DEPUTATIONS TO THE HON. J. A. MILLAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 38

DEPUTATIONS TO THE HON. J. A. MILLAR.

While in Dunedin a number of deputations waited on the Hon. J. A. Millar. One of these consisted of a number o£ Labour leaders, who- urged that the Government should establish a creche, where widows and other women could leave their young children while they went to work to maintain themselves and their families. One representative expressed the opinion; that the State should maintain a widow, and her family. The Minister said the' humanitarian side appealed to him, but there was the question of ways and Linearis. He thought possibly the difficulty might be overcome by extending the kindergarten schools so that a woman could leave her children early in the morning and take them away late in the evening. To a deputation of residents of Sawyer's Bay and Port Chalmers the Hon. Mr Millar, suggested making a pathway by which Sawyer's Bay residents could get to and from Port Chalmers without actually trespassing on the railway line. A deputation from the Otago Harbour Board waited on the Hon. Mr Millar to urge that the foreshore should be nested in the board, and to ask him to take charge of a bill providing for this. The Minister undertook to take charge of the bill. -Ir. reply to a request for deep-water berthage at Port Chalmers, (where the wharves were under the control of the> Railway Department, the Minister said he would require to know, what vessels would! lie at a wharf extended into deep water and what the cost would be. He thought the best thing would be to consider the matter of dredging at the George street wharf.

A deputation from the engineering trade waited on the Hon. Mr Millar with regard! to the duty on parts of dredging material,and at the same time to point out the present stagnant state of their trade. They also •urged that anything that could be manufactured in the Dominion for Government* works should be so manufactured. The Minister undertook to bring their repre-. sentations before the Minister of Customs,, stating that when he was Minister he interpreted the tariff as not including parts* As to the other point, instructions ha } been given to the Railway Departments that nothing should be sent for out of the, country that could be made in it. In reply, to a remark that crab winches could be .made in the Dominion he .asked that a list of tilings that could be manufactured should) ba given him, and it would receive his attention.

A deputation from the M.U.1.0.0.F., the 1.0.0. F., and the Foresters waited on the Hon J. A. Millar to urge that clauses 15 r,nd 16, struck out of the Friendly Societies' Act before it was passed, should be enacted. The object of clause 15 was to provide for an adequate scale cf contribu-: tions as certified by an actuary, and scl bring all friendly societies into line. The Minister undertook to lay before the Minister of Finance the representations made, and expressed his sense of the importance of all friendly societies being on a sound! basis. Later on a deputation from the United Ancient Order of Druids waited on the Minister to point out that the scale of contributions of that order were fairlyi adequate scale. The order was always will-* of the previous deputation being that societies unrepresented were not desirous of an) adequate scale. The order was always will ing to take advice, and thought the registrar should Occupy an advisory and! not an arbitrarj position. Clause 16 was evidently aimed at the Druids' special general levy of 6d pei member. This was a benevolent gift and not an insurance. It was a great blessing that if at any time it seemed likely to become a burden mem-, hers could drop it. In reply to the Minister, who said he had been told that the Foersters, by adopting a death scheme the same as the Druids, had brought about a. deficiency of £55,00C in their funds, Mr Larnach said that was impossible. The Minister said he recognised the Druids' death fund was separate, and there must b. souk misunderstanding about the matter.