PARLIAMENT END OF SESSION

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27471, 4 October 1954, Page 12

PARLIAMENT END OF SESSION

Heavy Programme Of Legislation

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

. WELLINGTON, October 3. ZealandVZn. °f- 108 bills ,- in the final session of New

advanced by a rho e se C fawuring four-ylar Pariiaments. argUme P ls

Members had a fairly easy time this year. Sixty sitting days, spread over a little more than 14 weeks, are not regarded by any member as strenuous. Few members were unable to go to tneir homes at most week-ends. They jvere not called on to sit late, except in the last two weeks—the total time sat after midnight was three hours and j.^¥® rter — and °n only one occasion did they meet on a day other than the normal sitting days. That was no hardship to Government members, who had remained in Wellington for a meeting of election candidates, and on the Monday the Opposition ranks were Very thin. With little contentious legislation coming forward, the session was a particularly dull one.. Some of the younger Government members tried to brighten things with thoughtful and original speeches, but such speeches were all too few. Respite for Members Many members will now have a free breathing space, though others have electorate problems which they will be called on to handle, before they reach their busiest time of the year—preparIng campaign speeches and facing the € l e ?J? rs ' Some are holding meetings of friends and supporters,” but most are waiting until after the party leaders have declared their policies and opened the campaign, before they begin their electioneering. Two Christchurch members probably broke records recently, but they will be unofficial ones. It took Mr J. K. McAlpine (Government. Selwyn) three weeks to deliver a 20-minute speech. On each of three occasions, Mr McAlpine was left with onlv a few minutes before the House adjourned. As he is chairman of the Labour Bills Committee, he had something to say, for the bill on which he was speaking was an industrial one. and ? he was replying to the Opposition’s chief spokesman on industrial matters, Mr A. McLagan (Riccarton). Each time Mr McAlpine resumed his speech, he had to spend some of the brief time available in reiteration. Miss M. B. Howard (Opposition. Sydenham) probably received the most bulky diversified mail of any member. Since protesting against varying sizes and marks on underclothing for generously-proportioned women and exhibiting two examples to the House, she says she has been almost deluged With support for her complaint. Her mail has contained not only women’s underwear, but men’s, women’s frocks, and even footwear—“enough to start a second-hand shop.** Mr C. L. Carr (Opposition, Timaru) did not create a record with his proportion of the 300 questions directed to Ministers during the session, but again he showed himself the most avid seeker for information. Many of his questions concerned Timaru and South Canterbury, but he based questions on articles printed in newspapers from Auckland to Dunedin. Bills Approved Public bills passed during the session were:— Agricultural Emergency Regulations Confirmation, Apple and Pear Marketing Amendment, Appropriation, Auckland Harbour Bridge Amendment, Auckland University College. Building Emergency Regulations Amendment. Canterbury Agricultural College Amendment, Child Welfare Amendment (2), Civil List Amendment, Cook Islands Amendment, Coroners’ Amend-

ment, Counties Amendment, Crimes Amendment, Criminal Justice. tion 3iry Industry Am endment, DefamaEducation Amendment, Electoral Amendment’ Emergency Regulations mSt 31106 ’ riendly Societies AmendGovernment Life Insurance Amendment, Government Railways Amendment. Health Amendment, Historic Places Imprest Supply (four), Indecent Publications Amendment, Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration, Invercargill Licensing Trust Amendment. Labour Department, Land Amendment, Land and Income Tax, Land and Income Tax Amendment, Land and Income Tax (Annual), Land Subdivision in Counties Amendment, Local Authorities (Members’ Contracts), Local Government Loans Board Amendment. Local Legislation. Maori Purposes. Maori Vested Lands Administration, Medical Amendment. Medical Practitioners’ Amendment’ Mental Health Amendment, Merchandise Marks, Military Training Amendment, Municipal Corporations. National Provident Fund Amendment, National Roads Amendment, Navy, Nelson College Amendment, New Zealand Army Amendment, New Zealand University Amendment. Occupational Therapy Amendment, Offenders’ Legal Aid. Patea By-election, Penal Institutions. Pharmacy Amendment, Police Force Amendment, Police Offences Amendment, Primary Products Marketing Amendment; Primary Products Marketing Regulations Confirmation, Public Service Amendment, Public Works Amendment. Quarries Amendment. Rating Amendment, Reserves and Other Lands Disposal, Royal New Zealand Air Force Amendment, Rural Intermediate Credit Amendment. Samoa Amendment, Shipping and Seamen Amendment, Social Security Amendment, Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Amendment, Stamp Duties, Stock Amendment, Stock Remedies Amendment, Superannuation Amendment. Tasman Pulp and Paper Company ErfW bling, Taupo County, Timber Floating, Transport Amendment. Veterinary Services Amendment. Waitaki High School Amendment, War Pensions, Wool Commission Amendment, and Workers* Compensation Amendment Acts. Five public bills lapsed. They were the Adoption, Boilers, Lifts and Cranes Amendment, Decimal Coinage, Expiring Laws Continuance and New Zealand Foundation for the Blind Bills. Local Bills Local bills approved were:— Balclutha Borough (Forestry) Empowering, Christchurch District Drainage Amendment, Christchurch Tramway District Amendment, Dargaville Borough Empowering, Free Ambulance (Lower Hutt Site). Kaitaia Borough Empowering, Napier Harbour Board Loan, North Shoe Drainage Amendment, Onerahi Town Board Empowering. Papatoetoe Borough Special Rates Consolidation, Petone and Lower Hutt Gas Amendment, Raglan Harbour Board Empowering, Taranaki Harbour Board, Wanganui Harbour District and Empowering Amendment, Wellington City Empowering and Amendment, and Whangarei Harbour Board Vesting and Empowering Amendment Acts. Private bills passed were the Loyal Orange Institution of New Zealand (Incorporated) Trust, the McKenzie Trusts, and the Roman Catholic Bishops* Empowering Acts.