PARLIAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 250, 20 October 1921, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' DAY. LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES. ißy Telegraph.—Tress Association.i < WELUKGTOX, Wednesday. Thi? second reading of the Stone Quarries Amendment Bill was moved this pvening by Mr. H. E. Holland for i Mr. VY. E. Parry (Auckland Central). He pointed out that the Aft of 1010 was designed to mitigate risks o>f quarry ' work, ifout it did not apply to wotrits carried on by the State. The object of the present ibill was to make the Govern- , niont amenahle to the samr conditions as private employers in relation to work ( in stone quarries, tunnels, or similar works. Tlio Prime Minister raipcil the point that the <bi!l was one requiring t<i lie introduced by Governor-General's Message. The Speaker said he was not quite certain whether it. wns an appropriation I Dill. Tie would let ii so to tin- second reading and then obtain a dc.-ision on 'the point before proceeding further. | i 'flhis was aatrcpd to. ami the .bill was j read a eecond time oil t'.ic voices. '< ' }lr. V. H. Rμd (Hay of Islands) moved the second reading of ihc (x>cal ! Elections and Polls Amcndnrtnt Bill. '.providing for the is»l«r of voting | papers for absent voters in local el?c- j tions. i Mr. T. YV. Rhodes (Thames), while' supporting the measure, urgpd tho nddi- i tion of a clause permitting a ratepayer ■whose name v.-ns inadvertently left oil I ■the roll, Jbut who has paid up all liis .rates, to exercise his vote The bill was read a spron.l litno on jtlie. voir-es, nnd referred to the Statute? ! Revision Committee. I The House went into Committee on j the .Tx>cal Bodies Loans Amendment Rill. Replying to air. Wright, the Minister (Hon. W. Downie Stewart) said the bill extended the time wherein a local body was able to raise n.n authorised loan from two to three years. He was going to fret tlio Legislative Council to include a clause to provide for the oases of certain local bodies which were almost at the end of the time in which to rarse J loans. The Minister naid he proposed to drop clause 2 (definition of ratepayer I, and the clause was struck out. On clause F. Mr. F. Hackly (Tlotorun) objected that it might endanger local foodies' finance if trre Government wa» empowered to divert thp investment of moneys held I>y the Pulilie Trust Office. After considerable discussion, .\rr. Masscy gavw an assurance that, thn effect of the clausn would he carefully considered by the Attorney-General, and, if necessary, amended in the Legislative Council. On this understanding the clause was agreed to, and the House rose.