PARLIAMENT AT WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 July 1924, Page 5

PARLIAMENT AT WORK.

B. 3 BROUGHT DOWN. MINERS BROKEN IN HEALTH. APPEAL FOR BETTER PENSIONS.. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time:—Mortgages Final Extension Bill (Mr. Massey); Local Bodies Loans Amendment Bill (Mr. Massey); Religious Exercises in Schools Bill (Mr. L. M. Isitt); Insurance Companies Deposits Amendment Bill (Mr. Massey); Police Force Amendment Bill (Hon. C. J. Parr); Copyright Amendment Bill (Hon. C. J. Parr); Extradition Amendment Bill (Hon. C. J. Parr); Local Legislation Bill (Hon. R. F. Bollard). lir. W. F. Parry (Auckland Central) moved for leave to introduce the Miners’ Phthisis Bill. On this motion Mr. H. Poland (Ohinemuri) drew attention to the inadequacy of the present allowance made to miners suffering from this disease. He explained that married men received 35s per week and single men 25s per week, and 4 as he understood the Government proposed to introduce an amendment to the pensions scheme this session he asked that the allowance be so increased 'as to bring it into line with other countries where the mining industry was carried on. New Zealand legislation on the subject of miners’ phthisis was mean and narrow in its restrictions and the whole position required considerable improvement :o meet urgent cases.

Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames) urged the Government to take up Mr. Parry's Bill and make it law, for there was much need to have the legislation made more liberal. The Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister for Pensions) agreed with the other speakers in giving credit to Mr. Poland for the interest he had always taken in the question. The mining industry was the only one which had a special pension and from the pension point of view it was liberal. Although 3o« per week would not provide all that was necessary for a wife and family it was the biggest pension outside a soldier’s pension in this country. It had not been pointed out that while there were some poor miners who had the disease there Were also some who were wealthy. A member: Very few.

The Minister added that he did not know what was in Mr. Parry’s Bill, but the department and he as Minister had been going into this question carefully and he hoped to bripg down a Bill during the session.

The Bill was read a first time and Mr. Parry suggested July 9 as the date for the second reading. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was opened by Mr. J. Bitchener (Waimate) when the House resumed in the evening. Various topics were dealt with, after which Mr. J. Linklater seconded the motion. These were the only speakers and the House rose at 9.20 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.