A.—s.

I am quite sure the Premier does not know the extent of the unemployed difficulty in the centres. Hon. Members.—Oh! Mr. T. E. TAYLOR. —I am quite certain of it. I would sooner take the word of the honourable member for Wellington East, Mr. McLaren, on a matter of this kind than I would accept the statement of honourable members who have not his intimate knowledge of labour-conditions, because he is the only labour representative in this Parliament, and he represents the class of people who are most deserving, because they are the most needy. lam quite sure I must have had half a dozen applicants for employment a week — one a day for weeks before I left Christchurch — and not one of those people would communicate their position to the newspapers, or would answer any inquiry such as has been made in Christchurch as to the extent of the unemployed difficulty. And where we may know of five hundred in a city, I am pretty sure you can double that number if you take into account the people who are only partly employed or who are unemployed, but who conceal their position from the general public. I am certain that we shall be doing not only an exceedingly unwise but an exceedingly wrong thing if this House adjourns while the Premier is absent. Mr. BUCHANAN (Wairarapa). —I wish to put .a question to the Hon. the Minister of Labour. He has been reported in the Press as having stated that last month nine hundred co-operative labourers were discharged, and that he supposed an equal number would be similarly dealt with during this month. I wish to ask the honourable gentleman if he has been correctly reported. The Right Hon. Sir J. G. WARD. —I think that is quite beside the subject-matter of this discussion. The conference divided on the question, " That the words proposed to be omitted stand part of the motion." Ayes, 45. Arnold Field Macdonald Seddon Baume Forbes McKenzie, R. Sidey Brown Fowlds Mackenzie, T. Stallworthy Buddo Graham Millar Taylor, E. H. Buxton Greenslade Ngata Te Rangihiroa Carroll Guinness Parata Thomson, J. C. Clark Hall Poland Ward Craigie Hanan Poole Wilford. Davey Hogan Reed Tellers. Dillon Hogg Ross Colvin Duncan, T. Jennings Russell Laurenson. Ell Lawry Noes, 30. Anderson Guthrie Massey Taylor, T. E. Bollard Herdman Newman Thomson, G. M. Buchanan Hine Nosworthy Witty Buick Lang Okey Wright. Dive Luke Pearce Tellers. Duncan, J. McLaren Phillipps Allen Fisher Malcolm Rhodes Hardy. Fraser Mander Scott Majority for, 15. Amendment negatived, and motion agreed to. The Right Hon. Sir J. G. WARD. —It only remains for me again to thank members for coming here to consider this important matter. The Government now know what to do in connection with the business to submit to Parliament on the 10th instant, and will act accordingly. Mr. FRASER (Wakatipu).—Before you adjourn I should like to draw attention to one matter. Probably you may think it wise to alter the motion slightly before bringing it before Parliament. I think the date fixed is the 30th September, and it has just struck me that that may prove very inconvenient indeed, not only to the House, but to your colleagues and the country, if an emergency arose for calling Parliament together at an earlier date, when, as you have already told us, the law would not permit of that being done. Perhaps it would be better that you should think over the subject before presenting it to Parliament. The Right Hon. Sir J. G. WARD. —I am very glad you have mentioned the point. I can only say that in the very unique circumstances in which we have met I recognise how much I am indebted to honourable members for allowing the business to be carried on in the absence of a chairman in the ordinary way and without the great advantage of Standing Orders. I must express my appreciation of the courtesy you have extended to me in my capacity as chairman of this assembly, and for the assistance you have all rendered in lightening my task in that respect. The conference terminated at ten minutes past one o'clock a.m. (Tuesday).

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