PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2682, 11 December 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS. [Tim Piucss Association.! WELLINGTON, Dec. 10. In the Council this afternoon the T Designation of Districts Bill was passed. The Land Settlement Finance Bill was put through the committee stages. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN BILL. The Shipping and Seamen Act Am- ;| endment Bill was further considered in committee. On the motion of the Attorney-Gen-eral a new sub-clause was inserted relating to accidents. This was to em- if if body in the Bill clause 21. sub-clause 1. .it of the law as contained in the original A Act. It also included a provision that where an accident happened either in : l§ port or at sea. a report should be , made to the Superintendent. ; The Bill was reported as amended. DEATH DUTIES BILL. The Attorney-General moved the second reading of the Death Duties Bill. He explained its provisions at considerable length, and maintained that the measure was in harmony with the modern spirit of this anc ' every, other progressive country. The Hon. *5. T. George thought the Bill was in the right direction, and; :|| that those people in New Zealand who :i§ had made their money in this country and had been assisted to do so by the operations of the State, should pay to the State a proportion of what they had gained, but this Bill applied to y| every part of the world. Clause 3 ‘f would read so, though that might not ..a| he its intention. He went on to criti- }| cise various details of the measure. The Hon. R. A. Loughnan having ; : j also spoken to the Bill, the debate was adjourned, and the Council adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. IJ, LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS ADMINISTRATION BILL.

After midnight on Thursday the debate was continued by Messrs Han- ;j an. Buchanan, Field, and Scott. Sir Joseph Ward replied, and the :|j Bill was read a third time and passed. The House rose at 1.25 a.m. THE RAILWAYS. This afternoon the House went into j Committee of Supply. On the vote for working railways, £2.143,500. Mr. Massey asked what would be done in regard to the report of the Commission on the Addington T workshops. Mr. Taylor asked whether casual railway hands, who complied with all N the necessary conditions, would he included in the permanent staff. The Hon. J. A. Millar said that it would he necessary to decrease the permanent staff, and it would be an injustice to that staff to take on casual hands. , , , ... Air. Baume moved a reduction of £1 in the item £1250 for general manager, as an indication that an independent tribunal should inquire into hours of labor and rate of wages in the .service. Air. Luke advocated the placing of railway servants under the Arbitration Act. The Hon. J. A. Alillar said that the men had a chance to come under tii*> Arbitration Act, and he was prepared to five it them again on condition that they' were put on a level with other men earning similar wages, and that the whole of the men caane under the ;j provisions of the Act. He admitted that, the Hon. W. Hall-Jones had promised to place casual hands on tne permanent staff, hut this was found impossible, and 1 his predecessor had instructed officials not to give effect to it as it would unset- the superauuuation scheme. Effect had been given. to several recommendations of tne Commissioners on the Addington wo. nshops, but it would he too costly to jg| electrify the cranes, as suggested. | The debate was interrupted by tne || dinner adjournment. (Left Sitting.)