Essence of Parliament.

Southland Times, Issue 14684, 2 July 1900, Page 2

Essence of Parliament.

«. _ NOTES AND COMMENTS. I (By Telegraph.) I (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) I Wellington, June 30. Several hours were Bpent on Friday night in a discussion regarding the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Bill, which restricts ' the making of orders of committal in judgment cases to Stipendiary Magistrates, and deals with an evil which is rife in Wellington in the shape of debt-collecting agencies Mr Hanan, who strongly supported the bill, regarded it as a decided step to put a stop to the credit system. The second reading was carried on the voices. Mr Hanan is inviting the Government to introduce a Uaury Prevention Bill, and is urging the desirableness of appointing resident analysts to make periodical visits to towns or dirricfcs where there are none at present, with tbe view to carrying out more effectually the provisions of the Adulteration Prevention Act. The Colonial Secretary has in hand a bill altering the season for shooting native and imported game from Ist May to 31 -t July in each year. Last year sp rtsmen managed to get the Government to open the season at Easter, with the result that many birds only ha'f-grown were potted. The Absolute Majority Bill has the Government imprimatur and the Premier agretd to put it through its final stages, but pressure of work blocked the way. Oa Thursday last, when it again came up, every member of the Ministry in the House, together with the Government Whips, voted against the second reading, but Mr McNab nevertheless succeeded in carrying this by 36 to 23. REBUILDING THK C. AND A. ACT. Under the Government measure consolidating and amending the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act the interpretation of the term •* industrial matters " is amended to include the claim of members of industrial unions of wcrkers to be employed in preference to non-members, and the definition of "worker" is altered to " any person of any age and of either s:x employed by any empl <yer to do any skilled or unskilled manual or clerical work for hire or reward in any industry." A new clause is inserted placing the administitton of the Act in the hands of the Minister of Labour, and making the Secretary for Labour the registrar. Provision is made for preventing the needless multiplication of unions connected with the same industry in the same locality. As was to be expected from the public utterances of the Premier a clause is inserted to provide that at any time during the currency of an industrial agreement any union or employer may become a party thereto for the residue of the term by filing a notice signifying concurrence with suoh agreement. For the purposes of the election of Conciliation Boards provision is made t hat the registrar shall oompile and supply to the returning officer a roll of unions entitled to vote ten days before the day fixed for the election. Additional machinery clauses are inserted for giving j effeot to recommendation of boards and for facilitating the work of conciliation. An award shall bind any union or employer who, not being an original party thereto, comes into the industry during the currency of an award. An amendment is also made in the regulations for eailing a special meeting of a union for the purpose of deciding to take a case before th.9 Court, providing tbat notice of the proposal to be submitted may ba posted " or given " to all members of a union. The Aot is made to apply to the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, with which the Minister of Railways may enter into an agreement. In case of any dispute it may, if tbe Minister so agrees, be referred to the Court for settlement, but if the Minister refuses, the society may petition the Court to hear a dispute. Except in this department the Aot is not to apply to the Crown or any department of tbe Government. The most sweeping change contemplated is that whioh includes in the operation of statute all classes of manual or clerical workers. This, whioh wonld embrace farm labourers and domestic servants, ia the provision tbat will give rise to the greatest differeace ot opinion.