PLANS IN HAND

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 12, 13 July 1935, Page 10

PLANS IN HAND

WORK OF SESSION

WAR-TIME PROVISIONS

lIELD-OVEE BILLS

In view of the approaching session of Parliament, Ministers have been busy recently preparing Estimates for presentation, and Government Departments have been taking steps to complete their reports, so that when the two leaders of the Government return from abroad there will be the minimum amount of delay with the business of the House. It is not anticipated that the legislative programme will be a heavy one, and it is not certain whether it will include any of the Government measures which were introduced last session and not proceeded with. In all, 38 public Bills were dropped or otherwise disposed of last session, and of that number there were five Government Bills of some importance, the majority being of a highly controversial nature. They were the Distress and Replevin Amendment, the Harbours Amendment, the Judicial Proceedings (Regulations of Reports),, the Police Offences Amendment (all sponsored by the Hon. J. G. Cobbe), arid the War Regulations Repeal (which was in the hands of the Prime Minister). Under the Distress -and Replevin Act, 1908, personal and family clothing, bedclothes, bedding, furniture, and tools of trade to an amount not exceeding in all £50 are exempted' from being sold or disposed of under any distress for rent under certain circumstances. The amendment made provision that the articles should not even be seized. RETAINING WAR MEASURES. The War Regulations Repeal Bill, the Harbours. Amendment Bill, and the Police Offences Amendment all related to the one subject. The purpose of the War Regulations Repeal Bill was to repeal the War Regulations Acts and to '■ revoke all War Regulations in force, but at the same time to retain in permanent legislation certain matters of public importance. These included regulations relating to passports, the control of wharves by the Government in cases of public necessity, and the prohibition of seditious strikes and lock-outs, and the control of seditious literature. These matters were provided in the Passports Act (passed last session), and the Harbours Amendment and the Police Offences Amendment Bills. Drastic provisions for the control of wharves and shipping by the Government were provided in the Harbours Amendment Bill. Under the measure, any wharf could be declared a Government wharf, and could be placed under a controller and assistant controllers. Wide powers were proposed to be given to the controller, who had authority to. employ labour for the working of shipping, and had unlimited powers regarding the berthing or working of shipping at or in the vicinity of the wharf. The controller was also empowered to make structural or other alterations to the wharf which he deemed necessary for the enforcement of the Act.; ■ . In the Police Offences Amendment Bill provision was made that if an industry was deemed to be essential for the public welfare it could, by Order in Council, be declared an essential industry. The Bill also made provision for a penalty for offences in relation to essential industries, .and also for offences in relation to documents inciting to violence or expressing seditious intention. ' • Under the Judicial Proceedings (Regulation of Reports) Bill, a restriction was proposed on the publication of reports of judicial proceedings calculated to injure public morals, and also to regulate reports of proceedings in divorce or under the Destitute Fersons: Act. The restrictive clauses were struck out by the Statutes Revision Committee, and the opinion was expressed that the reports could well be left to the discretion of the Press.