PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 18, 13 September 1912, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

(Per Presa Association.) Wellington, September 12. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Root Knot Disease In reply to Mr Poland, the Minister of Agriculture said that the Department was enquiring into the prevalence of root knot disease among fruit trees in the Auckland district. He expected information from the Department to-morrow, and would communicate the same to the House when received. Legislative Council Bill. The Legislative Council Bill (Mr Massey) was read a first time. Railway Wages.

Mr Fraser drew the attention of the 1 House to ; a letter appearing in a southern paper advising workers to keep away from the Midland railway works at the Bealey, as the wages paid by the present Government were lower than those paid by the previous Governments. He pointed out that the conditions wep exactly the same now as previously. The Government had made no alterations whatever except in the direction of bettering the conditions of the men, such as the supplying of timber for floors of men's tents. Co-operative Labour. Replying to Mr Davey, Mr Fraser said that he did not believe in the cooperative labour system as carried on in this country for some years past, and he intended to have an alteration effected. He believed in the small contracts system, hut he did not want that statement miscontrued into making him say that he opposed the large contract system. Fruit Trees Condemned. Mr Massey, reverting to root knot disease, said that he would send an officer to the Auckland district to enquire into the state of affairs alleged, namely, that orders had been issued for the destruction of over a million fruit trees, valued at £20,000, in .one year. In Committee. The House went into committee on a number of Bills. On the Gold Duty Amendment Bill Mr Fisher moved to amend the Bill by including dentists and other people's sweepings .within its scope. The motion was carried and the Bill reported. The Wanganui Bridge Amendment Bill was then considered in committee. The Bill provides for the apportioning of the maintenance of the Wanganui bridge. • »• The Bill was reported with a minor amendment for the exemption of machinery and appliances of the bridge from the provisions of the Bill. The Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Bill was reported without amendment.

The Agricultural and Pastoral Societies' Amendment Bill was amended to provide that the Governor may, by Ordor-in-Couneil, on receipt of a resolution requesting him to do so, passed at a general meeting of a society, change the name of anj incorporated society, and such alteration shall not affect any rights or obligations to the society. The Bill was reported and the House adjotnmed, resuming at 7.30 p.m. Local Bodies' Superannuation. Mr Herdman ?noved the second reading of the Local Authorities Superannuation Bill. He said that the proposal was that local bodies should be given fvdler powers than they at present possess to bind their successors, and generally to make the scheme at present in operation more workable. Sir Joseph Ward .suggested a compulsory grouping of local bodies for the purposes of the Bill. He considered that by combining local bodies could achieve very much better results than if they worked single-handed, more especially if the system were made mandator j. Mr Witty contended that either scheme should be made compulsory, or that the funds should be subsidised by the Government so as to put them on a financial basis. Mr Buddo said that the difficulty was that the majority of people concerned were servants of small local bodies,

who were not able to apply the principles of the Act on their own limited finance.

Mr Davey urged tliat it was only reasonable that tlio State shoukl subsidise a scheme of superannuation for the employees of local authorities, so

as to reduce the amount otherwise payable by those employees. He suggested that the scheme should be worked in conjunction with the National Provident Fund. Mr Ell said that they could not do better than to make the National Provident Fund available to employees of local bodies. The Minister, in reply, said he was prepared to give consideration to the proposals of members. The suggestions in connection with the National Provident Fund appeared to him to be perfectly reasonable. The Bill was rpad a second time. Technical Schools. Mr Allen moved the second reading of the Auckland Education Reserves Bill. In the course of the debate, Mr Payne urged that an effort should be made to establish a big technical college in the Dominion, and so do away with all smaller institutions of that description, and carry out that branch of education at a great saving to the community. Mr G. M. Thomson suggested the establishment of hostels in towns for the use of those who had gained scholarships and come to the towns for the purpose of taking advantage of them. Mr Russell enquired whether the money to be obtained from the endowments would lie applied in addition to the capitation secondary institutions ; received, or was the amount to be deducted p A lot of money was being wasted in some of thb secondary schools —money that could bo profitably employed on primary education.

The Shipping Law. Mr Fisher moved the second reading of the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill, intended to bring tho Neu Zealand law into line with the Imperial law. The Bill was read a second time oi! the voices, and the House rose at 10.30 p.m.