PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2686, 16 December 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS.

11 * it ii Purus Association.l WELLINGTON, Dec. 15. In the Council this afternoon the Statutes Revision Committee reported on the Destitute Persons Bill and the Chattels Transfer Act Amendment Bill, that at this late period of the session time would not suffice for full consideration due to Bills of such an important character. . J Fifteen local Bills were committed, and discussion was proceeding when the Council rose. . In the Legislative Council • in the evening, fourteen local Bills that bad been received from tlie House were put through the final stages. ■ The'Council agreed to the report of the managers respecting the amendmerits made in the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill, and rose at 10.10 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. DEFENCE BILL. After midnight on Tuesday, on clause 23, Mr. Allen said he would call for. a division on the clause, as he considered the proposed method of drafting men from the general section to the territorial force a bad one. He. moved that the -words “general training section’ be omitted from the clause. The amendment was lost by 42 votes to 23. 1 Considerable discussion arose on clause 26, which provides for the assets and liabilities of disbanded corps passing to the Crown, several members considering that this would he an injustice to corps having assets but no liabilities. Mr. Fisher suggested that the clause should be hold over, but the Premier declined this, and moved to report progress. This was agreed to, and the House rose at 1.50 a.m. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. In the House this afternoon. Ministers, replying to questions, stated that owing to the changes effected and contemplated in various Departments, it lias not yet been -possible to complete the classification of the Civil Service. As soon as final departmental arrangements are made, the matter will bo further considered. That Mr. Justice Edwards’ remarks in connection with recent cases of usury in Auckland had not been specially brought before the Prime Minister, but the matter will receive consideration during the recess. That it is inadvisable to restore the right of holders of small grazing runs to exchange their leases for leases in perpetuity, which was given under the Land Act of 1895 and taken away by the Land Act of 1907. as the result of such exchanges were not satisfactory. That a board will be appointed to make inquiries in both 1 Islands as to suitable localities for training camps, and that, representations that they be not less than five miles from a licensed house will be fully considered. That an amendment of the Old Age Pensions Act exempting cottages of pensioners from the limit of property allowed to be held will be given effect to this session. KING COUNTRY LICENSES. The Premier gave notice that he would introduce the King Country Licenses! Bill, which lie intended should be passed this session. The remainder of the afternoon was occupied in the discussion on answers to questions, and the House rose at 5.30 p.m. A MINISTERIAL ANOUNCEMENT. At the evening sitting, the Premier announced that he would make a statement regarding the work to be done during the remainder of the session to-morrow forenoon. HOSPITALS BILL. The managers appointed by the House to conduct a second conference Upon, the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill, reported that they had met the managers appointed by tne Legislative Council, and bad come to an agreement as follows: In the new clause 66a substitute the following paragraphs—(a) Tlie Board of a hospital district in which there is a school of medicine or surgery situated may enter into an agreement with the .governing body of the school for appointment by the Board of any of the professors or lecturers of that school as lion, members of the medical or surgical staff "or "any institution under the control of tlie Board, and. as to the terms and conditions on which the students of the school shall, for the purposes thereof, be allowed access to such institution; (b) In default of any such agreement the Minister may appoint professors as hon. members of the staff of the institution, and revoke the same at any time. In. clause 69, sub-clause 4, which provides that a Hospital and Charitable Aid Board may contract for tlie payment to it by ony other board, institution, society or person, of the cost of relief granted by the first-men-tioned Board, it was agreed to include tlie words “registered friendly society or branch of friendly society The striking out of clauses 71 and 72 by the Council was accepted. - It was explained by the Hon._ G. Fowlds that clause 72 had been put in tlie Bill on the representations that friendly societies wished to be. specifically mentioned, but, in the opinion of the law officer of the Crown, sub-sec-tion 4 of clause 69, as amended, was at least as wide in its scope as clause 72, and the words, “any person” would include the wife and children of a member of a friendly society. The report was agreed to. COAL MINES AMENDMENT BILL. On tlie motion to commit the Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill, the Hon. R McKenzie briefly indicated the objects of the Bill. Referring to clause 3, which provides that medical examination of miners shall not be required, lie said that if this was nbt agreed to, half the men working in the mines would be' thrown out of employment. The clause had nothing to do with the miners’ disease (pneumonoconiosis) referred to iu the Workers’ Compensation Act of last session. Replying to Mr. Herdman. the Hon R. McKenzie said -that the matter of the recent strike was outside the scope of the Bill, but he would say that, the terms of agreement would be decided upon after lm had personally visited the ..mine. „ „ _ K On the motion of fthe Hon. K. McKenzie,, a new clause was added as .follows: “For the purposes of the principal Act, employment in or about a mW includes ‘employment in connection with ,any operations carried, on in respect of the working of a mine, provided that this clause shall not include carters or railway servants employed in connection with a mine.” The following new clause was moved by Mr. Colvin: In any action brought by a workman against the owner,of a mine for injuries sustained, the amount to which the workman may be entitled under section 80 of the prm-

cipal Act from the sick and accident fund or the coal miners* relief fund shall, notwithstanding anything in section 55 of the Workers’ Compensation Act, 1908, not be taken into considera. •tion is assessing damages. Sub-sect ion 8 of section 80 of the principal Act is hereby repealed.” The new clause was agreed to. Mr. Herdinan moved an amendment providing for th© placing of the Mines Department on the same footing as a private firm in regard to accidents occurring in carrying on its various branches. The Chairman ruled that the amendment was an appropriation clause, as it imposed a liability on the Crown and was out of order. The Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. PUBLIC WORKS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The second reading of the Public Works Act Amendment Bill was moved by .the Hon. It. McKenzie, and agreed toNATIVE LANDS BILL. In moving for the committal of tlie Native Lands Bill, the Hon. J. Carroll said that the measure was mainly a consolidating one. It was a model of draughtsmanship. Mr. Carroll proceeded to outline the policy of the Bill, which, he said, dealt with such important matters as the ascertainment, determination, and registration of titles. Tim Bill would prevent much of the litigation which had occurred in the past. (Left Sitting.)