AFTERNOON SITTING.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14187, 30 October 1911, Page 8

AFTERNOON SITTING.

The House resumed at 2 o'clock

The House agreed to tho report of the conferences between the Council and the House on the subject of the Council's amendments in the Workers' Compensation for Accidents , Amendment Bill.

A Governor's Message was received striking out a clause in Mining Amendment Bill referring to contracts. This was done on account of clause being in conflict with tho Lien Act. The amendment was carried.

A new clause was added to the Reserves and Other Lands' Disposal, arid Public Bodies' Empowering . Bill, providing that on tho recommendation of th© Land Board of the district the Crown tenants of lands other than settlement lands, which hay© not been opened for selection, subject to provisions of Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903, or section 127 of the Land Act, 1008, should be afforded relief owing to exceptional .circumstances over'which they havo no control, preventing profitable occupation of siich lamls. THE SESSION'S WORK. In moving tho second reading of tho Appropriation Bill, Sir JOSEPH WARD congratulated members on the work that had been done. He regarded the work done by Parliament as of great valuo to the country, and in this connection •he instanced the Widows' Pensions Bill, a measure which had been adopted in no other country. Tho State Note Issue Bill would also bo of considerable value to tho Dominion, and in his opinion would make for material improvement in the condition of the country in case of a crisis taking place. . The proposed system of Farmers' Co-operative banks was going'to help tho small farmers by enabling them to get that help which, not infrequently, they could nob get from private-leuding institutions. The amendment to tho Death Duties Act would *be the means of producing taxation from estates which in the past had not contributed to revenue. The assistance given to tho oil industry would, ho belioved, prove of practical value, and assist in putting the industry on a commercially sound basis, separate from the monopolies of other countries. Not only had exploration been carried out, but help had been given by remission of custom duty on imported machinery for oil-boring purposes, and in this connection he stated that a new and much quicker system of boring had been invented and would soon bo at work here. The result, he believed, would bo to develop the industry to an extent not hitherto contemplated. He was sorry they had not been able to carry out the legislation proposed for the development of tho iron industry. Government would go carefully into th© mntter during th© recess. If it could be don© on a proper basis, it would bo a good thing if tho iron industry were established in th© Dominion.

Tho House rose at 5.30,