PARLIAMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12383, 2 December 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

(Per Press Association.; . WELLINGTON, December 1. After midnight, progress was reported, and the House rose at 12.35 a.m.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

"WELLINGTON, December 1. The Council met at 2.30' p.m. The Wanganui Roman Catholic Lands Bu: was read a third time and passed. Tiie Standing Orders we:>e suspended for the rest of tho session to enable Bill to be passed through all stages at one sitting. The Hon. Wigram. moved for a return showing tlie details of all revenue from passenger and goods traffic, rent of sidings, and all other sources on the Auckland-Onehunga, Christehui-ch-Lyttelton, Dtiiicdin-Port Chalmers, and invercargill-Blufr railways, and details of expenditure thereon. Tho Attorney-General opposed the j n.otion, on the ground of the great ex- j pense and it would involve the""scrutiny of millions of waybills. The motion was rejected. The following local Bills were put through all stages: Ellesmere Domain Be and Empowering, Borough of South Dunedin Empowering Amendment, Waimai County, and the Auckland and Suburban Draining Amendment. The Attorney-General moved the second reading of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill, received from the House of Representatives, explaining at length its provsions. Thd Hon. Jeii'kinson welcomed the Bill, but indicated that it was necessary to expect a number of amendments, which should be introduced in committee. The debate was adjourned till 7.30 p.m., and the Council rose. In the Legislative Council this evening the debate on the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill was resumed. Tho Hon. Jenkinson, who dealt largely with the training and the hours nm-.be.-> worked, said the system of training should be practical, and that the hours of working, especially in the case of probationers, should be reduced. The Hon. Daniel expressed approval of the aim of bringing hospitals and charitable institutions under one control. The Government had acted wisely in framing this Bill in that direction. He did not approve of the proposed provision for the election of Boards and thought the representatives of Hospital and Chaiiiablo Aid Boards should be elected nt at present by local bodies. The Hon Samuel proceeded to set up a number of committee objections to the provisions of the Bill.l The Hon. Luke said he did not consider the Bill did not contain any proposals for more equitable representation tli an was provided under the existing law. Some men, whose assistance would be very: valuable, would nrobably not .be willing to contest an election, as w^"]^ % necessary, if . tlie new proposals*:>;s\re£evavlopted. He contended -tftatrth^fti^osed regulation or hours o^ nurses'<s^ a week) would be most unsatisfactory. In some hospitals it was impossible.for ,a nurse to leave a patient on tha ringing o.i a bell. A cast iron rule was impossible in the matter of nurses' hours, ;

HOUSE OF REPR,E&i*ATIVES

WELLING Tt)N,; December ;1. i Tho 'House met-at 2.30 p.m. ... Replying to aueistions,- Ministers stated that the necessary apparatus.for' gi.vino- efficient .and ptomanent light at Jackson's Head, Gcok ; .S*rait, has been procured and' will be 'erected > on the beacon as scon as.the ; strong winds, prevailing at the present,-time are ovev. That the Minister of Railways has power under the; Act to Jteview, decisions of the Railway1 Appeal/ /Board and exercise the right of veto;in pases where the circumstances warrant it,'and cannot see his way to adopt the suggestion that befo-e oxercising the veto he should notify the party interested and (rive him thei right of appeanne betore the Minister -lc, "state his reasons i'or or against the veto.: . That no instructions had b?en given for the reduction of the wages of cooperative workmen employed on the S+nto coal railway extension or elsewhere. . ■ ' ; . . That there would be no legislation prohibiting the sale of chaff or seed infested with noxious w*>ed seed hut next s^sion it is proposed to deal with the purity and quality o>f s?edsbought or sold. WATER POWER. The Mines Committee reoorting on various retitio^s r egafdin°r the charge of -rent for utilisation of water power recommended that the request that power to grant licenses, vested an tho 'Warden be referred to the Government for consideration. Mr Tavlor urared that if water power was disoosed of by lense the Government should reserve tho right of resumption. He strongly nr°ced the Mmiste- to remain firm in his attitude. Mr Masssv moved as an amendment that the wa+er nower. conditions under the Public "Works; > Amendment Act, 1908 gazette oh June 4th. 1909. be referred to the Goldfields Committee for consideration with a view_ to amendment. He bad no obiection to the State's richts being protected in connection with the water power of the Dominion. The matter was one not mcrelv of local, but of great colonial importance. . • The PTon. MeKrnzie, ronlvm- to Mr Massey, paid.at the present time: the charge per annum for' Wse power was 3s. Formerly it had been £1. The svndicato applying for water power rights on tk?. West Coast bad taken up 200 acres of land which they were holding. The; Land Act ' should be am'piiidwl so as to prevent speculators • hoUlina: land 'without using it. He \vns not prepared to sacrifice the most valu.ible asset in ' the country, an asset which he believed would ultimately be morp valuable than-the railways, to syndicates of London capitalists. ' Mr Massey's .amendment was lost by ■1? to 22, and. it was resolved.that tne report bj* laid.on the table. The House rose at 5.30.p.m.