PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1919, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Tits Legislative Council met at 2.30' VARIOUS BILLS. The Hawke's Bay Rivers Bill was re. ported from the Loeal Bills Committee without amendment. On the motion of the Hon. W. J. Geddes- the Bill was referred back for further consideration, his reason for this being that a new clause had been inserted in the House of Representatives providing that loan money cannot be raised without a poll of ratepayers. The following Bills received from the House of Representatives, were rrjjui a first time: National Provident Jtod Amendment, Native Townships Amendment, Counties Amendment, State Forests Amendment, and Police Offences Amendment. The Speaker referred to the point of order raised by the Hon. 0. Samuel yesterday as to whether I he InvercargiU Borough Boundary Extension Bill was a private Bill. He stated that he would refer the point to the Joint Committee on Bills. WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT. Sir Francis Bell moved the second reading of tha Women's Parliamentary Rights Bill (No. 2). Having traversed the happenings of the last few weeks, he said the Prime Minister had made it clear that the acceptance of the Council's amendment to the original Bill was not conditional upon a new Bill being brought down in the Council. Continuing, he said that the Legislative Council Act, 1914, providing for making the Council elective, would by, proclaimed at the rising of Parliament and one year after would become law. The Bill before them to-day made provision for the remaining year for the power of appointment and rightly so, for as constituencies were given power to elect women to the House of Representatives in the interval the Government ought to have the right to appoint them to the Council. The Hon. S. W. Hall-Jones supported the Bill and said that it was necessary even although there was only one year in which it could b.i operative. The Hon. H. L. Michel said he intended to vote against the Bill as he was not satisfied there was a general demand on the part of the women of New Zealand for the right to sit in Parliament. If women were elected to the House of Representatives he would withdraw his opposition, The Hon. 0. Samuel said it looked as if the only reason for the Bill wks to give the Government of the day an opportunity to make appointments for electioneering purposes. * The Hon. G. Jones'welcomed the Bill as an indication the Government was answering well to advanced thought. The Hon. Te Hen Heu Tukino repeated his former assertion that the matter should be settled by a vote of the people. The Hon. J. T- Paul maintained that if the Council voted against the Bill it would mean that half of the population of the country would not have an opportunity of having fair representation. The Hon. W. Earnshaw maintained that the Government had no mandate from the people, and added that personally he was opposed root and branch to allowing women to stand on the floor of Parliament. The second reading was lost by IS votes to 8, the division being as follows: Ayes (B)—The Hons. Bell, HallJones, Aitketi, Paul, Grimmonil, Flem. ing. Jones, Thomson. Noes (18). —The Hons. Sinclair, Hardy, Barr, Michel, Geddes, Patuki, Tukino, Gow, Hawke. Fisher. Stewart, Earnshaw, Harris, Moore, McGibbon, McGregor, Simpson, and Samuel. The Council adjourned at 5 o'clock until 8 o'clock. OTHER BUSINESS. The Legisaltive Council resumed at S pm. The Education Bill was put through its final stages and passed. The Public Health Amendment Bill was committed. Clauses were added to enable a local body to carry out structural alterations to private premises where the owner fails to do so, and to charge the owner for the work, and to transfer power to gtvo notice requiring alterations to unhealthy buildings from the health officer to the local authority. The Bill was.passed. On the suggestion of Sir Francis Bell the committee reported progress on I'fee Expeditionary Forces Voting Bill and asked leave tc sit acjiin in view of the possibility of provision being made for soldiers at sea to record their vote 3 on the licensing question. The Council rose at 10 o'clock. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. RBPU.ES TO QUESTIONS. (Replying to Mr. Brown (Napier), Mr. Massey said he would put the Shearers' Accommodation Bill on the Statute Book this year if at all possible. Later the Premier gave notice of his intention to introduce the Bill. Replying to Mr. Glover, Mr. Massey said it was the intention of the Government ,'to establish civil administration in Samoa at the earliest possible moment. Replying to Mr. Wilford, Mr. Massey said it was doubtful whether the House could be given an opportunity of discussing the question of sending a permanent representative of the Dominion to London Ihis session. It was an important matter and one which would, iiave to be faced. He felt satisfied ' the larger Dominions would sooner or j Inter appoint permanent representatives, but so far he had . not Eeen that they had taken any step in that direction, [f an opportunity offered lie would table a motion on the question. Replying to Mr. Semple, Mr. Massey said he was again in communication with both parties to the coal dispute with a view to arriving at a settlement. Unfortunately the question was of more importance to a third party—the general public—than it was to either of the other two partiesReplying to Mr. Jennings, the Hon. W. Nosworthy said it was not the intention of the Government to introduce a Pure Seeds Bill this year. ' Replying to Mr. Holland, Mr. Massey said he doulbted if the Labor Convention proposed under the Peace Treaty was to he held, owing to the illness ofPresidept Wilson, but he would cable the Imperial authorities. Labor representatives would be selected according &#***%» •" " •'

Replying to Mr. Fraser, the Hon. J. G. Coatea said it was not intended to reduce tha sentences of long sentence prisoners on the final ratification of peace.

Replying to Mr. Holland, Mr. Massey said there were tha greatest difficulties in the way of permitting soldiers who had not returned to vote at the forthcoming election. He had a conference with the chief electoral officers on the subject, and tliey had been unable to suggest a way out. They, however, would report to him. Sir Joseph Ward suggested soldiers should be given what ho called a "deferred" vote, that is, that the vote should be sealed up at sen or elsewhere and , not counted till the soldier arrived in the Dominion. | Mr. Massey explained that would de- | lay the result of the election, but he ; would make a statement in a lew days [ when he received the report of his officers, '' ■ ' j LOCAL BILLS. ; The following local Bills ware put i through all stages: Wellington City Abattoir Charges and Renewal Fund (Mr. Luke); Greytown Borough Loan Empowering Bill (Mr. Horntfby); WaL roa Harbor Board Empowering' and Loan BiU (tlie Hon. Sir John Findlay); Wcstport Technical School Site Bill (Mr. Colvin); Waimakiriri Harbor Board Reserve Bill (the Hon. D. Buddo); Tolago Bay Hartior Bill (the Hon. W. D. j S. MaODonald); Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Bill (the Hon. Sir' William Fraser). NEW BILLS. ! When the House resumed the Railway | Authorisation Bill was introduced by i Governor's message and read a first j time. The Minister stated that only one new railway was provided for, mat between Wairoa and the proposed harbor at Waikokopu. Several important deviations were authorised. The Electric Power Works Loan Bill was introduced by Governor's message. In reply to Sir Joseph Ward, the Minister said it was intended to ask for £0,M0,000 for expenditure on hydroelectric schemes. The Bill was read a first time. BOARD OF TRADE. The House then considered the nmendments mads by the Legislative Council •n the Board of Trade Bill. _ Mr. Massey said that with the exception of an amendment made in clause 33, the amendments were unobjectionable. The first of these amendments was held to be an infringement of the rights of the House of Representatives, and the second prevented the averaging of prices, which he considered unfair. As the Bill left the House it permitted averaging, but with the 'safeguard that the Board of Trade must approve of prices charged. He moved that with these exceptions the amendments be agreed to. The Premier's motion was agreed to. The Hon. W. D. S. McDonald, Mr. Hornsby,. and the Premier were appointed a committee to prepare reasons for disagreement. A MARRIAGE SAFEGUARD. Tlie Hon. J. B. Hine moved the second reading of the Marriage Amendment Bill, which he explained had been prepared at the request of the Britiou Government. The Bill provides for the giving in .New Zealand of notices of marriage pro-, posed to be solemnised in the United Kingdom in eases where one of the parties to be married is resident in New Zealand on the giving of the notice. The second reading was agreed to without debate, and was then put through the remaining stages and passed, UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS. Mr Mas?ey moved the second reading of the Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Bill. Ho said the Bill centred enormous power fn the hands of one man and he did not care who the Attorney-General v>"as. the drastic powers contained in the Bill should not be centred in his hands alone. It o-Jglit to be centred in the Govcrnor-in-Council Mr. Holland said if the Labor Party in New Zealand endeavoured to bring to this country any of the Labor leaders in Britain those leaders could be turned back by the despotic powers given to the Attorney-General. Mr. Massey, in reply, sfcid amendments might be made in committee, but the principles of the Bill must stand. The Bill was read a second time. PUBLIC WORKS, In reply to Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. Massey said the discussion on the Public Works Statement and the Estimates would be taken to-morrow. The House rose at 10.54 p.m.