PARLIAMENT

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21034, 9 December 1933, Page 16

PARLIAMENT

Discussion on Many Subjects SITTING HOURS EXTENDED {From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, December 8. In an effort to expedite the transaction of business, the House of Representatives sat this evening for the first time on a Friday night this session. Many and varied subjects were discussed during the day. Several reports of select committees, and reports on bills were presented when the sitting opened in the afternoon. They were followed by the introduction of the Dairy Industry Amendment Bill, and the House then proceeded to the recommittal stages of the Companies Bill, to which a series of amendments was proposed by the Minister for Finance (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates). This bill was put through its remaining stages and passed this evening. The Poultry suns Registration Bill, which in slightly different form ■was rejected last session, was passed by the Legislative Council with several amendments, which were confirmed on its return to the House of Representatives. The whole of the evening was devoted to an uninteresting discussion of the estimates, of which five classes, naval defence, defence, pensions, printing and stationery, and audit office were approved before the House rose. To-morrow the sitting will begin at 10.30 a.m. and continue until 5.30 p.m., the usual Friday sitting hours.

COMPANIES BILL PASSED

SEVERAL AMENDMENTS REGISTRATION OF CHARGES ON ASSETS (TRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, December 8. The Companies Bill, with the amendments introduced, by the Minister for Finance (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates), was passed by the House of Representatives to-night. Although many of the amendments to the bill circulated by the Minister are technical in character, there are some of wider interest. The prohibition on the house-to-house canvassing of shares is extended to cover the hawking of bonds, but the shares of co-operative dairy companies and other co-operative concerns are excluded from the oDeration of the prohibition. In addition, the definition of "house" is limited so as not to include the place where a man carries on his trade, business, profession, or calling. The effect of this alteration is to prevent farmers' homes from coming under the, house canvassing prohibition. Under the bill as originally introduced provision was made for compromises between creditors and shareholders. An amendment expressly includes bondholders as creditors. By another alteration the time for application for membership to the Certified Accountants' Association, and through that association to the Society of Accountants, has been extended from December 31 next to January 31, 1934. Application to Courts. A new provision requires the support of a requisition signed by onefifth of the shareholders of a company to any application to the court for an order of inspection of the company's affairs. Dealing with the registration of charges over companies' assets, other amendments simplify the procedure of registration where instruments are already registered under other acts, as for instance, the Land Transfer Act. In addition, it is now proposed that the registration of a charge will not constitute notice of existence of the charge or its contents. Under the bill as framed a company could not go to allotment until its capital requirements had been subscribed for. A compromise amendment changes this position, and sets out that a company may go to allotment if 60 per cent, of its cash capital requirements have been subscribed. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m. the bill was put through the remaining stages and passed with the amendments introduced by Mr Coates. PENSION CUTS STATEMENT PROMISED BY MINISTER (PIIE.6S ASSOCIATION TELEGKJLM.) WELLINGTON, December. 3. - Discussing the vote of £3,289,952 for the Pensions Depart:--ont in the House to-night, Mr W. E. Parry (Lab., Auckland Central) said it was quite obvious from the AuditorGeneral's report that some cuts in pensions had been imposed a month earlier than they should have been. He asked what action the Minister had taken regarding the matter. Mr P. Fraser (Lab., Wellington Central) said apparently some Minister had given instructions that the matter of the reduction should be put in hand. Mr W. Nash (Lab., Hutt) said the Minister must know that six weeks' pensions had been affected. The Crown Law Office had recommended that it should be treated as a payment on account. He advocated that the December payment should contain the amount which had been deducted. The Minister, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, said he would have the matter investigated. He would endeavour to make a statement on the subject on Tuesday. The vote was passed. \ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (PB2S6 ASSOCIATION TBLEOBAM.) / WELLINGTON, December 8. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. , . The Money Lenders Amendment Bill was received from the House and read a first time. The Egmont National Park Bill and fflie Auckland Transport Board Empowering Bill were put through the remaining stages and passed.