PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1920, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,; AVIATION SUBSIDIES. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. , The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South), the' Minister of Defence said the payment made to the Sockburn Flying Company was, he thought, more in the nature of a subsidy than anything else, though the company seemed to think it was in the nature of payment for services rendered. The payment made to the Auckland Flying Company was paid purely as a subsidy. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. Replying to Mr. G, Witty (Riccarton), the Premier said that so far as he could judge it would be six weeks before the Publie Works Statement would be laid before the House.

PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. INCREASES RECOMMENDED. • The committee on the Civil List Bill reported that the Civil list Bill No. 2 should be amended as folIowB: "Sub-clause A of clause 20, as regards Ministers' should be deleted.'' This means that Ministers may draw payment as members of Parliament as well as Ministers of the Crown; that the salary of the Speaker of the Legislative Council should be £BOO per annum; the chairman of committees, £450; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, '£1000; the chairman { of committees, £700; members of the Legislative Council, £350 J members of the Hduse of Representatives, £SOO. This latter payment should commence from the date of the election, and in the case of Legislative Councillors from the same date, or from a later date of appointment. The committee rccommiended that a fund should be established by allocation of public "funds for the purpose of aiding ex-members of the House and their families who Tecjuire assistance, this fund to be administered by the Premier, the Leader of the Council, the leader of the Opposition, and \ the Speakers of both Houses. It was further recommended that the Leader of the Opposition should be provided with a private secretary and a typist to be selected by the Speaker. 1 [ The report was received.

"ONE BIG UNION." , CONTROVERSY OVER NEW BILL. The interrupted debate on the question "That the report of the Labor Bills Committee on the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill do lie on the table," was resumed by the Labor Party, who attacked the amendments made by' the committee, which, they claimed, rendered nugatory the purpose of the Bill, Mr. Howard moved as a protest that the Bill be referred back to the committee. The Hon. Sir William Herries (Minister of Labor) said he had no objection 1o it going back to the committee. Mr. P. Eraser (Wellington Central): "We want you to kill it altogether"' Mr. J. P. Luke (chairman of tlie Labor Bills Committee) said the purpose of the original Bill was to legalise "one big union," and that was not in accordance with the wishes of the majority of the people of the Dominion. Mr. J. McG'omba (Lyttelton) contended that the Bill as infroduced, did not provide for one big union covering all industries in the Dominion, but it merely provided for the settlement of disputes within a given industry on a Dominion basis. That was not the "one big union" idea, and he could not understand the crass Rtupidity of the committee, that could so misunderstand the position. The amendment that the report be referred back to the committee was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at 12.5 a.m.