THE SESSION'S WORK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 15

THE SESSION'S WORK.

SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION. PRINCIPAL MEASURES PASSED. ' IThe following is a summary of tho principal legislation of the session:— .-.

A MILLION LOAN. 'The Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Bill provides for the raising'of'a loan of one million at a rate not exceeding 4J per oen-t. The'money is proposed to be allocated as follows:—Railways, ,£IOO,OOO (new railways, £300,000); land settlement and goldfields development, construction of roads, etc., ,£200,.000; other publio works, ,£400,000.

HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AID. '• Thfi' Hospitals and Charitable?, Institutions Bill repeals the Hospitals, and; Charitable Institutions Act, 1908, and makes ' substituted provisions. The . chief alterations are the , fallowing :— I The- distinction-' , between . hospital . :board! and., charitable j aid boards is abolished. and every board possesses .the double function o£ maintaining hospitals and administering charitable relief.- A hospital and charitable aid board consists of_ representatives of. the various contributory districts; within, the hospital ' district.. The representation is proportionate to the 1 population and the value of the ratable ' property in the contributory dis.trict.. The representatives are elected .by- ( the electors of the local authority- of the contributory district; oasual vacancies are filled by nomination by the local authority itself. Small' tontributory'■ districts may bo combined together by the Governor and, return a representative in common. The rcpr«entatives'6f each .contributory district will retire' at every general' eleotion of the local. authority:. of that aistriot, and their places will bo filled by an election held at the same time as that general eleotion. ' This arrangement preserves the con-, tinuity :bf ' the . boards, by. seouring tho . retire-, ment of groups of members' at,different times, and also prevents the necessity of-any separato 'and' speoial election bi? using tho easting machinery o£ local-.elections. Infectious .diseases hospitals are; made subject in all respects to the-same law as ordinary hospitals. All existing separate institutions (except a.few which are specifically exempted-.on : the-ground- that ther , are self-supporting so . far as . the , local authorities' arc concerned) are vested in the hospital, and charitable aid boards of 'the district in : which .they- are' situated,, and they cease ac'cbrdingly. to .exist as separate institutions. . Provisions are , included which; it is. I statod, ..will. allow friendljr • and other ■ societies to make speoial contracts with..boards/' No inew, separate;, institutionscan ,be established. Thirty-two hospital districts aro constituted.-

SHIPPING AND SEAMEN.. , The Shipping and Seamen Act Amendment Act, provides tor a fine of ,£SO . tor any person wiio . permits himself to, bo ■ engaged, .or. ..who acts, as an officer of a ship or steamer without being duly certificated. Power is given to. the' Minister to, e.\6mpt any. steamer plying exclusively on any lake or within river, or extended river limits; 'from the''obligation of 'carrying, a. certificated' inaster or engineer,. The limit ol boree.power ol steamers in connection with the mauning'scale was'raised from 4009 to 8000, Tho period of service' : before tho mast required as a qualification for the rating of A.li. is'reduced from four to three yeah, v Provision' ia made for certificated -cooks : for foreign-going ships. Clauses oro included to 'ensure. satisfactory : sanitary and hospital accommodation on, ships, and- the. owner of a ship- is. required to defray ; the expenses , of trcatrrient for accidents, and illnesses sustained 'whilst in: the service of the' same. ' The Governor, by, Order-in-Council, may requiro ships carrying passengers. to he provided with wireless telegraphy apparatus.' .Plans 1 and specifications of all vessels'pf over: 15.-tons shall' be approved by the Minister | before' the, building is commenced.: Proyisiori:!'js niado Iforjthe' spection;'of : wool," flax*'. tow; and skins .'before shipment; , Owners of missing ships registered in New Zealand, aro required to make, reasonable "search :for : such' vessel under pain of a penalty not' exceeding'JilOO.:; Ins tho case of acoidents, British or foreign ships may be 'detained until provision is made for meeting: a claim for compensation. PUBLIC SERVICE CLASSIFICATION. Under the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act, all persons who are retired ' compulsorily : (otherwise, 1 than for: misconduct!'after' twonty years' service aro given tho riijht to receive, in addition'to a refund | of' thoir contributions,: a further' sum by .way

of interest on •, those contributions, Those members of tho public service who have failed to take .advantage-of their right to'join tho fund shall cease to be'entitled to become contributors thereto unless,they bo elect before March 31, 1910. Clause 7 enables the Minister in charge of any Department > to: extend tho benefits of the Act to a-male contributor,who retires at fifty-five years of age, if his service not less than thirty, years. Clause 9 is intended to avoid certain difficulties which have been experienced _in computing the proper deduction to maao from > retiring-allowances -vrhen v the contributor returns temporarily to tho Government- service. . Provision is made ' for an extension, of the time limit for tho making of payments on account of broken service. Clauses and 13 make the samo amendments to tho scheme of Teachers' Superannuation- as arc made by Clauses 7 and 9 of the Act in tho case of tho public service. ./ LAND SETTLEMENT FINANCE. The purpose of the Land Settlement Finance Act is to promote tho closer settlement ol land by enabling groups of purchasers to buy an estate f or. subdivision among them,. and to raise the purchase money by means of a loan guaranteed by the Government., For'this'purpose any-fivo or more persons may by agreement form an_ incorporated land settlement association, and may purchase in the name of that association any estate consisting of not less than two hundred and fifty acres. The of purchase must comprise a scheme for the subdivision, of the estate into allotments not less than fifty acres in extent, i„. for . th<J . allocation of eaoh of these allotments to one of the purchasers at a fixed price.. On the confirmation of the asrecment' So pSwf PO t£ 1 association, acting through the Publin Trustee as its agent, is empowered i als ? "[® "Jtal- purchase money of /'tlio estate by the issue of debentures under . the guarantee of tho Government, 1 V INCREASE OF CUSTOMS DUTIES, The Customs Duties Amendment. Act proline 5 1 per cent, on' tobacco, cigars, i and j cigarettes, and 21 per cent, on : f j a i ■ f°° d . s - - N o o refu nd shall 'be made. of duty already paid under the resolutions of the House relating to primaee duty'

PONY AND GALLOWAY RACES. „& obi€et of/iie Race.MwttaCT.ioi. is to a ¥' sll ,P™l Md galloway races., It !b provided that nothing in the Act snail apply to horse , racing .conducted under, the": authority and control of, a raomg club authorised- to use the. totalisator. Provision i* made that any f<. pol °, C ,J J J . ma - v apply to tho Minister for Internal Affairs for a lioensa to conduct horse-races, and the Minister;may. in his-discretion, grant or refuse such licene*. Penalties are imposed upon illegal racing.KING COUNTRY LICENSES. Country' Licenses Act provide, that the present ■ licenses in tho King Country shall terminate on Juno. 30, 1910, and that : no future: licenses .shall be issued.: ' ; " , STATE ADVANCES ACT. : Jcr the purposo of carrying out tho objects of this Act there is, established on'office to bo administered by a superintendent. In: his official capacity the • superintendent may" sue' or bo sued. A board shall also be appointed/to S! 0f ,% th ? superintendent, two oflioers of the Civil Service: appointed' by the Governor-in-Councili and two other membersnot . being officers of; the Civil Service. Money. inay.be advanced to settlors-as loans on mortgage; to workers, as loans on mortgage,• tis- - authorities, as, loans on debentures- and to . mining, companies and: persons,, as guaranteed raining advances, The ; ambunt' which may be., raised urj-any one financial; year for ad-' .Tances to settlers shall riot' exceed -.£1,500 000; for advances to .workers,''43soo,ooo; for advances to local authorities, .as may bo fixed bv Parliament, with a, limit of •; one million pounds after • this, year; for. guaranteed mining advances, _ ,£20,000. .-All. sums, so .raised - will be guaranteed by the Government.' In cOnneotion' with each branch- sinkingfunds'-., are to be established. No advance to.a settler shall be less, than ,£25, nor more'than i!3(»0, .and applications for loans not exceeding;,£Mo shall ha\o priority over applications'for larger sums,' Tho term of the loan shall be 351 years, and the raw - of interest shall -bo 5, per. cent, per annum, lessa oent v fori prompt payment. In case or default tho superintendent shall havo !w lieu °['l ßllin 8- ' -Not,'more' than ,£l5O shall be granted - to l any-one'bor-rower. under'.the,advances, to workers' branch - ?, ho . »j»' of . interest to ,bq •, charged' local: nnihorities shall be the same as the rate at ijyhich- the',money-,was raised, and: the term tuay be tho samo as.Hh 'the.'caSe'-'tjf ''adVhnces to' settlers, or? a shorter term. To cover the administration expenses ofv the branch, there shall ,bo payable by the local authority' to which : a loan is granted a oommission:fee not exceeding 1 per cent., of : the : amount: of, the loan. Any application for d guaranteed mining, advance must, be recommended by the Jtinister . for Finance. .- All. local,: bodies', jinking funds .'must bo. invested, in Government; securities, '