The attendants should be better paid for the work done. Seventy pounds a year and keep was wretched. On the item for hospitals and charitable aid (£12,563), Mr FLATMAN urged that the Government should expend a sum on cancer "«>eareh, with a view to diminishing tho cases, which at present showed a continuous increase. Several members urged the necessity of affording the back-blocks settlers better facilities to obtain medical aid. More cottage hospitals w*re wanted. Referring to St. Helens maternity hospitals, Mr FOWLDS eaid a large number of highly trained midwives were being turned out. The charge made for training was lower here than elsewhere in Australasia. He was anxious that there should be a large number of trained nurses, and it was possible that an amendment in the existing law would be brought down th:s 6«ssioii to enable the best equipped private hospitals to train certificated nurses. The total vote was passed unaltered. On class 17, Defence Department (total vote, £214,470), a member was anxious to know whether the recommendation of the Colonial Conference regarding the exchange of officers was to be carried out. Mr ALLEN complained that the whole weakness revealed by th« defence report was the difficulty of getting forces in the field for training purposes and to eruiblo officers to get experience. The Hon. Mr M'NAB said the suggestion that the Government had dictated the contents of the defence report was grossly unfair and absolutely untrue. It was true that much fewer had turned out for inspection than could be desired, but

the report dealt with the state of the Volunteers before it had declared thac they were on their last chance. Mr M'NAB. continuing, said it was a mistake to suppose that mere ability to shoot well made fighting soldiers, as would very quickly be found. Mr MASSEY said the Defence Report was very sorry • reading. Efficiency was low and discipline bad. The country was not getting a return for the money spent. Every line of the report of the Inspectorgeneral on the subject on the readiness of the forces for war was suppressed by the Government. He thought one Volunteer was better than 10 pressed men, but ife was not possible to get Volunteers. That) was tolerably evident from the report. Mr BARCLAY said he thought it was not surprising that Volunteers did nofc come forward, seeing how badly they were treated. ' • The PRIME ML7ISTER, in replying to Mr Massey, said that in all his experience he had never heard of a report on the preparedness for war being laid on the table of any House in any part of the^ world. Jt would be very* wrong of the Government to do such a thing. Personally, he thought that schoolboys should be. trained in military science, and should be made to join, a Volunteer company • when they -left school, but he was con-_ vinced from his experience that publio opinion would not tolerate proposals for compulsory service of any kind. That had been proved some time ago, when a rumour got about that the Government proposed to call out the Militia, which the the Government could do under the act. It was too soon since the Defence Council was created to judge of its value. A general discussion on defence questions would therefore be premature. ; Mr T. MACKENZIE said he agreed that the time was not ripe for compulsory sei'vice, yet the young people here must be trained to enable us to put up a defence. This country could no longer regard with indifference the dread developments i» the Far East. SETTLING WORKERS. Speaking in the House last evening, Ml Jennings said that a number of men would shortly be discharged from the Main Trunk railway works, including the saw* mill owned by the Government at Kakahi, near Taumarunui. He urged that provision should be made for settling them in the district where they had resided in some instances for three years. The Minister (the Hon. R. M'Nab said that provision was being made for settling some of ,the Main Trunk railway -workers, but the Government did not wish to have bush destroyed for the' purpose. He intended to keep trace of these workers and provide holdings for them as soon as possible, but he did not anticipate that they could all be placed on suitable holdings as soon as the railway works were completed. Mr Okey and Mr Massey urged the desirability of preparing the Waimartno and Waiouru Plains for settlement, the latter «3cpreseing the opinion that pastoral pursuits could hi profiably carried on in these districts. INSULT TO VOLUNTEERS. In the course of some remarks in the House yesterday afternoon, Mr Massey referred to " the treatment received by the Volunteers who assembled on the occasion of the visit of the American fleet recently at Auckland." The Volunteers who took part in the reception were, he said, a credit to the force, but when they arrived in Auckland what happened? He was thinking of the banquet given by the Government at the public expense. If there was one set I of men more than another who were entitled to be invited to that banquet, those men were the Volunteer officers, as representing the Volunteer forces who were in Auckland at the time, and yet up almost to the last moment not a single invitation was offered to them. But when it was found that there was a strong feeling about the matter, a mere handful of invitations were sent to the Volunteer officers. Only two or three of them, however, turned up, and he thought it was not to be wondered at in the circuirstances. Personally, . under such treatment, even if he had received an invitation, he would not have put in an appearance. What took place in connection with that banquet wae "an insult, a positive insult, to the Volunteers o( th« Dominion. GOVERNMENT AND THE SHEEPSHEARER. Mr Lewis has given notice of two quesr* tions that will make pastoraliete throughout the counftry smile : (1) To ask fchO Minister of Labour whether he will endeavour to induce his colleagues the Minister of Railways and the Minister of Public Works to provide for co-opera-tive labourers and men employed upon the railways the same standard of accommodation as the Shearers Accommodation Bill seeks to provide, for shearers, or, in the alternative, will he amend the said 1 bill in the direction of establishing the same standard of accommodation for, shearers as a Liberal Government provides for its employees? (2) To ask the> Minister of Labour whether he will arrange with the Public Health Department and the Government Printing Office for the immediate supply of 4302 medicine chests and an equal number of books on

Jst*t aid so that owners «of 1000 sheep or pver* may be in a position to comply with the provisions of t>he Shearers Accommodation BilL (Note.— The matter is of some urgency, ac shearing will commence in October.) Mr Lewis informs me that objection is taken to his question about the supply of medicine-chests and first-aid books in order that owners of a thousand sheep or more may comply withy the provisions of the Shearers' Accommodation Bill. The question is said to be in opposition to the rule against the inclusion of '^ironical expressions" in questions to Ministers. Mr Lew» says the question may be sarcastic, but the plain fact is that the bill ■would compel at least 4302 owners to place a medacrae-ohest and book on_ first aid in each whare: but if the bill- is serious, he- adds, " I don-'t see how my question, can be sarcastic or ironical.' Per oontia, he peinfe to a return allowed by the Government to be laid on the table by the Right Hon. Prime Minister of New Zealand and prepared by a Qovernmeat department; "Thefc ifeere b» laid' before, this House a Tetuin showing, tiie aumber of persons who are known to have died through taking Cockle's, Beecfiam's, or Dx Williams' pilfc." VIEWING THE BODY. Ikifc necessary to view the body? This, has- been the- moat faontentioos question connected with, the Coroners -Amendment BilL Ai. fiwt M* M'Gowsa piauosed to wiieve- both th» coroner and the* jury of this doty, b«t the House decided that the cokhuk must view the ,body, though the wry need not. Tne question reached another efcage. yesterday afternoon* when the Statutes Revision Committee reported the bill to the Eegusiaive Council -with, a new clause, providing t>h*t it siKall not be necessary for the coroner to view tho body if a qualified medical man has certified' that death was dne- to any, infectwuff disease. Before tiiev bill w«r refejTed* to the committee Dr FfotHay had infcimated that he toouM move fa- nn« directionr. BANKRUFCCY. REEDBNS: & .return obtained by Mr Baume shows Ibatf dating, the jum 1907 tftero were 56bankrnpte at Auckland, as against W at Wellington, 29 *fe Chrlstchnrch, and 25 at Dunedin. The dtvidendßjpaid: were 4s 2d at Auckland, 10* id at? WelEngton; 5b 2|d: at ChTisfcchTHTch, and 7s let at Dun* edin. The gross total earnings fey the Official Assignee* amounted to £694 r at Auckland, £109 at» Wellington, £2® at Chrietchurch, and £37 at Dunedin. The large increase in private assignments at Auckland !&6t»year i&- shown by the fact thai the amount earned by the Official Assignee in 'commission, on such assignment* was £618,, as. against £32 in 1906. There were" no similar earnings at the three other centres.