LABOR BILLS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15274, 23 July 1920, Page 9

LABOR BILLS.

IS THE MINISTER INDIFFERENT? WELLINGTON, this day. Private members' day m the House gave several Labor members an opportunity of bringing forward their proposals to amend the Labor laws. Mr. Howard (Christchurch South) secured the second reading of a Bill to amend tlw Workers' •Compeiwitlon Act, proposing a 1 ilion! liberal system Uiict «liniijiatiiig- the l doctrine of roihfnoil elfiployment which i Has prfjudiced itijtii'ed workfrrf i(t sftcur-i ing damages. The Bill Was "well received ' all i'oitnu tlie House, inehibers reoom-i mending it to the Govermnent^ atteu-i tiorf; Thfc Bill propos^d^ m view of the ! iiicreased cost of living, (o raise the ' compensation payable for death* or toMl • disablement from £J>oo to £7. r )d.' it w,is ' proposed that compensation. should beirin ' from the day of the accident, section 1 • deal! with lta/l poisoning, leaving- tho time m which the disease may be contracted indefinite because it could not be defined. Lead poisoning was not strictly an accident, and ought not to be mcliul.,l m this Hill. There ousht to Jic special legislation' stealing witit -occulia tioiiitl diseases, tl was proposed Id incroaso the medical • assistance froni £.1 i to a yum up to-. £35. and' the weekly pay mem was raised from £2 to £;t per w e eic riausc o abolished the "peniic.ioiis svsteni ' known as common omployment'— Mr. Lysnar supported tHe.J^UI as the request* niaile m ilii; nieastuyj wo?o reason able, only by meeting the wrongs or ! lie woi;k('r s could be secured industrial ! •Odd-.— .Mr Poland complimented' Mr I llujvaj'il on his courage m introducing the Hill and on His mrtrtesty m 'framing if lor Jis demands fell far short of what' X. a V lU « "s^w^n. master and man! m tlu? case of an accident,. The one o«=- 1 sentml chantrc to enable Hhe employer to liay proper compensation to an 'in- : .mied employee was State monopoly of the accident insurance biisiness.-Mr j \u it, \ wa f * ce P! ic}l /i abo «* the Ministeriai ! attitude, being sadly reminiscent of the usual fate of private members' BHls lfo was .surprised that the Minister of Labor had expressed no opinion upon a nW ■ ure so well received.— Mr. MassevTennric ' So "nm YeV c , hatl miU \ c ai ' M "sx-'nJn!s a ?;;. rm. I 1 - to b(l ' craisideml by the Lanor \ 11s Committee-Mr. veUcli declaw'i ! that hi s meant pushing it into tho „i.i ' machine which he' had wound un „i swallow ihe Bill.-Mr. J. s Di'L.n ■ Who is Minister of Laboi -.-Mr VeS- ! J don't ki.ow whose turn it l s this wtok but . r understood Sir Win. He fries is \i!!! SCI " °/ r Labol " !U1(I } 'c would | MlnisiiM- of Kecrealion if there was such a portfolio.-Sir Win. lferries later m " lc evening- of the Master and Ap,,!' 0 . ites A Vi Amendment Bill, which was vead a second time on Mr. Bai train's mot.on.-The Minister declared that f ie reputat ions- craze i,ad come up, '. House like an epidemic, and he had be '„ away receiving two deputations. So Vai as. Mr. Howard's Bill was concerned it ho.L..bor mils rorninittec. which w.iuld call evuleme on both Bills. The Gov eri.im.iit.- had the Wol-kcrs' Compensa ti'n ' b, H,", 10 ! '."•°"' "Ml -i« -lia«vli Ho would, J glad to hear evidence before the com-' v.ViH? !!!,7> lol> U i Slm|ie tUe amendments' ' w lull might go m ccvlain directions de- . South. He was pleased to see Labor members reverting: to ■ the Masters' and Apprentices' Act. He had never believed n the idea that, a trade could be wholl y STm'i - 1 " ( toChll ' cal sch ™^ PreferS «-h i «.^ ystem of « inor enticeship. The whole thing could be, threshed out be oio Ihe Labor Bills Committee. ' If O m . I tiling could be done to increase the iimthing. 'Ihere was a tendency to lev^l un X ""{{} -I, 11 "* w «s "«le difference £?. ween skilled and unskilled labor, but ho hoped that when things became norm.il ihore would be a greater reward to *killed. men.— Tlin Hon. J. \; Ha,Vm stM'ssed. tho importance of technical education m conjunction with practical tral !- in«-.o make ellicient apprentices- and"- skilful radesmen.~Mr. Kellett blamed oir Arbitration ana antiquated regulations Ih r t «.^ I lack , or apprentices. He favored ♦he Bill and hoped the Premier would give it an opportunity of passing j nto aw— Messrs. Jennings and Lvsnar *nnport.d fh« Bill, which waS Wd a LcSl inif, and referred to the Labor nnt<? <'n.. I milt,e.-Puriiamontao- Ren Q] Zr.