Parliament.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXV, Issue 3849, 1 August 1908, Page 2

Parliament.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. Mr Barr moved: "That in the opinion of the council the Government should immediately consider the question of devising some practical measures whereby the heavy cost of living of married workers compared with the single man might be lessened, and that a man with a family be specially considered so that the rearing of families may be looked forward to with less anxiety and parenthood encouraged." The question, he said, was of supreme moment throughout the world,and the day had arrived when matters other than wages, the employer, and employee, and the general public would have to be taken into consideration, and not merely employer and employee as hithertofore. The present immigration met all requirements, but many immigrants were assisted who were not entitled to a concession. The Government had done something in the direction indicated by the motion that homes for workers should be the initial step. He quoted statistics to show the disparity in the cost of I living between married and single i workers and the disadvantage to the i former as compared with the latter, and urged that preference should be granted to married workers by employers. State labour agencies should be established similar to those existing in Germany. He thought, too, there was an unjust tax upon everyday necessaries, which could not be manufactured in New Zealand should be employed and paid by the Government and should regularly visit schools and houses of people without waiting to be sent for, when too late to save life. Parenthood carried with it a claim on the State. —Applause. Mr Loughnan seconded the motion ! and said Mr Barr's motion representI ed the true wishes of the country. A debate was adjourned. The Consolidated Statutes Bill was put through all its stages. The New Zealand Society of Accountants Bill was read a third time and passed and J the Council at 5.30 p.m. adjourned I until August 19. | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. The amendments made in the Incorporated Society's Bill by the Council were passed with the exception of the clauses which, in the Premier's opinion, would tend to form a close guild. The conference arranged to consider the Consolidated Statutes Enactment Bill.

After the Premier and others had spoken, the Bill was put through all its stages and the House went into committee of Supply for the consideration of the Estimates. Class I, Legislative Department, £30,704: Replying to members the Minister of Finance said the Government would do what was possible to give clerical assistance to membersdealing with correspondence. Class 11., Department of the Minister of Finance, £57,858: The Minister explained in reply to Mr Herries that an increase of £3500 for discount and stamp duty on remittances to London, was due to the stringency of the London money market. The vote was passed. Class 11., Post and Telegraph, £796,638: Replying to Mr Herries, the Premier stated that the Government had done a great deal for improving the mail services. £20,000 had been offered for a service from Vancouver to New Zealand; but as steamers could not come here, the Government had been thrown back on the Suez service, and had paid the Union Company and Huddart Parker a subsidy for an improved service connecting with the Suez service; but this was unsatisfactory, owing to extra time involved. The Government : were anxious to bring about a fast 1 mail service in conjunction with the I British Government; but could not do i more than assist to run its creation. If such a service could be brought about, it would be cheap at the price. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Fraser (Wakatipu) indicated that one of the difficulties of the All Red service was that New Zealand inbisted upon a 20 knot service. The Premier said that was the first suggestion, and the Government would be prepared to give £IOO,OOO subsidy for the Pacific service; but when the other Governments felt that a 20 knot service was too expensive, the Government had expressed their willingness to give £75,000 for an 81 knot service with new boats, and good passenger and refrigerating accommodation. In answer to several members who wished for more telephone construction in the backblocks the Premier asked whether the expenditure of £155,000 and the erection of 2,307 miles of wire last year was not doing what was asked for. How much did members expect the Government to spend? The Government had, he declared, done more for back blocks telephone services in the past five years than any country in the world, and were constructing and extending them as quickly as possible. He protested at the incessant demands for greater facilities at ever decreasing cost. If every demand coming along were conceded it would not be long before the rates would have to be put up again. The vote was passed unaltered.

Industries, Commerce, Tourist, and Health Resorts Departments, £70,289: Several members complained that the Government and the Dominion were not getting anything like value from the Trade Commissioner at a salary of £450. The whole Department was antiquated and useless and the money spent on it was wasted. The Prime Minister justified the appointment and argued that the trade representative had done valuable work. Mr Massey said the Department, not Mr Gow, was at fault. It was absurd to send a trade commissioner to the East when we had no direct communication. In the House after midnight a discussion took place on the Tourist Department. The Premier justified its operations last year. The Department spent £49,000 and returned £20,000, besides which it was calculated that tourists spent nearly half a million pounds in the country. The vote was passed unaltered. The Old Age Pensions vote of £7773 was passed and the House rose at 1.55 a.m.