PARLIAMENTARY

West Coast Times, Issue 10657, 10 December 1897, Page 2

PARLIAME NT ARY

[Per United Press Association.]

Wellington, 1 Dec 9.

THE COUNCIL.

The Council met at 2.30.

The Minister for Education moved the second reading of the Old Age Pension Bill. All previous cchemes, he said, had, gone on the lines of contributions from thi)se who were tct be recipients of pen-= sions. That was ,their great stumbling block. In New Zealand, the State, in consideration for worjs done » by Usworkers, would present its necessitous agfed with a certificate of merit, .with a pebsion attached. ,He repudiate^ ' the statement tnat charitable aid entered into the qcestion at $11. The country had been pr^p'ared by last year's ' Registration Bill and last election for thVpresent measure. The finance of the Bill had been put on the most solid basis ot tHe consolidated

reyenue.

Mr Bonar contended that the Government should have given ' the colony an opportunity of considering the measure, The present Bill canc.elled and repealed the Registration Bill and all claims registered under it. He calculated that the scheme would cost the country £500,000 annually. He moved to lay aside' the Bill on' the grounds that the country had no opportunity of considering the scope of the Bill in connection with benefit socie* tiep, that the financial provision was unsatisfactory, and revenue had not been based on actuarial calculatiqn,s, and that thej Bill was practically a form of oonditiopal relief open to the risk of injustice in administration and should be considered with the whole question of charitable aid. M'Cullough supported tie Bill. Th£ country had had the question forcibly put before it by last year's Bill and by the 1 newspapers of the colony. The friendly societies would hail with delight the 1 passing of the Bill.

Mr Ormond regretted that the Council waji precluded, by the manner in which the Bill was brought down, from taking its proper share in the legislation of the colony. He protested against the scope

of the Bill as the finance question should be contained in a separate money .bill. The Policy Bill of the Government had disappeared altogether and an incoherent measure had been framed by irresponsible members of the Lower House. There must not be left to the Government of the day power to frame resolutions for cirrying out the Bill. If the Government had meant the Bill to be a policy Bill it would have insisted on the whole - of the measure. The 8 11, as passed would annihilate benefit societies. Mr Rigg strongly upheld the Bill. He u.ged that the country had fully disc jssed the principle of the measure. Mr Jennings moved the adjournment o? the debate and at 5 p.m.. the Council adjourned.