PARLIAMENT AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 2, 27 September 1922, Page 8

PARLIAMENT AT WORK

STATE ADVANCES THREE YEARS’ WORK ON HOUSING AMENDING LAND BILL The Prime Minister yesterday introduced an important Bill dealing with taxation. It provides relief for payers of land tax and income tax. The only other new Bill brought down during the day was a Land Laws Amendment. The annual report of the Marine aifd Inspection of Machinery Department was presented. The State Advances Amendment Bill, the Hauraki Plains Amendment Bil 1, and the Fireblight Bill were passed.

LAND LAWS AMENDING BILL INTRODUCED . SOME CONCESSION TO LESSEES Various amendments of the land laws are proposed in a Land Amendment Bill placed before the House of Representatives yesterday. The Bill does not contain any clauses of great importance. If unoccupied Crown land not exceeding fifty acres in area and not suitable for occupation as a separate holding adjoins other Crown land held under lease or license, it may lie included in such lease or license on terms fixed by the Land Board. This provision is subject io the area restricting clauses of the existing law.

Areas of settlement land may be converted into ordinary Crown land or endowment land by proclamation. The Minister of Finance is to reimburse tho settlement account from the appropriate fund for money that lias been expected on land so transferred. The holder of the lease of a small grazing run either of Crown land or settlement land may acquire the freehold of the whole of the land comprised in tho lease, regardless of the arearestricting clauses, if tho Minister, on the advice of the Land Board, determines that the area in excess of tho specified area is unsuitable for a separate holding. Provision is made for the rcvaitiaiioii of small grazing runs held under leases granted in renewal of leases which hsd expired before the passing of tire Land Laws Amendment Act, 1921-22, and not earlier than February 28, 1920. If the valuation, and tho rent, are reduced in consequence of the valuation, another valuation is to be made within five years. Persons who hold Crown land or settlement land under occupation with right of purchase arc given the right to exchange their licenses for renewable leases. The payments already made will be deemed to have been payments of rent, and credit will be giV<*i for payments made in excess of the rental rate.

Another provision intended to meet existing difficulties is that the holder of a pastoral lease may surrender it, on the recommendation of the board and with the approval of tho Minister, and may obtain a new lease at such rental as may bo fixed by the board. Lessees and licensees of pastoral land are not to burn tussock without the consent of the land board, and subject to such conditions as the board may impose. It is provided that the expenses of drainage may be included in tho cost of opening up settlement land. The right of the holder of a pastoral lease to acquire the freehold, under the Act of last session, is modified by a provision that in the case of a renewed lease or license, the right may be exercised at any time after the expiration of seven years from the commencement of the original lease or- license. Several other clauses make technical amendments in the law. very”personal “HIS ROSY HEELS” “I hope the gigantic intellect from Napier will not bo personal.” said Mr. Holland (Buller), with a pleasant air, as he caught an interjection from Mr. Vigor Brown while addressing the House yesterday. Mr. Massey : AVhat about “gigantic intellect.” ’isn’t that personal? Mr. Holland: I was thinking of what Miss Bleibtrey said about him. A member: What was that? Mr. Holland: She talked about his rosy heels flashing in the sunlight. HARBOURS AND MACHINERY, -INSPECTION Marine affairs and the inspection, of machinery were discussed in the House yesterday afternoon. Tho Leader of the Opposition (Mr. T. M. Wilford) advocated tho appointment by the Government of a marine engineer to advise harbour boards about tho construction of harbours. He believed, as an ex-Minister of Marine, that millions had' been wasted through unwise expenditure on the formation of harbours. Mr. H. E- Holland (Buller) complained that on the West Coast the inspection of machinery had nqt been so effective as it might have been.” Serious accidents had occurred in consequence. He thought it possible that the Inspection Department was understaffed. Sir John Luke (Wellington North) and other members agreed that the appointment suggested by Mr. Wilford should be made. Mr. AW H. Field (Otaki) thought that the Government should provide a dredge for the use of small harbour boards. The Minister of Marino (Hon. G. J. Anderson) said that the appointment of a marine engineer would be quite.a good thing were the public finances in a better condition. People who desired to have a harbour in their district would not readily consent, however, to have their projects vetoed by a Government engineer. The accidents which it had been suggested wore attributable to insufficient inspection of machinery ha J been i rive's tis/Uted, .and had not been found by the investigating tribunal to bo due to faulty inspection. They had been “pure accidents.’ The Machinery Department was not understaffed.

“Does the Prime Minister propose this session to introduce any Legislation dealing with farmers’ agricultural banks?” asked the Loader of the Opposition (Air. Wilford) in the House of Representatives yesterday. “I 'eaid so in the Budget, and I think that should bo sufficient,” replied tho Primo Minister.

STATE ADVANCES THE GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING MR. MASSEY REPLIES TO CRITICS

Official Figures for Mr. McCombs.

Th© Prime Minister in his reply said that the moratorium did not terminate till tho end of next year. He hoped, if all was well, and the Empire did not become involved in a war. that the Government would he able to make satisfactory arrangements without lyXich ‘difficulty for meeting the position at that. time. The Government was preparing. He wished to say something to the member for Lyttelton/ That member, he thought, conjd hardly have been serious in offering such criticisms of the housing statistics. Ho proposed to place on record' the following official figures showing the number of dwelling-houses erected by the Government and Him total cost durinc: the three years ended March 31, 1922:—

Tlie document from which these figures were taken, said Mr. Massey, was signed by the Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. McCombs had suggested that it was impossible for the sum of £3,245,610 to represent 6282 new houses. The houses, however, were, erected in accordance with the provisions of the Advances to Workers’ Act, which required the applicant for an advance to provide a section and 25 per cent, of the cost of the building. As to the figures relating to houses for which advances had been made under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act. he had particularly instructed the Secretary of the Treasury not to include old houses purchased by-moans of advances. He believed that in tho total he had gives there was no house which had merely changed hands. Every one had been built at Government expense and a great number had been built under the supervision of Gov«irnment officials. He intended to continue the opwatfon of Ithe Workers’ Homes Act, which enabled reliable and industrious workers who could deposit £lO to have a house built. He boned and believed that it would be possible to make the necessary arrangements with the Public Works Department for the building of houses under the Act.

Mr. Fraser (.Wellington Central): If war came, yon would have to extend the moratorium? Mr. Massey: It is not impossible. I" war comes, it will make a change fn our nosition that in all probability wo shall have to do a great deal to meet.

The Bill was read a third time and passed.

Mr. G. Witty (Hiccarton) is asking the Minister of Railways whether h<; will extend the time for which return tickets are available on the railways. Originally the time was three months; now it is only four days.

The Primo Minister last night moved the third reading of the State Advances Amendment Bill. He had given figures regarding the Government’s housing operations when the Bill was in committee, and this subject was further discussed.

Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) said that the claim of the Government to have built or provided the means of building 10,110 houses during the last three years could not be upheld for a moment. The Prime Minister had included in the reckoning existing houses which with State assistance had been pui chased by cne man from another. Lu the city of Wellington, v ith its population of 90,000, only 317 houses had been built during the oast year. The Government’s claim was “absolutely absurd.” The present Ministers had hampered the operations, of the State Advances Department since they took office. They were claiming credit now tor the Department’s housing work and glossing over the failure of their own housing scheme. Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) agreed that the Government ought not to claim credit for houses built with money loaned by the State Advances Department. These loan operations had proceeded automatically. The housing policy, which had failed, had been a different matter altogether. Mr. Sidey declared again that the extra advances loan 0f*£2,000,000 and the suggested extension of tile repatriation system were “electioneering proposals.” “Where are the .10,006 houses?” asked Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South). “If they have, been built they should be visible to us. .We should be able to point to t'hem in our electorates. nVhere are they? I have not got my Share.” Mr. D. Jones (Kaiapoi) said he had a fair proportion of the houses in his electorate. He had sixty Government houses, in addition to many hot ses built with Government aoney, and others purchased under the soldier settlement echemc. If the member for Christchurch South was not doing his di ty to his district, his constituents would be interested to know the fact. “When you get a roan who claims to be a worker, but is really a talker, you don’t get tho work done in his electorate,” declared Mr. Jones. “The remedy is quite simple. Put in a Reform member and get the work done.” Other Labour members suggested that the Government had exaggerated its achievements in the matter of house-building. Mr. J. R. Hamilton (Awarua) asked for ad assurance that the State Advances Department W’ould ictain funds to meet the difficult situation that might arise when tha moratorium was lifted.

Houses Cost. Completed. £ Railway Dent.. .. 188 220,154 State Advances .. 6,282 3,245.610 Housing Dept. .. 340 409,355 D.S.S. Act 3300 2,667,000 Totals .. 10,100 6,542,119