PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8250, 3 October 1906, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE OUONCIU

By Telegraph—Press Association,

WELLINGTON, Ootofcor 2. The Legislative Coanoil met at, 2.30 p.m. The Fire Brigades Kill was read a third time and passed. The Habitual. Criminals and Offenders Bill whs re nommitted. Iha Attorney General moved ' to a3d the wove! "priaon" before the word "reformatory" in various elauses of the Bill, The Bill was reported as amended. The Council adjourned at 3.45 p.m..

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Ohuroh Property Trust Canterbury Act 1879 Amendment Bill waq read a third time. The) Roman ' Catholic Bishop of AuoKland Empowering Bill was read a tird time.. The Scaffolding Inspectors Bill,, Local Bodies Loans Act Amendment Bill, Laud and income Assessment Act; Amendment BilJ, Victoria College Act Amendment Bill, Agricultural Implement Importation and Sale and Manufacture Act Amendment Bill, Experimental Dairy Softool Bill, Waimate Agricultural Reserve Bill wero read a first time. In oonnectiou with the Workers* Dwellings Act Amendment Mill the Minister for Labour explained that the reason for raising the limit: of qualification from £156 to £2OO a year was to increase thn demand for the 77 houses now in the possession of the department. Mr Massey objected to the Bill, as ifc was contrary to the spirit of the arrangement proposed last year, which was to benefit thw smaller workers, < Mr McLachlan agreed with the Leader of the Opposition. He did not like to see the Government recede so soon from the position taken up last year. • i would oppose the Bill. Mr Fogg had "damned the measure with faint praise' last year, and he would "damn it with fainter" now. yet be would support the Premier's attempt to get over a hard legacy. He agreed that the best plan would be to acquire 6iies for the working men and let tboin build their own bouses. The Hon. Mr Miller,, in reply, pointed out that the principal Act was just what the workers had asked for. The Bill was read a second time on the voices. The Oouse rose at 5.30 o'clock.

EVENING SITTING

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. I The Fire Brigades Bill and the 1 Taranaki School Board Empowering and Exohango Bills were received from tbe Legislative Council with amendments, and the latter were agreed tr. The Minister of Public Health moved the second reading of the Pri® vate Hospitals Bill, emphasisine: the faofc that the orux of the Bill is the olauso requiring thai; every private -hospital shall be under a qualified medical practitioner aa manager or a registered nurse. The Bill was read a second time on tbe voices. Town District Bill was passed through committee and amended by limiting the scope of the measure to populations I of "not less than 500," and substituting the general term of "local authority" for "county." A motion to report progress was moved at 10.20—ayes 13, noes 47. The motion was lost. Mr Ell moved his amendments—(l)''Seot<ous 17 and 18 of the principal Aot are hereby repealed; (2) the qualifications of an elector shall bo those prosnri bad by the Municipal Corporations Act 1900 for electors under that Aot; (3) the members of the Board shall be elected by the electors of the district In the manner prescribed by the Local Elections Act 1904, all the provisions of which Act shall apply, and every such elector shall have one vote and no more; (4) section 19 of the prinoipal Act is hereby amended by repealing the words "from tie aforesaid electoral roll 3 of ridings of counties" and also the words "and shall euter therein the number of votes which each elector is entitled to." A discussion on Unfranchise arcse, and lasted some time, and ended in a division--ayes <J 1, noes 16. The new clause was read J a second time. Mr Herries moved to report progress. Au important amendment of great moment to local bodies having been made a postponement had baoonie necessary. Mr Massey protested that au im • portant alteration of tbia kind ought only to ba brought down in a general looal government measure. Mr Herries urged that tho amendnents wore too crude to be passed aa they stood. iho House divided—*iyes 14, noes 44. The motion to report progress was lost. Mr Herries moved a further amendment to Clause 1 to add nineteen to the numbers therein. The Premier, seeing no chance of progress, proposed that if the amendment were rejected bo would agree to report progress. Progress was. roported accordingly. I The House adjourned at 12.10 a. m