PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2317, 9 October 1908, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

AVEDNESDAY EVENING’S SITTING.

[Press Association.] AVELLINGTON, Oct. 8.

In tho Council tho Old Ago Pensions, Alonopolies Prevention Amendment, Hauraki Plains, Railways Authorisation, and Education Bills were put. through their final stages, and the Conned rose at 12.55 a.m.

In the House, after midnight, the Premier, moved tho second reading of tile Public Service Classification and Superannuation Bill, to make amendments to the Public Service, Teachers, and Police Superannuation Acts. Tho Minister requested that the clauses referring to tho police he struck out. It was impracticable to include teachers in the same scheme. An annual subsidy of £7OOO was provided, corresponding with tho subsidy of £20,000 provided by the Act of 1907 lor the public service superannuation. Both contained provision for, and included tho Post and Telegraph Department. Various amendments wero introduced in the Bill mainly to obviate tho abuses of clause 57, which gavo power to boards to determine the rate of contribution payable to a contributor who had been re-appointed. The clauses relating to broken time were struck out. Air. AY. Fraser considered that the contribution would reach over £OO,OOO in 20 years. Air. A\’. F. Alassey said that the variety of Bills the Government brought down in the dying session were resulting in hasty and ill-considered legislation. Sir Joseph AVard said he quite recognised that the system of superannuation created by statute law imposed a great responsibility on the country, but it was vastly superior to what existed before. It was, however, incorrect to assume that the new budget was being imposed on people for the first time. For years past beforo tlio Act hundreds of thousands of pounds hail boon paid for superannuation and compassionate allowances, but nothing, or next to nothing, had been ckme from an actuarial point of view to build up a fund on a financial basis, . and we were coming to recognise that something mint bo done in that direction. The evidence of an actuary, despite what some members bad said, showed clearly that tho fund would bo sound for three years, requiring to be augmented by a maximum of ten per cent per annum, which -would be £SIOO every three years. Sir Joseph AVard quoted at considerable lengths from evidence to support ltis statement that the funds were on a sound financial basis and actuarially sound. He went on to refer at some length to the teachers’ superannuation fund, and read a letter from the executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute expressing satisfaction with the Bill. He thought tho police had made a very great mistake in electing to stand out of this very strong fund, because the present police fund was not actuarially sound. He hoped there would be no doubt. The Bill was then committed on the voices. ■

Clause 1 was passed, and progress was reported. The AVorkers’ Compensation Bill was read a third time and passed, and the House rose at 2.40 a.m. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Attorney-GeneraL reported that the conference of managers on the amendments made by the Council in the Arbitration Bill had been unable to come to an agreement. The AVorkers’ Compensation Bill, from, the House, was read a first time, and the second reading was sot down for to-morrow.

The Attorney-General, in moving the third reading of the Public Bodies Leases Bill, said there was no doubt that, a complete revision of the licensing powers of local bodies was necessary. It, was a difficult problem to make a compendium of leasing powers in one statute, but because the task was difficult there was no reason why it should not be attempted. Hon. J. Anstey said that something more than a. mere draughtsman’s Bill they had to give due consideration to. Several interests were concerned, the interests of public bodies, . tenants, and the general public, which was not altogether the case in the Bill. Hon. O. Samuel declared the Bill was most unsatisfactory, and bristled with ambiguities. He urged all local bodies to abstain from exercising the provisions of tho Act, as it was less satisfactory from all points of view than that now in force. Tho great necessity of the leasing law was to try and supply security of tenure, as any lease which failed to properly protect a tenant could not be regarded as satisfactory. ■ , . Hon. G. Jones said the Bill was bad in principle, and would make leaseholds unpopular. . . The Attorney-General, in defending the Bill, said it was an improvement on the existing Act. The third reading was agreed to on the voices, and tho Bill was passed. The Farriers Bill was further taken in committee. At the first clause the title was altered to “iShoeing-smith Bill.” A motion to report progress was negatived by 18 votes to 9, and a subsequent motion that the chairman vacate the chair was also rejected by 19 votes to 8. v After a long discussion, progress w'as reported, and the Council adjourned at 4.35 p.m.

EVENING SITTING,

Tho Council resumed at 7.30 p.m, and adjourned till 9.30, when the local Bills passed by the Lower House earlier in the day wero received and read a first time, and, except in the case of the Thames Borough Gas Bill, referred to the Local Bills Committee. The point was raised by Hon. J. B. G’allan as to whether the latter Bill was not a private Bill, and the Speaker’s decision was postponed. The Council then adjourned until 11.30 to-morrow.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MORNING SITTING

The House sat at 10 a.m. this mornThe Premier moved to take new business after 12.30 at night. Mr. Massey divided the House on the motion, which was carried by 42 votes to 14. The amendments of the Legislative Council in the Hokitika Harbor Bill were agreed to. - The House then devoted the morning to dealing with local Bills, and the following Bills were read a second time and put through their final stages: AVhangarci Abattoir oitc, Gonville and Ca s tlccliff Tramway, AVaimatc North County, Otago Bock Trust, AVha'katane Foreshore Reclamation, AVaikoliu County, Auckland and Manakau Canal. Murchison Countv Christchurch District Drainage, Otago Heads, Native Reserve Road Haivera Technical Schools Site Lxchange, AVellington. Harbor Board Reclamation and Empowering.

, AFTERNOON SITTING. The House in committee resumed at “'file Thames Borough Gas Bill (B? n - J .McGowan), Wellington City Empowering Bill (Mr Fisiicr) Hutt \diov Tramway District Bill (Mi. -wu ford), Ross Goldfields Electric Power Fraser), Auckland and Submban Drainage- Bill (Mr. Kidd), were put through committee. . ~ . v All Bills dealt with during the day were read a third time and p The House adjourned at b p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The managers appointed Ao cooler with the managers of the Council on the Council’s amendments to the Arbitration Bill having reported then

failure to agree, fresh managers wore appointed. - ' Tho Premier moved tho committal of the Local Authorities Superannuation Bill, which is designed to enable local public bodies to establish superannuation funds for their employees. Sir Joseph AVard said tlio scheme was financially sound. In oommitteo lie would move amendments to enable local authorities to establish a united fluid.

Mr. AA’. F. Arnssoy approved of the principle of the Bill. Ho was not sure it was financially sound, but at any rate it was sounder than the Government's superannuation scheme. Air. T. H. Davey urged that the fluid should ho State guaranteed. Messrs T\ M. AA’iltord and G. Lnurenson thought the pension should he payable to old employees, and tho latter hoped to see all funds ’merged in a great scheme of national pensions.

Air. James Alton said tliero was absolutely no guarantee in tlio Bill that the scheme established by the local authorities would bo actuarially sound. AVhilo ho approved of tho principle of the Bill, he held the Bill was ill-considered, there being no provision in case a local authority could not meet the guarantee. Ho protested againt an important financial measure being hurried through at the end of the session. After further discussion, the Premier, replying, said it was absurd to declare that- Bills had been brought down without proper consideration, as every important Bill except old •age pensions had been referred to a committee. As to Air. Allen’s strictures on tho soundness of the scheme, the hon. member was pitting himself against the opinion of tho actuary who had given evidence on the Bill. Continuing, Sir Joseph AVard said, in further reply to Air. James Allen, that tho Bili was not mandatory, but optional. He could not agree that the funds should be State guaranteed. Ho admitted that a corollary of what was being done was a wider system of national annuities, but this was a very difficult, question which required mature, consideration. Tho Bid had been prepared and would bo circulated for the information of members. The House then wont into committee on tho Bill and the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Bill. Sir Joseph AVard, replying to Air. Malcolm, said that the Bill onlv applied to State schools. Air. James Allen said that a teacher temporarily out of employment was excluded, and that was a great injustice. Sir Joseph AVard said ho was acting upon tho Crown Law Draughtsman’s advice, and was not prepared to nlter tlie definition of “education service.” The motion to strike out- the words “not less than 20 hours a week” was negatived by 42 votes to 15. At clause 16, Air. Alalcolm moved to amend the clause in tho direction of providing that where the salary has lately fallen through no fault of the teacher the basis shall be the highest average salary for the three years previous consecutive years of service. The amendment was negatived by 42 votes to 11.