PARLIAMENT AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 308, 22 September 1920, Page 8

PARLIAMENT AT WORK

;THE ONE-BIG-UNION IDEA AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS LAW .. MANY MATTERS DISCUSSED The Prime Minister made an important reference to mining troubles in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. He reported the latest stoppage at the State mine to the members of the House, and indicated that he believed that the time had come for ending an intolerable state of affairs. The 'iSport of the Lands Committee on the Te Aroha Crown Leases Bill, after being three times talked out by leasehold members, "was laid on the table without further debate. The report of a committee on tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill gave rise to a discussion that Occupied most of the afternoon. This Bill, emanating from the Labour bench/es,•'proposed, among other things, that national unions under th« arbitration law should be permitted. The committee had struck out this provision. Members had much to say for and against the big-union idea, and eventually the report was referred back to the committee. The Municipal Corporations Bill, n very bulky consolidating measure, was considered by tho House in Committee during the jevening, A proposal for the extended application of the proportional representation system to local elections was ruled out of order after debate. Various amendments of tho municipal corporations law w,we proposed, and the Bill was; put through its final stages.

ELECTRIC POWER !. INVESTIGATING THE SCHEMES ADVICE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES : Mr. R. Masters (Stratford) suggested to i ' the Minister of Public Works that a ? special clause should be inserted in the - Electric Powers Act enabling local bodies •to expend money, in securing, information as to the prospects of development j of electric power. ' Some local bodies'in ;; the Taranaki district wished to have '. this power. _ The Minister has replied, stating that i if any concrete cases are quoted in ' which this power to spend money on inBestigation proves desirable,' and in jjfhich it is undesirable to set up an Electric power board, he will be glad to consider them and make provision. But I the provisions of tho Electric' Power Boards Act should be fully used before / an alternative ine£Lod is set up. "If a district genuinely wants electric ; •' power," adds .the Minister, "it can and will get it from some source—either the ? Government or its own water-power or s fuel-power station. " The. first step in ; this direction is tho setting up of a s power, board, which has full power to ; investigate all tho 'problems involved, j . BndA follow up their investigations by constructing tho lines or works. The : Chief Electrical Engineer has drawn up ■ proposals for tho subdivision of' tho whole district into electric power districts, and will be glad to discuss and advise as to the boundaries and the most suitable source of power in each aw. trict." .

INCREASED MUNICIPAL RATING POWERS FAVOURED BY MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE. The proposal that borough councils should have power to .levy a general rate up to 2s. 6d. in the X upon the annual value of rateable property, or" twopence in the £ on-the capital value, was strongly opposed by Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmerston) during the committee stage of the Municipal Corporations Bill. Mr. Nash considered that the existing limits'of 2s. and six fitrthings respectively should not be removed, aiid he' moved that they bo retained. Ho was afraid that an irresponsible council might take undue advantage of an increase in the rating powers and carry out work 9 that the people would not vobe for upon a loan proposal. Several members, including Mr. J. P. Luke (Wellington North), Mr. D. G. .Sullivan (Avon), and Mr. P. Eraser (Wellington Central), supported the proposed extension of rating powers. They contended that it was necessary to enable municipalities to meet tho present high, cost ot maintaining borough and city services and ,effecting improvemente. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) urgued thai the remedy lay in the revahition of property within cities and boroughs. He supported Mr. Nash. Mr. A. D. M'Leod (Wairarapa) said that there was a growing tendency on the part' of municipalities to engage in what were really commercial ventures. He thought that it should not bo open to councils simply to saddle tho ratepayers with inoreased rates to cover the loss When such ventures failed.

Mr. ,W. D. Lysnar (Gisbcrne) was strongly avers® from seeing the rates of a borough spent on development vrorks. He believed that such works should be financed out of loan moneys. His remarks applied to towns. -He did sot care what the cities did. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, who at the moment was in charge- of the Bill bofore the House, said that the proposal to give increased rating, powers*to municipal councils had been included in the ■Bill in accordance with the recommendation of a municipal conference. He would not aprco to the withdrawal of__ thoi clause unless the committee desired it. The clause was carried upon a division by 46 votes to 9. INTEREST ON~OVERDRAFT DEBITS AND CREDITS IN MUNICIPAL ACCOUNTS. , Where a local authority has a number of accounts in credit and has its general fund account in debit, the authority has to pay interest to the bank on the overdraft of tho general fund account, f tind gains no relief from tho fact that the other accounts are in credit. Members of the House last night spent some time in discussing the question whether the accounts in credit should in 6ome way bp nut against the accounts in debit. The Minister in charge of the Municipal Corporations Bill (Sir William Herrics) said that if an amendment of. the law was to be made to meet the difficulty ,referred to, tho amendment should probably go into the Local Bodies' Loans Act, so that the case of all local bodies, and not only that of municipal corporations, would be covered. The Government would consider whether an amendment should be made. Miv J. A. Nash (Pabnerston) said that the question was one affecting only loan moneys and trust moneys. Mr. W. D Lysnar (Gisborne) believed that if the necessary authority was given there would be no difficulty about making an -arrangement by which debits ana credits in the various accounts could be adjusted for the reckoning of interest only. . MAYORS ANDIEPUTY-iHAYORS x /'Why should not councils ljave the power to elect permanent deputy-Mayors ?" asked Mr. Harris (Waitemata), who told the House * lost night that "the prepent 6ystem of electing a deputy on overy oo- • casion on which' the Mayor was unable to fulfil his dutie? was cumbersome. When the clause in the Municipal Corporations Bill dealing with tho election of deputy-Mayors was reached in committee, Mr. Harris moved ail amendment to give the council the power ho suggested. There was a brief debate on the question. Two Mayors, Mr. J. P. Luke (Wellington North) and Mr. J. A. Nash (Palinerslon North) opposed the amendment. and Mr. P. Frasor (Wellington Central) lent them ironical support in thoir'endeavour "to conserve the dignity of the Mayoral office." The amendment waa tot oil the .voices.

UNICIPAL CORPORATIONS LAW CONSOLIDATING BILL CONSIDERED The House of Representatives went into Committee on the Municipal Corporations Bill last night. This measure is a consolidation, of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, and its amending Acts, and includes also some' amendments of minor importance. It covers 112 pages, and contains nearly 400 clauses. Mombers proceeded to make suggestions on points of detail. Mr. Wilford (Hutt) willed to see the amalgamation of districtq made more easy.' Mr. Sullivan (Avon) asked that the people of the cities should, have the right to say whether or not they would elect their governing, bodies on the proportional representation system. Mr. Nash 'Palmers'ton) objected to the proposal, embodied in the Bill, to inoreaso the maximum general Tate from lid. to 2d. in the pound on the capital value. He thought that power to levy a larger rate would make the local bodies lax in the raising of valuations.

Mr. Statham (Dunedin Central) suggested that trustees should be allowed to phee trust funds on deposit with municipal corporations. Mr. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) referred to the sins of the Government in dealings with local bodies: The Government Departments, he fnid, pnid no attention at all to city regulations. He thought there was a good deal to be said in favour of the payment of taxation by municipal trading departments. The exemption of these concerns was not fair to their competitors.

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION AN AMENDMENT EXJLED'OUT OF ORDER. .When clauae 17, dealing with local elections and polls, was reached, Mr. i'raser (Wellington Central) moved to add a provision requiring a lccal body, on receipt of a requisition signed by 10 ■per cent, of tho electors, to Take'a poll on the question of adopting the sysieiu cf proportional representation. If a majority of the voters approved, tho system would 'be adopted. . Mr. Massey refused to' accept tho amendment. He did not believe that the cumbrous procedure proposed would be useful or that proportional !presentation would be in the interests of the local bodies. Mr. M'Com'os (Lyttelton) assured tho House that proportfonal representation had been a success in Christchurch and that the temporary abandonment of the system had been against the wishes of tho majority of the people. The operation of the system in Christchurch had been absolutely fair and satisfactory. It was-a Reform Government that had given the municipalities tho right to adopt proportional representation, and tlie logical thing would be to extend the right to the people. Mr., Massoy said that the amendment did not really belong to the present Act. It should have b.een moved oi&tho Local Elections Act.

Tho Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Wilford) told tho House that he would gladly support a proposal for the election of the House 011 proportional representation. The system had worked well in Ireland. But the amendment was being proposed in the wrong Bill and he thought it was out of order. The chairman of committees said tho Bill made , arrangements for tho conduct of elections. But the system of election was kid down .in the Local Elections Act, and- the amendment appeared to be out of order. Ho ruled accordingly. / " LET THE LABOUR PARTY TRY" MATTER OF FARM MANAGEMENT. A novel proposal was yesterday made to the Government by Mr. J. R. Hamilton (Awarua), who gave notico that he would ask the Prime Minister a question in these terms: "Seeing tho many and- various opinions as to tho cost of production •of butter and milk in New Zealand, and the repeated clamour of the Labour and Independent members in this House'for a reduction in the cost of these articles, will the Government agree lo the purchase of. sufficient lands and cows to supply one of fho' principal towns with milk and butler at cost price?" The experiment, Mr, Hamilton suggested, sho'ild be based on 5 per cent, and 1 per cent, sinking fund on the capital required and oost of labour, anil the farm should be run and managed by tho Labour Furty on union wages and provided that the farmers accept the result as the cost of production in New Zenland, aud undertake to supply local markets at the ascertained result. SUBSIDISING"AVIATION THE GOVERNMENT'S PAYMENTS. "Is the Government subsidising the Canterbury Aviation Company or is it not?" asked Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) in the Houso of Representatives yesterday. The member said that a.statoment that the Government was subsidising the company had been made in tho House and denied in Clirietchurch. The Minisfcor of Defence (Sir Heaton Rhodes) replied that he had.read in a Christchurch newspaper a statement that the payment made by tho Government was not a subsidy,* but a payment for services gendered. The company was storing several aeroplanes and some sparo parte for the Government, and bad agreed also to supply mechanics. The Government had not been able to make much use of tho mechanics. He did not think that the services rendered at. counted fully for tho 'sum of £150 a month paid to tho company. He had asked for a copy of the agreement. Tho arrangement seemed to be a .very good one for the company. The Minister added that' a similar payment to the Auckland company was in tho nature of a subsidy. The Government had no machines in Auckland. P. AND T. OFFICERS' PETITION PAY FOR WAR SERVICES. . Members of the Now Zealand Post and Telegraph service who during tho war drow military pay only, -and performed equal duties and ran equal risks with those members of the samo servico who draw half-pay (civil) in addition to their military pay during the wholo period of their absence with the Now Zealand Expeditionary Forces, have presented to Parliament a petition asking that the iustice of their claims upon the Government be considered.