DISTRESS ACT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 278, 6 September 1935, Page 6

DISTRESS ACT

AMENDMENT BEFORE THE HOUSE

SUPPORT BY OPPOSITION

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, September 5. Leave to introduce the Distress and Replevin Amendment Bill was sought in the House to-day by Mr W. E. Barnard (Lab., Napier). The Bill, lie said, had been introduced a number of times by Mr P. Fraser. Last session it was taken up by the Government and actually reported to the House, but there the matter rested. His main object in introducing the Bill was to ascertain where they stood in connection with that legislation, and he hoped the Minister of Justice would give the House some indication whether the Government intended to go on with the matter or not. The Bill aimed to provide exemption for personal and family clothing of a tenant up to £SO in value from being seized. It repealed the proviso that that exemption was available to a tenant only on condition that he gave up possession to tho landlord if demanded. The Bill did to some extent meet the position of the relief worker as it was to-day, and did no disservice to the average landlord. The measure was not a complete remedy, but it did remove to some extent the hardship and some injustice which an unfirtunate tenant and his wife and family might suffer through failing to pay the rent because be had not enough money to do so. Tlie Hon. J. G. Cobbe said it was not improbable that tlie Bill might be brought down again. He could not say so definitely, but much depended on how the ordinary business proceeded. He had introduced the Bill last session and. it' was referred to the committee. It came back to the House in such a skeleton form that it was of very little use, and he did not think at that stage of the session that there was any use going on with it-. From correspondence lie had received he knew that the legal profession was very much uj> against the Bill being put through. At the some time he thought something should be done to alleviate the position of those cases to which Mr Barnard had referred.

Tho Bill was supported by a number of Labour members who said it was not the Opposition who had chopped tho Bill to jjtfeces, and they assured the Minister that they would give him every facility m putting the measure through tho House.

The Bill was read a first time