PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 15, 18 September 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

[Per Press Association.]

Wellington, September 17

The Council mot at 2.30 pan

The Christchurch Electrical Empowering Bill whs read a second time. The Borough of Mornington. Tramnay Act Amendment Bill was taken through committee without amendment, read a third time and passed. The Council then continued the adjourned debate on the question that the Council resolve itself into committee of the whole on the Legislative Council Bill, The Hon. J. R. Sinclair said that the proposed change of system in the Bill under consideration would be ; retrograde step. Care should betaken to see. that the one House is no', a reproduction of the other. Ho did not support a nominated chamber, bui a system of nomination for life might well be considered. He would sup port a proposal that three-fourths ol the members ' be' elected by the people, and the other fourth nominated for life. If wholly elected by the people, the Council would be a repro duction of the House of Representa fives, and its existence then would be indefensible.

The Council adjourned at 4.-to

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, September 17. The House, in Committee, resumed at 2.30 p.m. Mr T. H. Davey asked for informa tinn concerning the Sydney and Mel bourne tourist offices. There wa nothing in the Estimates to indicat. the rents or anything in that direc

Sir Joseph Ward said that those tw< offices were the most valuable out posts this country had. If the; were done away with it would bo r. Fatal mistake.

The Minister said that reorganise, ion of the Australian - offices was a present under consideration. The vote was. passed unaltered.

On the vote for the Public Servic

ommissioner’s Office,-Mr J. A, Hana

isked what were- the’ number of ap peals lodged against the Commission ers’ classification; also why the Go yernment had 'gone outside the coun > Ary ; without advertising the position o-wlieh appointing, the Commission. SO, Hon: ; E:-; M. B, Fisher replie That, the i number of'‘appeals lodge-'f-vditoi 80, which was: Hie fpwe'st hum 1 ptider any jschdmei in Australnsi. ’its jiheeptiion. p)!>;•; . f ‘

Mr T:. i K:.. ftidey contended that' 'th

Jovernment’s action in presentin, estimates of salaries was illegal. .Th ■lassification list should be suspende bis year. The method pursued b :he Government was unconstitutional Sir Joseph Ward said that the rea

;on why salaries were classified an .gazetted was- so that -they-could ’no no altered. Parliament could no reduce a. vote for salaries, Tt couh reduce a -collective vote and send th. Estimates so amended ■ back to tb. Commissioners, informing them tha they would have to re-allocate th. whole sum over the class affected Ihen each of those affected had ‘ ; claim for recovery against the Crown A'hat would be the position ■if th. Commissioners said a man was wort. J2do a year and Parliament increa.. -d. the amount?

■ Mr Massey: He would be paid ac cording to the classification. Sir Joseph Ward: Of course Jr. uould. 'then what is the use of tin. /louse touching the Estimates? Tlu Government is simply flouting Parlia mont

Air Allen said' the Estimates did no ■ix a man’s salary j they only grantoi supply. In any case, the salarie, •vere only estimates. The position regarding the Public Service Com mission was that it would pay exact iy what the Jaw stated. 1/ the das sification list showed a decrease i die Estimates, the matter could In put right on the Supplementary Esti mates. The Estimates were brough down on August .4 or. 6, and the Public Service classification liad not been Wight down then. If it had been down he would not have altered his at all. The maximum am. .minimum salaries were fixed in a Jaw passed last year. If the House du •reduce any item, a man affected wouk, not lose, as ho was working unde: contract and could recover. The reduction would simply be an indication chat the classification needed amendment. Mr T. M. Wilford contended tha; much valuable time would have been saved if the Commissioners had classified the Service and then asked the Government to provide sufficient money to pay the salaries allocated in tiio classification list. Tha Government should then present the list to Parliament, and ask the House to vote the total amount in a Jump sum. i’be present method was simply tinkering with the position. Mr G. W. .Russell said that every employee in the Government Printing Office bad bad bis salary raised, the increases averaging £3. Two members ol the House who would benefit from that were the .Minister for Marine and the .Minister for Justice, in whose districts the majority of employees lived. Mr A. L. ilerdmnn said that Mr Russell’s suggestion was ridiculous. Ihe Kstimato.s were in. complete ac"ord with the law. It was quite competent for the Government to bring down additional and revised Estimates if it thought fit.

Afr Massey said that ho could not mderstand the attitude of tlie Oppodion in regard to the legality of the Kstimatery Each grade in the Serdee was fixed hy Act of Parliament,

;iul then the Commissioners made ap(ointments according to the gradesf the House reduced the salaries the .mount had to be made up, which .-onld be from unauthorised expendiure. The Government’s position .as not a weak one, but was particularly strong. Mr Veitch desired to see some oi lie power now vested in the Commisioners replaced in the hands of laiiamenfc for the further protection ol ho Service.

Sir Joseph Ward said that the GoernrnJnt had got itself into fl diffiulty, and it would have to be tackled ,y legislation belore the session came oan end. If the Government preceded to make payments without the ,roper statutory authority, then goodve to this country.

Mr G. Lauren son said that they .ere asked to vote £2031 as salaries >r derks in the Commissioners’ office, fc was a piece of extravagance. He ■anted to enter his protest against he whole “jing bang” lot.

In reply to Mr Hanan, the Prime Vinister said an opportunity would a given, to the House to discuss the ‘ommissioners’ report.

The items and the class then pas?d. The Committee took up consideraion of the Cook Islands Department. Mr Isitt made an emphatic protest gainst proceeding with the Estiates until Judge ■ McCormack’s re-u-t was before them, as promised by io Minister. .

Dr. Pomare said* the report was m e hands of the printer.

The Committee adjourned at 5.30. The House resumed in Committee a the Cook Islands Estimates at 7.30

Mr G. For bus moved to reduce the ilarv, £7OO, of the Eesident Com.issioner by £lO, as an indication iat the Civil Service Act had been .bverted by the appointment of a iperannuated officer over Go years ol ge. Mr L. M. Isitt strongly attacked :o Administration, especially the aplintment of Sergeant iilako as Chief Police. While Mr isitt was speaker tiie report ox Judge McCormack, aicn ho xxad demanded earlier, was rcuiated.

Dr. Pomare, in reply to the criti--m, reminded the House that Judge. .cCormack’s report was not a stktu,ry report, as tlia Opposition had prejuoly contended. Every effort was ihg made to suppress' bush beeri rifting. "He would bo : glad to’reive assistance frdm his criUfcs if .'ey had a suggestion A‘d make 1 . The .era liquor permits issued during the >t month i iVere ndt Added to ifa’ttvis, it to 1 EiiVopehns! > ’ Tie Aeblined to lay ■rgdaiit Blakd'Arbcord on the-table, e pointed out that it is impossible , kill the Mediterranean fly in oransby fumigation,-so that the recent se of condemned fruit was not afctcd by failure to fumigate.

i'lie Hou. A. L. Herdman read Servant Blake’s record in 'the Nett ifcea.ud'Service, to' show I tWro was 'hdthg of a disgraceful character 1 ih : it. he offences were all of a 1 Wilor at ure.

Mr A. T. Ngata contended that the .flux of. Europeans into the ißaronigaii Group should he discouraged, id an area set aside especially for olynesians. If they had fewer Euroeans in the llarotongan Group the ritish Empire would in no way suf-

A motion to reduce the rote was st on the voices.

Dealing with the item of £IO,OOO ■r expenses in connection with the sit of the battleship New Zealand, ir Joseph Ward wanted to know why , was that no opportunity was affor*d the people of Southland to sec 16 ship, which lay off the port for ily live and a-half hours. He did ot know who was to blame, but while Homo lie had seen the Itinerary of :e ship, and it was there provided mt the ship would lie off the Bluff >r a while. Mr Massey said that the Governent had ■ absolutely . nothing to' do ith the itinerary of the ship. Capin Halsey had emphatically stated sat lie would run no risks, and Would rt stay in any port where there was it a good anchorage. Both he and !r Bell had ’endeavoured to induce aptaiu Halsey to make a longer stay t the Bluff, but to no avail.

Mr Massey said that the first itinerry of the ship that he or the Goernmenfc ever saw was after the ship rrived here. He knew nothing of he itinerary arranged at Home. EM) OF THE STONEWALL. At 1.10 a.m. the vote passed. The Prime Minister intimated that > would put through the Labor vote ml adjourn. Mr Massey took the chair, and the hairnian put the question of the >tal vote of £2”,887.

No one challenged this, and hnsi-ss-s tor the night was ovor, not one abor member being in the Cham-

)?r. The House adjourned at 1.20