THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 9

THE HOUSE.

" BILL PASSED. Tho SpOakor took- tho chair-at 2.30 p.m.Tho Wellington Harbour_ Board -Empower-' | . uig Bill was read a third time and passed. ■ F.IRST READ INC. .; The Canterbury College and Agricultural College Aot Amendment Bill was read a first time. LOCAL ELECTIONS AGT AMENDMENT. . Tho Local Elections Act Amendment Bill (Sir W. t J. Steward) yas recoived from Committee for' consideration On the.motion.that-tho report bo adopted, ■ Mr. • MASSEY : moved ;a's 'an amendment-' . that the repdrt, bo referred again to the Committee, ■ .with the object: of -altering the present method of voting, .viz., that of placing a cross beside tho namo-of the candidate : to .whose;election thc.-yoter •was. At present it was optional, either to mark out-the . namo. of candidate. • or. to cross'':'against/;tho favoured ono. Ho said'endloss-confusion was caused at local elections,and th'eixrois system should be abolished. >■ • ' , Tho PRIME MINISTER said that* since the mattor was before tta House a few days ago he had' mado inqu'irio"s.,and : had: found there was' a prepondorance; of 'opinion against .' - the; alteration' of ...tho' -preseht': optional systom. In the Old Country tho cross" sys- . 'tern was'in 'general- >- '""'■'i. -" Sir WILLIAM STEWARD- pleaded . that this matter bo not-lntroijluced 'toj imperil the passage of his Bill, -'ifhioh '.wasipuroly intended' .to r-rectify a " error, ill - tho principal Act:. ~.i: Mr. HENRIES.. sj«no,system ,of J scoring out,-.aj name tas nv the general elec- | tion should he followed.. • '-•

The amclidmeiit ;was. lost by -35 . votes to 2-1. The Bill was -read a -third .time.

TOWN DISTRICTS AMENDMENT BILL

The House' then went ill to Committee 011 the V Town Districts ' Amendment Bill (Mr. Ell), which 'provideg:?fdr"'the,, extension of town districts. ' : • : 's' ; >' Mr. HERIIIES moved to. report' progress before the ,: operative clause? .wpre .'put., ■ The PRLAIE MlNlSTfßfopposed the\moT ti.oll. ; Ho, said/the franchise gave satisfaction w'hero it.'pbtained, and :town' districts ;Wero similar, 'to^Borough's.? V , Mr. ■ MASSEY.'';'said;'v:th6.y .similarity , ..was . really between, town ,',districts and counties.- ' .The smaller",'-,town districts ' wore parts of tho- counties, - and; to have, .'twofranchises 1 in those districts would - be very confusing. The Government' had ' failed 'to do its duty of, bringing', down/-a /comprehensive Local Government*.. Bill: ;■ . : ' v . Tho Comprehensive' Measure- ; PRIME iilNlSTflli said such a.; Bill was sent out t-o local bodies! within the.past twelve months.. influence was .exerted against it, 011 / account pf- ; its proposals 'to abolish -a number of 'small- local bodies. Hardly any...local. bodies;'had . done anything ■ to help tho Bill.'! Tho question was a, very difficult one, and if no .reform,could bo'ef- '. fectod until a comprehensive measure was passed, there might,,bo a very long time'to watt.- i : ~ ". ; ' Mr. REMINGTON said ho would favour, tho. Bill, if it applied only to town districts ■' which were not parts of counties, namely, , those with over'WO;inhabitants!' -y , . Mr./ LANG said, the Local - Government , Bill, did riot,givo assured finance,' and as' .such a Bill,had been talked'.of'fso longj tho local bodies, did,'not take tho thing flerious- ' Jy. . Many., of the. road boards wero doing good work, and tho peo'plo should bo allowed to retain them, instead of having .new bodies,, which they did not .desire, but there should bo dual 'control: Mr. D.' REID supported Mr. Herries's , ■ motion., . ' * "; . Mr. HOGG described the Bill as a truly Liberal mea-sure, which the' Opposition, . as professed Liberals, ought to help to pass. He would favour,"enlargod ,-borrowing powers- . for town.districts, and ho'hoped to see the plural vote done away with in all -local elections. , . > , '. , y • ; • . ' Tho motion. to report , progress .was' defeated by 48 to 20. ; • Tho passage of thc':;Bill was fought clause : by clause by the Opposition. V -. _ Finally tho Bill-was-reported with draughting amendments. ■ FARRIERS; BILL, No. 2. The Farriers' Bill -;N0..2 (Mr., Major) was then taken. . The .Bill proposes to require farriers to 'pass an"examination to- qualify them to undertake farriery work. . The Bill was ,reported with slight amendments. .7 LAMPS ON VEHICLES. Tho Lamps on Vehicles Bill (Mr, Major') taken. The title . of ;.,tho'-JBill -amply »/. suggests its functions/;-,. Tho PRIME MINISTER,- rafter the' first few clauses had been taken', asked the niember for Hawcra to withdraw the Bill, sinco . the Minister for ' Justico .. intended bringing down a Billwhich would cover-the'matter dealt with in this measure.' He moved to report progress on tho pill. Progress was accordingly reported., ' THE AMERICAN FLEET. ■ A Bill to ..yalidate certain-expenditure by local authorities in connection with the visit of the American- Fleet was introduced by Governor's Message and read .a-first time. • CAN'T GET BAOK. The PRIME MINISTER ' moved' to , a! ter the motion passed on ,tho previous day fix-, ing the'timo. of the , adjournment of tho House to cover the period .of the visit of tho Americai., lHcet. He timo to which the House adjouril "bo" 7v30 p.iii. on Tuesday, August IS, instead of 2.30 p.m.;

since tho train could not arrivo here in timo. , , " Subsequently, in reply to d suggestion by Mr. Herries. tho l'rimo Minister altered tho time to Wednesday, Ailgust 10, at 2.30 p.m. This was unaliifflously carried. ,Tho Houso then adjourned;