PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 79, 3 December 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

o HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2. [Per Press Association.] Wellington, December 2. The House 'met at 7.30 p.m. The House went into committee oj ■;the Counties Act Amendment , Bui which Bill was passed without ameno ment. ; The Police Offences Act Amendnrv Bill was taken in committee ana le ported 'with^amehdnie'nts.; The House went into committee o: the Judicature Amendment Bill an read a third time. The Counties Act Amendment Bi and the Police Offences Act Anient: ment Bill were also read a third tiiiu The Education Reserves Act Amend ment Bill, which allows trusties o high schools.to borrow mo.if\ at fiv< 'per cent., and allows the Governing to terminate pastoral leases tor- tfc purposes of closer settlement; Distivand Replevin Act Amendment Bil which provides tor raising the .»xt-mr. tion of furniture, etc., in t E d'v

tress warrants to £-30; and die sen;!: reading of the Mutual Vive Insurant. Act Amendment Bill, -which provide; for tlie insuring of wo. : -: u-.-n agaiiu'accident were considered in commit tee, were reported, and read a thin time. The House adjourned at 11.30 p m. "PANIC LEGISLATION." Before the Orders of the Day" wen called on, Mr G. W. Russell askthe Prime Minister, without notic whether his attention had been draw] 'to a statement that an armed force v a being organised in Auckland, outbid* the regular forces, for the purpose o assisting in tlie present industna trouble. He pointed out that if on< side were permitted to organ.se in tin way the other side might want 10 c!< the same.

The Hon. W. b\ Massey wild tlia the Government had no jffi?ial infor mation on the point, but fron what h< had heard while in Auckland l;.e i.ndei stood that no attempt was being i ad to enrol a regular constabulary ford but the names of those now serving as special constables were Ijeiug Jtakei and registered in the event ol then services being required at some luturt time.

Later in the evening, when tin Police Offences Act Amendment IM was taken in committee, the Hon. A L. Herdman explained that under the existing law in New Zealand a per&oj could not. he imprisoned for ineitim another to a crime that had been committed. The Bill also deals vith in timidation of persons desiring to follov their ordinary avocations, and provide' punishment for those interfering witi them.

Mr A. H. Hindmarsh urged tha there was no need to go further tbai tiie English Act did. To do so ini.ie. existing circumstances would rppeai vindictive. Mr W. A. Veitch charaetori-vd iln Bill as panic legislation. It would io; have a healthy effect on the put:l>< mind.

Mr A. L. Herdman replied that i was introduced before the present i'i dustrial trouble was thought of. Mr Veitch: It. was not introduce! before the Waihi trouble! Mr Herdman: I am not saying that Mr Veitch, continuing, said that s< long as a unionist was given the righ

to indulge in peaceful picketing In was not so miioli concerned, but at the same time Parliament would b( better employed in seeking out the causes of the present industrial unres and finding a solution for them. He advocated bringing; t he Bill into lim with the English law. There were two typos of anarchists in this country. The Bill dealt with one. and lie honed that legislation would be promoted to cope wit lithe other. They should see, for instance, that the Merchants' Association did not profit by the present industrial unrest by putting prices up to famine rates. Mr Herdman said, regarding the anarchists alleged u> be wandering abtmt at large, that if Mr Veitch could supply him with information rogaidinp; cn.f extortionate prices or the breaches o ; ' the Commercial Trusts Act, he would be prepared to deal with them. It

J was a cardinal principle of our social j iberty that people should he f>orinited to go ahdut their business unj molested. Mr Veitch said that in Wangamu 'he prices of necessities of .life were .dvaneed 5 per cent, during the recent j itrike, without any justification. He submitted that Parliament should proj -ide for peaceful- picketing.;-.:Strikes j vera permitted in law, and they had I o proyide for them. ,1 I The word '''perMfs'ten'tly," applying, to. strikers following jothera about, j'l-a's struck 1 out, Wy'3l yotes go 18. I The Minister moved sj nev£j clause, j naking incitement to crime, punish--1 ble. This was carried. Mr G. W. Russell said it was neces- | ary that the word in committee should J >e clearly defined, because it must be ] inderstood whether they were, narrowj :ig the liberties of people or not. The Hon. A. L. Herdnian said it was 1 ot, intended to interfere with reason- ■ ble rights of free speech. The clause mly provided for the case of one peron urging another to commit a serious :rime. I The Bill was then reported with intendments.