PARLIAMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19366, 24 July 1925, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 23. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 to-day. 'The Iron and Steel Industries Amendment Bill was introduced from the House and read a first time, and the Weights and Measures Bill was introdu -ed and read a first time and a second time pro forma and referred to the Stinfos Jv'.’vision Committee. The Hon. G. AV. Thomson’s Captive Birds Shooting Prohibition Bill was read a second time, the mover intimating that it was identical with the English Act and was intended to put a stop to the cruel practice of shooting pigeons and other birds for sport. The Council adjourned at 3.8 p.m. until 2.30 to-morrow. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES YESTERDAY'S SITTINGS WORK OF ED ECATTON DEPART Al ENT. The House met at 2.30. The Prime Minister gave notice of his intention to introduce the Fire Insurane-' Amendment. Bill and Life Insurance .Amendment Bill. Notice of intention to introduce the following Bills was also given: Apprentices Act Amendment (Hon. Anderson), Popular Initiative and Referendum Bill (Mc- • ombs), Rotorua Borough Amendment Bill (Hon. Bollard), Counties Amendment Bill (Hon. Bollard'. RENT RESTRICTION BILL. Replying Io Mr McCombs, the Hon. Anderson said he regretted the Rent Restriction .‘Vet which expires on August 31 would have to be extended. THE RAT ANA MOVEMENT. In reply to Mr Isitt, who asked if the Government was prepared to do anything to chock the Ratana movement which, he said, was a “menace’’ to the Maori race, the Prime Minister said that as Native Minister he was carefully watching the Ratana. movement. especially in connection with the Ratana bank, but so far nothing had developed which would entitle the. Government to interfere, but so soon as it did he would not hesitate to take action. THE BUDGET DEBATE Replying to Mr Wi’ford. the Primo Ministi'r said the usual custom would be followed and the Debate on the Budget would begin on Tuesday cvcning. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT The Minister for Education tabled the annual report of the Education Department. Mr Smith eulogised the method of school construction and maintenance in the Taranaki district.

Sir Guo. Hunter congratulated lhe Minister on the success of the correspondence classes which, he said, wore a great success and was the means of giving education io many backbloeks children which they could not otherwise obtain. Mr McCombs criticised the decayed condition of many school buildings in Canterbury. He also criticised the time spent ou some departments of technical education which, he said, was far in excess of the results.

Mr Hawken put in a plea for lectures in economics being given to older pupils and so give them a good basis for business training. This, he, thought, was more important than agricultural education. Mr Forbes favoured more being clone in the direction of agricultural education. Mr Lee commended the work done by tlie Workers Education Association. Mr Hudson said Now Zealand, being an agricultural country, children should be given inoro country knowledge. Mr Masters spoke in a similar strain. The Education Department had not been as sympathetic in this direction as it should be. Th(' Hon. Ngata urged greater assistance being given to native schools and so carry out lhe ideals of Fir George Grey and Bishop Selwyn. Mr Sullivan complained that many schools wore, still overcrowded. Old and decayed buildings should be demolished as they wore a menace to the health of the children. ’l'ho Hon. Buddo urged uniformity in school text books.

..Mr Isitt congratulated the country that in Sir Jas. Parr Now Zealand had one of the best Ministers of Education it ever had. Ho was earnest, enthusiastic. and took a personal interest in all the problems he had to face and discharged his duties in no perfunctory manner . All were too prone to depreciate our institutions and public men and when he found a. Minister who deserved praise he foil it his duty to give, credit where credit was due. The debale continued up to 5.30 and was not completed when the House adjourned. 'The House resumed at 7.30. MINOR BILLS. On tin 1 motion of Mr Isitt. the second reading of the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill was postponed until August 5. On the motion of the Prime Minister, lhe Slone Quarries Amendment Bill was referred to the Mines Committee for report. The House then went into committee on the Cook Islands Amendment Bill, which was in charge of Sir M. Pomare. It was reported without amendment. NURSES AND MIDWIVES. The Nurses and Midwives Registration Bill, also in charge of Sir M. Pomtiro. was next taken. Mr Sullivan protested that such an important measure had not been referred to some committee of the House so that those interested would have an

opportunity to give evidence. He did not question any uf the principles of the Bill, but there were many details about which there was room for differcnee, of opinion. The Minister replied that the Bill was practically a consolidation measure and there was no need to refer it to a committee. A nurse trained in England would have to show she had the equivalent of Now Zealand training before she could register here. Mr Wright appeared for the “old time’’ midwife, who had no professional training, but who had nursed many mothers and never had a fatal case. These, people were not able to pass examinations, but should not be deprived of the means of earning a living. He objected to local bodies being more heavily taxed for the benefit of hospital and charitable aid rates. The Minister denied that administration would be increased in cost by this Bill.

Mr Savage pointed out there was a new principle involved in Clause 14. which proposed to set up State maternity hospitals, which may bo hand-’d over to Hospital Boards. He was in favour of State maternity hospitals, but had Hospital Boards been consulted? For this reason, he thought the Bill should have gone to the, committee of the House.

The Minister replied that it was not compulsory for Hospital Boards to take these hospitals over. Some had already consented.

Mr Meekly said hospital i.nd charitable aid rates were, rising every year and the men on the land were paying the greater portion of them. This might be money well spent, but the burden was not evenly apportioned. Country settlers were definitely against the present system of apportioning the cost of hospital and charitable aid. Mr Sullivan contended that the Minister could, if he liked, compel a Hospital Board to take over a State maternity hospital. Messrs Armstrong and Veitch asked that the Bill should be sent to Committee of the House.

Mr McCombs urged that the Bill should be, sent to the .Public Health Committee, which could examine it closely, clause by clause. He would not say it was a scandal, but it was a. calamity that the Dominion, had the present .Minister in charge of this Bill and Public Health. He did not understand the Bill, which was throwing the cost on to the ratepayers and taking it off the Consolidated Fund. He, moved to report progress on the, Bill, with the view to referring it to committee. Sir Jas. Parr regretted vitriolic attack upon Sir Maui Pomare, which was not shared by those best able to judge, viz., the. Hospital Boards at the recent conference of these boards, for they recently passed a motion expressing the utmost confidence in the Minister and the industry he. had shown in the .administration of his Department. The commission which he. set up when Minister of Health had shown this Bill was necessary to chock the awful infant mortality by insuring qualified nurses and midwives. Clause. 14 could be amended if the House desired it to be done, to make it clear that the taking over of State maternity hospitals by Hospital Boards would be purely voluntary.

On resuming after supper, the Minister contended his explanations to the committee had been lucid and courteous and did not deserve the censure passed by Mr McCombs, which he treated with contempt. The Prime Minister made an appeal to the committee to get on with the Bill. Clause 14 could be, and would be, amended if necessary. The clauses were then quickly passed down to 14, whim Sir Jas. Farr proposed certain words which would make it “abundantly” clear that the transfer of State maternity hospitals to Hospital Boards could only be done, with tho consent of such boards. Air McCombs indicated that Sir Jas. Parr’s amendment, did not, meet his objections, and it was agreed to report progress on the Bill and give time for further consideration. Cook Islands Amendment Bill was read a. third’time and passed. The House rose at LI. p.m. till 2.30 to-morrow.