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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15273, 22 July 1920, Page 2

supported by fellow Liberals, who urged the Government, ro got nui after the large estates. Tho Prime Minister eventually replied it* Avar impossible, he suggested, for prices to soar higher. Everyone knew perfectly well that Avoollcn goods must come down, as the price of woo!, the important factor, was still fall* ing. Mr Vigor BroAvn : But prices of goods are not falling. Mr Massey ansAverod that a. drop must come. How much avoulcl 10 per cent, reduction in tariff affect high-priced imported goods? He doubted if the .burden would be appreciably lightened. Mr Wilford: Take it off Customs and nut if on large estates. Mr Massey: We cannot do Avithout a shilling, and if we reduce Customs wo will have io increase taxation in other ways, i Tien;-, hoar.) He Avent on to repeat that tlio tariff -would be dealt with next. year. Re. was not going to hurriedly reopen it, for he knew the sort of scramble which took place on the floor of the House. Mr Witty: Didn't you .scramble, too? Mr Massey : Yes, I worked for my constituents. Mr Brown: Will you increase the death duties? Mr Massey: The hon. gentleman may have an opportunity of doing something in that direction this session. I have just about finished the Budget, and i -ii"n it comes down on Tuesday' he will find more information than he is asking ■s : ." lU'verting to the Customs tariff, the Premier suggested that a 40 per cent, drop in hides must cause a decrease in the price of boots, and he was not going to drop tariff protection, leaA-ing New Zealand manufacturers at the mercy of tho cheap industries of other countries. Mr Witty urged the Premier to have courage to deal with large estates, even if the tariff had t-o be left this session. The Hon. C. J. Parr suggested that an I altogether misleading impression Avas being given about the extent of New Zea- ' panel's death duties. The maximum was 5s per cent., but there were also succes- . sion duties ranging up to 10 per cent. Thus it 'would be possible to collect 25 per" cent on one estate. Last year's "receipts were over two millions. New Zealand's death duties were amongst the highest in the world. < Mr Massey: Next to Britain. i HOTEL AND RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES. Mr P. Fraser moved the second reading of, the Hotel and Restaurant and Private Hotel and Boarding House Employees' Six Day a Week Bill. Hp said there Avas no suggestion;, of One Big Union within the four corners of the Bill. It simply endeavored to give force of law to a feature of Hiany. industrial lAyards. Most of the employees in hotels lijoycd the six day Aveek now, but it vas not statute laAV. In this respect Npw Zealand lagged behind the legislation of most other countries. He proposed to ask 'that the Bill be referred to >,h'e-, Labor Bills Committee, and as it affirmed what was the elementary principle in Labor he did not anticipate opposition. — Tlio Hon. W. Herries said lie was not disposed to offer any opposition o the Bill, as it was going to the Labor Bills Committee, whore the whole question could be.- thrashed out. — The Bill was read a second time on the voices. MINING ACT AMENDMENT. Mv Parry moved the second reading of the Mining Act Amendment Bill. He explained - tliat the Bill sought to amend Section 268 of the principal Act in the direction of giving the right to sue for injury received, notwithstanding that tho miner may hnA'.o received progress nayments under tho Workers' Compensation Act, 1908. Ho pointed out that the acceptance of such payments nullified the mind's' claim under the common laAV which was not the case Avith other workers in other industries. He only asked that miners be placed on- the same plane ns all other Avorkevs. He suggested that hhe Bill should go to the Mines Committee.—Mr Massey said he approved of Hie Bill going to the Mines Committee, as he wanted the matter r.onn into by The Bill Avas read -a. second time. GAMING' ACT AMENDMENT. The Gaming Act Amendment Bill came under discussion in- committee, of the House last night,' 'when .important modifications Avere made. When clause 2 was considered, Mr. Holland moved fo de'e'e the provision that a bookmaker can ■ye. summarily convicted. This Avas accepted by Mr. Anderson, Minister in •harge, thus giving -Hie bookmaker the benefit of a trial by jury. Clause 3 iinnoscs a fine of £100 or imprisonment of one month f(»r betting Avith a bookie, hut members considered this too drastic, ''onsecruently the Minister agreed to insert the qualifying words "not exceeding." Very strong exception Avas taken by a number ot members to the clause browing upon defendants the onus of proving their innocence: Mr. WilTord moved to delete the clause, and on a diAislon the* clause was retained by 40 votes to 18. Mr. Wilford then moved a repeal of the, clause prohibiting the louble totalisator.— Mr.' Hunter supported Mi*. . Wilford 's amendment on tlie ground Hiat it Avonld do more to make racing, ''lean than anything else. — Mr. Anderson opposed the motion, but left the matter to the Bouse.— Mr. Savage declared that. Mie Avhole business was a game of grab behA'een clubs and the bookmaker. Xhe *luhs had got rid of him, and wanted o do his job to shear the lamb closer.— Mr. J. S. Dickson warned racehorse owners in the House that' they Avere going too far, and ran the risk of the House voting tho totalisator out altogether: — The amendment was lost by 2-2 votes, to 'i2.»-Mi\ Wilford then moved to repeal a portion of the clause which prohibits the publication of race dividends, • but failed by 28 votes to 36.— Mr. Parry moved a new clause that no rules -of the Racing Conference be approved unless the Registrar of indus'rial Unions Js satisfied tht they properly safeguarded the wages and conditions of work .of persons employed by the racing authorities. -Sir William Herries raised a point of order ihnt such a motion was foreign to the Bill, and Mr. Speaker's ruling Avas obtained;, which supported this contention.—Mr. Isitt moved' that after the •lassage of this Bill no further totalismoi licenses be granted or renewed. HoAvever small the support which would • be accorded his motion, he AA-as satisfied that sooner or later, for the sake of the financial and economic position of the country, the totalisator AA-ould have to go The anticipation of the. motion meeting Avith litftle sympathy Avas avcll grounded, or it was defeated OA-erwhelmingly by 5o to o.— The Bill passed committee after a debate lasting close on Ave, hours.