PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3625, 24 August 1901, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

Per Press Association.

WELLINGTON, August 23.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Council met at 2.30 p.m. UNPARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE. Captain Baillie, Chairman of Committees, reported to the Speaker the circumstances of the incident last night when Mr Jones declined to withdraw the words

"' detestable traffic," as applied to the liquor trade.

The Speaker said that it was his duty to support the Chairman, and he therefore called upon Mr Jones to withdraw those words which had been .deemed offensive to another honourable member.

Mr Jones said that he was willing to accept the position, being conscious that it was the duty of honourable members to obey the ruling of the chair. For the sake of his own dignity, and in order to facilitate the proper conduct of the business of the Chamber, he would submit to the ruling of the Chair. He expressed- regret at the occurrence, but explained that his refusal to submit last evening was because he had not understood the Chairman to. rule definitely that the words complained of were unparliamentary, or that he had committed a breach of the rules designed for the guidance of the Council. He therefore withdrew the words, but maintained that they were justifiable as applied to the trade generally.

THE SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL. The Shops and Offices Bill was further considered in committee. The discussion was continued on Mr Jenkinson's motion that no female assistants be employed in hotel bars after 9 p.m.

On the suggestion of the Minister of Education, the motion was withdrawn for the present. Mr Jones intimated his intention of going round and discussing the question with the barmaids before the motion was reintroduced. He spoke strongly in suppert of the motion, asserting that some such provision was necessary to prevent barmaids being worked to death. Clause 18 of the Bill, relating to a half-holiday for hotel assistants passed unaltered.

On Mr Bolt's motion, freezing companies and forwarding agents were added to Clause 20, exempting certain offices from the necessity for closing at 1 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m." on other week days.

Mr McLean moved to include all Government Departments in the provision of Clause 20, but after some discussion withdrew the motion, intimating his intention of moving in the same direction at a future time.

. On Clause 24, Mr Jenkinson wanted provision made for bank officials working overtime being paid, therefore with that end in view, he moved that the sub-clause be struck out.

On a division the clause passed as it stood by 21 votes to 4 votes.

Mr Bolt moved to strike out sub-sec-tion 2, Clause 24, which fixes the rate of overtime for office assistants and ledgerkeepers and the day for its payment. The Minister of Education strongly urged the retention of the clause. He regretted the attitude of bank clerks towards the BUI. They had not shown sufficient independence. The Bill was in their interests, and in the interests of their employers, and of the people generally, seeing that it would restrict the over-working of clerks, and, by providing for overtime payment, would place the burden on the right shoulders.

Mr Smith, Mr Jennings, and Mr McLean contended that the provision made in the Bfll would not improve matters, as regards bank clerks, but would be prejudicial to their interests. "On a division, Section 2 was struck out by 15 votes to 11 votes. When the Council adjourned at 5 p.m., a motion by Mr Bolt to strike wholesale warehouses out of the Bill was under discussion.

- The Council resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Bolt's motion to exempt warehouses from the operation of the Shops and Offices Bill was further discussed. Mr Pinkerton considered that the Council would act tyrannically if it forced legislation on the warehouses as the employees were well content with their conditions of labour. The Minister of Education asserted that ten years ago the banks in New Zealand were an absolute inferno as regards the condition of their employees, but things were better now because the State had interfered. Much the same thing applied to warehouse employees. It was shameful that Councillors would not recognise the horrible tyranny in the conditions of labour , in the past, and unless Parliament interfered this tyranny would exist in future. j Eventually the* whole of the clauses re-

lating to warehouses were struck out of the Bill.

Mr Shrimski strongly opposed a new clause providing for the closing of all shops at not later than 6 p.m. on week days and 1 p.m. on Saturdays, urging that shopkeepers were entitled to as much consideration as banks and warehouses.

Motions by Mr Shrimski that the chairman leave the chair and that the clause be struck out were both lost. Mr Jenkinson moved a proviso to exempt country shop-keepers closing at 6 p.m. and 1 p.m. Carried on a division by 10 votes to 6 votes.

On the motion of Mr Bolt, a new clause was added providing for the payment of shop-assistants' wages at weekly or other intervals not exceeding a fortnight.

Mr Jenkinson' reintroduced the employment of barmaids question, moving that barmaids be not employed in bars between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. The motion was opposed by Mr Pinkerton and Mr Louisson, but carried by 7 votes to 6 votes, and inserted in the Bill as a new clause. The Bill was reported as! amended. At 11.15 p.m. the Council adjourned till Wednesday week. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. FIRST READINGS. The Rhodes Trust Bill passed its final stages. The Second-hand Dealers Bill, the Opium Prohibition Bill, and .the Evidence Act Further Amendment Bill were introduced and read a first time. IMPREST SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill for £608,00 Q .; was introduced by Governor's Message. Air Hemes complained that the Lands, Railways, and Minesvßepbrts had not yet been laid on the table. It was impossible to properly debate the Financial Statement without them.

Mr Lang referred to the uselessness of the Public Petitions Committee, pointing out that it was very seldom that recommendations made by that Committee were given effect to by the Government. Sir Joseph Ward said that the Lands and Railways Reports were being prepared as rapidly as possible, and the Government .hoped to present them to the House within the next three or four days. With regard to Mr Lang's complaint, he said that petitions which were referred to the Government had to be carefully analysed and supervised, as in some cases Committees were inclined to be too generous, i

Mr R. McKenzje thought that the financial debate should, be postponed till these reports were brought down. Several other members urged that it was not fair to ask the House to criticise the Statement -until members were in possession of the fullest information.

Mr G. W. Russell said that if these reports were delayed by a block in the Government Printing Office it should be brought up to date and properly equipped with all modern, appliances. ■) The Premier said that it was quite, true that the Printing Office had not the linotype, but he would prefer to find work for the men rather than displace them by these labour-saving machines. On-the motion to go into Committee of Supply on the Bill, Mr Fisher moved as ah amendment, " That the order given by the Minister -in charge of the Government Printing Office, directing the Government Printer.:'not to issue reports of members' speeches from ' Hansard,' is an infringement of the rights and privileges of members of this House." .' As this notice of motion was on the Order Paper, it was ruled out of order. Mr Hall-Jones moved, " That, in the opinion of this House, it is desirable that members' speeches be reprinted by the Government Printer as hitherto."

After a short debate, the motion was agreed to on the voices, and the Bill was put through all its stages without amendment. THE HOSPITAL NURSES REGISTRATION BILL. On the motion of Mr Hall-Jones, the Hospital Nurses Registration Bill was recommitted. In committee the Minister moved to amend Clause 4, " who may be registered," by doing away with the provision that the matron of a hospital in which a nurse has graduated shall be herself a certificated nurse.

The amendment was agreed to without debate.

The House rose at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. BILLS PASSED.

The Hospital Nurses Registration Bill was read a third time and passed under the title of the Nurses Registration Bill. The Rotorua Town Council Validation and Extension Bill was put through its final stages. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

At 7.50 p.m., the debate on the Financial Statement was opened by Captain Russell, who commenced by referring to the absence of the returns necessary to enable them properly to disucss the financial position of the colony, and to verify the figures in the Statement. There was throughout the Statement a subdued tone of irony and a complete tone of insincerity. The Premier had trusted the people very little, and in every department had carried on the policy of bribing the people. The great increase in the publk debt caused the very gravest alarm throughout the colony, and if there was one man more than another to whom was due that alarm, it was the Premier himself. It was the duty of the Premier to have taken steps to allay the alarm caused by his own statements, which were not as he said misunderstood, as there was every reason to believe that he was accurately reported.

The Premier—" I did not report them, and there was no reporter present." Captain Russell said that it must have been brought to the notice of the Premier, and if he knew it was inaccurate he ought to have had it corrected. The figures of the Financial Statement were such as to lead any one" to think that there was serious danger ahead, and itwould have been far better instead of making a large increase in the departmental expenditure to have taken other f steps to prevent what he himself suggested, an increase of taxation. There was a falling off of £24,148 in the Customs returns for the June quarter, or at the rate of £IOO,000 a year, although that was the quarter which was least likely to show a shrinkage. It appeared that the Premier had endeavoured to mislead the House by saying that the increased expenditure was due to the Royal visit, but it must be remembered that the visit took place six weeks or so after the end of the financial year, which was very little affected thereby. And yet in spite of that the Premier referred to the elasticity of the revenue. He believed that at no time since he had been a farmer had the prices been so low, and reduced spending power must result in a general and all round reduction of the Customs and railway revenue. He quoted figures in support of his contention that the railways were being run at a loss, and he pointed out that as most of the railways loan money cost 4 per cent. and the railways were only required to pay 3 per cent., an injustice was being done to the country. Concessions, it appeared, were being made irrespective of any true finance and, were due merely to a desire to in some way bribe the people. The impression the Statement gave was that it was the last the Premier would bring down, and that he wanted to show how much better things are now than when the present) Government came into office. He showed, however, that the progress of the railways during the ten years previous to 1891 was greater in proportion to money j borrowed than for the last ten years;

while the difference was still more marked as between the past three years and the three years previous to the • present Administration coming into ofiice. Despite the heavy expenditure by the Government the population had not increased and he believed that the Government had unsettled every industry and done unconscionable harm generally by their policy. The money they were now borrowing for the compulsory purchase of estates, would be better employed in opening up fresh country, instead of driving people off land which was already settled and paying rates. He could not see how, if the existing lines of steamers could not make the Cape trade pay, the Government would achieve any greater measure of success; but it was possible that the question of cool storage at the Cape was worthy of consideration.

Mr Napier, who followed, said that Captain Russell had accused the people of New Zealand of accepting bribes and he subnitted that that accusation was an insult a an overwhelming majority of the people >f Sew Zealand. He gave credit to the government for having increased the salares of able men in the Civil Service as against a reduction carried out by the Atkinson Government whenever bad times :ame. Captain Russell was urging the cesof public works—(Captain Russell: No.") —and the running of the railways m commerical lines: That was the policy if the Opposition to make the public services earn such profit that taxation would >e lightened and they would escape the egitimate contributions to the Exchequer rhich they were now paying through the graduated land tax. As & the railways laming 3 per cent/and being run on commercial principles, that policy meant that he railways could not be used for opening ip the conntry. The primary object of >ur railways ought to be to open up lountry which must result in considerable idvantage to the State. As to' the inirease in the public debt during the past rear, more than half of it was directly prolucing interest, and a great part of the emainder was expended in permanent vorks which formed a very large asset. Ie defended the vote for expenses of the lucal visit and justified the increases in the Education and Defence Votes. He loped that some practical proposals would >e submitted for securing the permanency if the San Francisco mail service and - advocated the speedy construction of the tforth Island main trunk railway. Mr James Allen urged that the Premier's )wn words in his "Statement meant that mless care was exercised salaries would lave to be kept down. ' Bribery had >een incited by the Premier in going ,o the constituencies and urging that they iould not expect assistance unless they inpported him. As to the Government jeing willing to pay for ability Ee could ;ive a long list of men who had left the ;ervice of the colony because the Gorernnent had not paid them sufficient for their vorth. Referring to the surplus he said hat they must deduct £70,000 excess of iabilities this-year over last year, besides rhich the Government had for years been mtting loan money into the revenue side )f the accounts. He believed- that the Premier made the remarks to a West Coast leputation because every word was borne iut by the Financial Statement. The Prettier preached prudence and economy, yet ;he Budget said it was proposed to in;rease expenditure by ■■ £284,000. H< pointed out that last quarter there was in excess of £362,000 of expenditure ovei revenue. The excess had never been sc jreat. They- were now unable to fac< the London money market and the Pre mier thought he would exploit New Zea land and Australia. Since 1891 the ac fcual borrowing had amounted to £12,649, 000, and \the Premier knew it was timi to consider whether that policy of heavj borrowing ought to continue. But th< most serious matter in the Statement was that there ought to have been a balance of £143,000 in the Ways and Means of the Public Works Account on 31st March last, but that balance was not there, xne debate was interrupted at IU.6V p.m The House adjourned till 10.30 a.m. oi Tuesdav.