UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT IN ABOLITION BILL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 82, 14 August 1950, Page 4

UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT IN ABOLITION BILL

(Special to Beacon) Wellington, Saturday. There was an unexpected development in the Legislative Council early in the week when the Legislative Council Abolition Bill was introduced into the Council, the Hon. J. T. Paul (Wellington) holding up the first reading of the measure on the ground that the introduction of the Bill in the House of Representatives instead of in the Upper House was a breach of privilege. After a discussion the Speaker (the Hon T. O. Bishop) said he would take time to give a decision on the technicality raised. When the Council met on Friday, Mr Bishop said that in his view there had been an infringement of privilege. He suggested that Mr Paul should substitute a motion that the Bill should be discharged from the order paper so that the Council could decide its own course of action Protracted Debate Without determining the issue, the Council, after a protracted debate, decided that even if a breach had been committed it was prepared to overlook it and allow the Bill to proceed. The second reading of the Bill is set down for Tuesday afternoon.

The Tenancy Amendment Bill occupied the attention of the House during the whole week. On Friday afternoon amendments proposed by the Government were introduced. Nine Bills were introduced in the House on Tuesday, but with the exception of an Electoral Amendment Bill, which provides for Parliamentary elections being held on a Saturday and the electoral quota being fixed on the basis of the whole population, they were of a relatively minor nature. The Bill provides for the holding of Maori General Elections on the same day as the European elections. The Republic of Ireland Bill and the Republic of India Bill dealt with the situation arising from the new status of Ireland and India.

The Potato Growing Industry Bill establishes a Potato Board, the function of which is to ensure that an adequate supply of main crop potatoes shall be available for consumption in New Zealand. Growers and merchants engaged in marketing potatoes will be equally represented by three members each on the board. Cemeteries Bill

The Cemeteries Amendment Bill provides that in future special legislation (not the authority given the Minister of Health as at present) is required for anyone wishing to create a private burial ground. During the week the Government announced the terms on which State rental houses are to be offered for sale forthwith to present tenants only; major changes in import policy, freeing 326 tariff items from control were announced; and the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Holyoake) said that Government tenders were out for hundreds of departmental houses and big contracts were being called for special accommodation for new settlers.

A device has been invented which automatically adds distilled water to a motor car battery.

Magnets are used to open and close doors of refrigerators made by one company in the United States. The door is opened by a foot pedal, leaving both hands free for carrying food.