PARLIAMENTARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9954, 16 September 1910, Page 1

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Abridged from Press Association.) LEG ISL AT IYE CO UNCIL. T.iTrßsn.vr, Si:pti-:j[hkr 15. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. BILL PASSED. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington Bill was passed. PUBLIC DEBT EXTINCTION. The Hon R. A. Loughnan resumed the debate on the Public Debt Extinction Bill, and expressed approval of it. Ho advocated gradual tapering off in borrowing. The Hon J. E. Jenkinson criticised the Bill at some length, and said it appeared to him that the fund would require, more assistance than the Bill proposed'to give. The Bill as a whole wa.s the most inconsistent and illdevised ever put before the Council. The Council rose. HOUSE OF •REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, September 14. After a lengthy discussion on Clause 3, relating to the payment of the expenses of members of Education Boards, Mr Dive moved an amendment that members of Boards need not give details of expenses actually paid, but should be. paid for all expenses reasonably incurred.

At 3 a.m. the Minister moved to report progress. The motion was carried, and the House adjourned. Thursday, September 15. y AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30 p.m. SELWYN COUNTY. The Solwyn County Subdivision Bill (Mr Witty) was read a first time. EDUCATION. The House went into committee on the Education Act Amendment Bill. At Clause 3 tho Hon G. Fowlds said ho would insert a proviso to enable payment of expenses to be made in cases where members of an Education Board used their own vehicles in travelling to and from Board meetings, also to substitute the word "visit " for " inspection " in sub-clause 3. Mr Massey suggested that members of Education Boards should be put on the same footing as members of I/and Boards, and bo paid for their services. Mr J. C. Thomson advocated adding a proviso providing for a payment of 10s per day for each attendance at Board meetings. The Hon G. Fowlds pointed out that this would require an appropriation clause. .

On a division the clause as amended was passed. At Clause 7, which provides for the medical and physical inspection of school .children, the Minister stated that regulations would probably not be ready for presentation to Parliament this session. Tt was intended that teachers should be instructed at training colleges so that they would be. able to discover defects in children, such as eye and throat diseases, deafness and adenoids. If they considered medical attention was necessary there wa.s ]>ower under the Public Health Act to obtain it. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. At Clause 8, which provides for the compulsory attendance of school children under fourteen on every school day. Mr Pearce moved as an amendment that the clause should only apply to schools in boroughs. After some discussion the amendment was withdrawn.

At Clause 17, providing for compulsory attendance at technical schools, Mr Allen moved that the word "permitting" should bo • substituted for " requiring." After discussion the amendment was negatived by 35 to 28. On t,ho motion of the Minister subclause 8, Clause 17, was amended by adding a definition of hours of employment. Air Guinness moved to insert a new clause amending Section 07 of the principal Act so as to make scholarships heretofore established by the Board apply to private as well as public schools.

The new clause was carried. The Bill was reported with amendments. TOBACCO. The Tobacco Act Amendment Bill was committed and reported with amendments. Tho House rose, at 12.55 a.m.