PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 35, 4 November 1933, Page 8

PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

More Government Legislation Introduced ADOPTION OF RESERVE BANK PROPOSAL Lively Debate Arises on Subject of Summer Time KSBffitesw adjoU sX e al t -of the Government Bills which made their appearance are meaX that were introduced last session but not proceeded rJith for one reason or another. Included in this category are the Municipal Corporations Bill,, the Stock Remedies Bill and the Poultry Runs Registration Bill. Ihese three measures are - staiitially the same as their predecessors of last session, although they have all been slightly amended. A new Bill was the Tomato Gardens Registration Bill, which provides for the registration ol tomato gardens used for the production of tomatoes for commercia. purposes A Harbour Amendment Bill was also introduced, tl s measure giving effect in the main to remits passed by the Harbour B ° al There S was a storm of protest during the afternoon sitting when the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. J A. Young, on behalf of the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes opposed the urther progress of the Summer Time Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr. R McKeen (Lab., Wellington South) on the ground that the Government intended to introduce a similar measure. Labour and Independent members charged the Government with rudely trampling on the rights of private members.

STATUS OF ALIENS Consultation With British Government AMENDMENT OF ACT Oil the ground that the whole matter was at present the subject of discussion between the New Zealand and Hie British Governments, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. J. A. Noting, asked Mr. P. Fraser (Lab., Wellington Central) in the House of Representatives yesterday to agree to postpone further consideration of his British Nationality and Status of Aliens (in New Zealand) Amendment Bill. The Minister said the Government ■had submitted recommendations on the subject, and had asked that immediately the, corresponding British Bill had been passed it be sent on to them, so that they could bring our legislation into harmony. In order to avoid difficulty it was necessary to have uniformity ip matters of naturalisation. He could not support the Bill at present, in view of the fact that the Government had the matter in hand with its law draughtsman, and correspondence with the British authorities was taking place. • Mr. Fraser said he realised Jiat without the co-operation of the Government and the Minister the Bill would have no chance of getting on the Statute Book. At the same time if he agreed to report progress and ask for leave to sit again, he did not want to be considered as agreeing to the principle that the New Zealand law of naturalisation must conform to the British law. Parliaments had power to pass any law they liked in connection with naturalisation. The Minister gave his assurance that as soon as the negotiations with Britain had been completed there would be no delay in bringing down a Bill on the subject. He hoped that it might be introduced this session. Mr. Fraser agreed to the suggestion to postpone further consideration of the Bill. MAORI ELECTIONS Alteration of Procedure SCRUTINEERS IN BOOTHS Permission'for scrutineers to be present in Maori election booths while polling is in progress is sought under an amendment to the electoral law introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. E. T. Tirikatene (Ind., Southern Maori). He explained that voting in Maori elections was not by secret ballot, but by declaration to the returning officer and his associate. Scrutineers were not allowed in the booth until the votes were being counted. Mr. J. A. Lee (Lab., Grey Lynn): After the damage has been done. The Maori voter, said Mr. Tirikatene, was asked his name, ids sub-tribe, and his tribe, and for whom he desired to vote. The majority of the voters could read and write. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage, said that if a Maori could not read or write he left the botoh without knowing for whom he had voted. He strongly urged the Government to take up the Bill, and amend the law in the direction sought. The Maori should be placed on the same footing as the European, which would be only bare justice to the Native race. The Minister of Native Affairs, Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata, said that the Prime Minister, had gone into the question with the electoral officer, and had he known that the Bill was coming forward he would probably have been in a position to make a statement. The remedy proposed by Mr. Tirikatene would, he thought, probably make the position worse. If the object of the system was secrecy that was not to ba achieved by making greater publicity—by having a “gallery” in the polling booth instead of only the returning officer and his associate. If there were six or eight scrutineers, the poll would be more like a Maori meeting. “I am not saying that the present system is perfect,” said Sir Apirana, “and I am not defending it in saying that in the past it has not led to abuses. On the whole. I think it has not worked badly.” He mentioned that a former member for Southern Maori, Mr. Tuiti Makitanara, had been elected on the casting vote of a European, thereby defeating the present member for the electorate, who was proposing the Bill The Bill was read a first time.

FAMILY ALLOWANCES Payment to Mother or Father A LABOUR PROPOSAL Under a Bill introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. W. E. Barnard (Lab., Napier), provision is made for the payment of the family allowance to either a father or mother who might make application. The present legislation permits the father alone to apply. Mr. Barnard urged the Government to take up the Bill and remedy what he considered to be a serious injustice. Mrs. E. R. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton) said that the Bill merely proposed to do justice to a number of children in the community. Mr. F. AV. Schramm (Lab., Auckland East) urged that provision should be made for a magistrate to order the allowance to be paid in such a way that it would be certain that the children would benefit. The magistrate would be able to determine whether it should be paid to the mother or father or agent. The Bill was read a first time. N.Z. COINAGE ( Legislation Introduced DISTINCTIVE DESIGNS Seeking to- replace Imperial legislation by local legislation in anticipation of the’issue of a special New Zealand coinage, the Coinage Bill was introduced into the House of Representatives yesterday and read a first time. In a Finance Bill last year a clause was included giving preliminary power to the Government to arrange for the minting of New Zealand’s own silver coinage, The Coinage Bill is a machinery measure designed to give effect to this purpose. It sets out file specifications regarding the size, weight, and fineness of the new coins. The specifications will in each case be the same as,those of the present English coins, but there will be distinctive designs. The Bill empowers the Minister of Finance to issue silver coins of the following denominations: Crown, halfcrown, florin, shilling, sixpence, and threepence. He may also issue bronze or cupronickel coins of such denomi nations as may from time to time be determined by proclamation. The cost of all coins made and issued is to be paid out of the public account. The usual provisions are made regarding legal tender of different coins. The new coins will be legal tender at once. The present coins will remain legal tender until a date to be fixed by proclamation. The Governor-General is empowered by proclamation to determine the dimensions and designs of any New Zealand coins, to determine the weight below which a coin is not to be current. and to call in any eojn of any date or denomination. STOCK REMEDIES More Effective Control More effective control of the sale of, stock remedies is provided for in the •Stock Remedies Bill, which was reintroduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. With the exception of minor changes in the wording of one or two ■ clauses, the object of which Is to inore clearly define the intention of the legislation, the Bill is exactly as amended by the Agricultural and Pastoral Committee, to which it was referred when introduced last session. The establishment of a Stock Remedies Registration Board is the main object of the Bill. The legislation is designed to come into force on June .1 next.

LOCAL BODIES

Many Defects Amended MUNICIPAL CONTROL Changes in Last Year’s Bill The Municipal Corporations Bill, which was introduced by GovernorGeneral’s Message and read a first time in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, is substantially the same as the measure before Parliament. last session. During the recess consideration has been given to some of the provisions which were then subjects of criticism, and alterations have been made. A small alteration has been made to the clause providing for the appointment of a deputy-mayor of a borough so as to make it clear that the deputymayor ceases to exercise his duties when a new mayor is elected at an extraordinary election. If it thinks fit the council may appoint one -of its members to be deputy-mayor. AVith the consent of the mayor, or in the event of the mayor becoming incapable of acting, without such consent, the de-putv-mayor shall have all the authority'of mayor until the mayor resumes his duties* or a new one is appointed. It was provided in the original Bill that elections of borough councillors should be triennial after 1935, but under an amendment in the new Bill all future elections will be triennial. Standing Committees. Various defects found in the clauses providing for the appointment of standing or special committees by borough councils have been remedied. This provision was invoked for the purpose <>L setting up the committee of management which had control of Napier after the Hawke’s Bay earthquake. The appointment and functioning of that committee revealed many weaknesses in the relative clauses, and opportunity has been taken to amend them. In addition the sections dealing with the appointment of joint committees have been reframed, as they were tound in their present form to be really unwoikable. , The clause setting out the procedure to be adopted by a borough council in Massing a special order has been altered so as to reduce to four the number of advertisements required in between the two meetings of the. council at which the special order is made. An alteration has been made to the clause empowering borough councils to declare private streets or right-of-ways to be public streets. A borough council is given power by special order to declare any private street or right-of-way to be a public street, and thuallow the council to maintain in a proper state of repair such streets. The council cannot do this until such street or right-of-way is properly formed by the owners thereof or frontagers thereto. Every private street and right-of-way so declared shall become a street vested in the corporation. Building Line Restrictions, A slight amendment has been made to a clause dealing with building line restrictions. The Bill provides that the owner of any land affected by by-laws fixing a building line may at any time dedicate to the corporation for street purposes the whole of his interest in any part of the land on which the reerection of buildings is forbidden by the operation of the by-law. The council shall accept such a dedication, but it may refuse to accept it unless and until it is satisfied that on the remainder of the land substantial building or rebuilding operations have been undertaken since the coming into force of the by-law. Tlie original Bill provided that a council, having established electric light works, might supply electricity to a person residing beyond the borough only with the consent of the local authority of the. district in which the supply was given and of the electric power board within whose supply area the district or any part of it was situated. There was some opposition to the requirement of the consent of the electric power board, and this latter- part of the provision has now been withdrawn. The Bill provides that the consent of a borough council must be obtained before any subdivision of land within a borough may be made. Words have been added to this provision to make it clear that the borough council may require provision made for the construction of streets or the making of reserves, even though provision for these was not contained in the original plan of subdivision as submitted for approval. Control of Hoardings. In last year’s Bill borough councils were given additional, powers to control hoardings and other display signs ami advertisements. These additional powers were objected to, and subsequently negotiations were started between the principally interested parties. These negotiations are still in progress, and in the meantime no additions to present law on this subjeet'are included in the Bill. An addition is made, to the 11th schedule of the Bill to place beyond doubt the powers of a borough council to secure the demolition of ruinous buildings. Tower to make by-laws fixing minimum and maximum fares for the use of passenger-carrying vehicles is given Io borough councils by another clause. One of the Important additions to the Bill introduced last session was a provision authorising borough councils to make by-laws limiting the number, of taxidrivers’ licenses that may be issued, and regulating the daily hours of work of taxi-drivers. Since the Bill was under consideration further representations have been made to the Government which believes that if the matter is to be controlled effectively borough councils should also have the power to fix minimum and maximum fares for the use of taxis. Accordingly, the Bill as reintroduced empowers a council to make by-laws licensing and regulating vehicles plying for hire for the carriage of goods, and (1) limiting the number of licenses: (2) appointing stands for the use of any such vehicles, and limiting the use of any such stand to particular persons or any particular class or classes of licensed vehicles; (3) fixing minimum and maximum fares for the use of any vehicles licensed for the carriage of passengers; (4) regulating the daily hours of work of drivers of licensed vehicles. The power to make by-laws regulating, controlling or prohibiting vehicular traffic and licensing and controlling vehicles shall be subject to the provisions of any act dealing specially witli any particular kind of traffic or any particular kind or kinds of vehicles. The Bill was referred to the Local Bills Committee.

HEATED WORDS

Mr. McKeen’s Bill Held Up SUMMER TIME LAW Charge Against Government MEMBERS’ INDIGNATION Heated words were exchanged in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, when the Minister of Health, Hon. J. A. Young, on behalf oi’ the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. AV. Forbes, suggested postponement of the discussion on the Summer Time Amendment Bill, sponsored by Mr. R. McKeen (Labour Wellington South), on the ground that the Government itself proposed to bring down legislation on the subject. Members of the Opposition and Independent ranks freely charged the Government with breaking a compact, and with rudely trampling on the rights of private members. Mr. McKeen, however, agreed to the course suggested rather than run the risk of an adverse vote on his Bill. At the request of the Prime Minister, who was absent from AVellington. Mr. Young said the Government had the matter under consideration, and it proposed to introduce a Bill on the subject. In those circumstances he was sorry to have to suggest to Mr. McKeen that he should move to report progress and ask for leave to sit again. Mr. P. Fraser (Lab.. AA’ellington Central) : That is a particularly mean thing to do after the member has gone and got the full consent of the House to the amendment. Mr. McKeen: I am astounded at the attitude taken up by the Prime Minister. I met the wishes of objectors in the House bv extending summer time simply for a* full month. Tire Prime Minister never suggested to me at any time that the Government intended to bring down a measure to meet that position. I do not. know whether it is because thev do not like a private member getting a thing like that through. The only thing I can suggest is that the House get on with the' Bill. “An Indefensible Thing.” • “This is just another unfortunate incident which shows an entire lack of leadership in the House,” said Mr. Fraser, “a lack of a proper sense of the dignity of the House. It shows a desire to prevent work being initiated by private members. If the attitude is to be taken up that no private member is to put through a Bill, then that is reducing the House to the level of mediocrity set by the Government. During the period of 15 years in which I have been in the House I have not seen anything so indefensible.” Mr. Fraser said the Bill would go through the House in five minutes or Jess. There had -been no indication of any reason why it should not go through. After Mr. M.cKeen had been in consultation with the Prime Minister without any indication that ordinary courtesy demanded, the Minister of' Internal Affairs now said that the Bill would not be allowed to go through. Not a single reason was given, nor any indication of what the forecast legislation would be. If there was to be uo improvement then this was a piece of indefensible governmental selfishness. “This attitude only shows what a farce it is allowing private members to introduce Bills,” said Mr. It. A. Wright (Ind.. AA’ellington .Suburbs). “An absolute farce and waste of time.” It was not clear now that this measure was going to be brought in this session. The House had degenerated, and was gradually getting worse and worse. (Hear, hear.) After all the difficulties raised had been met. the member in charge of the Bill was told it was opposed. “Tactical Blunder.” “Mr. Chairman, it is because he is a Labour member,” exclaimed .Air. Wright. The Government with its brutal force and extra majority had declared that the townspeople were not going to get the extra summer time they desired. Loyal supporters of the Government were going to suffer in consequence of the rejection of the Bill. He had seen Governments make many mistakes, but he had never seen such a tactical blunder as this made oefore. It only showed how utterly incapable the present leaders of the House were. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage, advised Mr. McKeen to give the House an opportunity of voting on the Bill. “For an exhibition of incapacity to lead’anybody ori lead anything, this is about the limit.” said Mr. Savage. If the Minister was prepared to fight the Bill, then he should take the responsibility. Mr. Young said he took it that the statement of the Prime Minister had been given in good faith, and that he had the matter in hand and intended to introduce a Bill on the subject. Mr. Richards: When? Mr. Young: I cannot say, because I have not discussed the matter in detail. Mr. Armstrong: I want to know if private members have any rights in this House at all. Mr. Richards: None. The Minister of Defence, Hon. J. G. Cobbe, denied that the Bill had been stopped because it had been brought forward by a Labour member, and said there had been no intention of discourtesy to Labour members. He rebuked Mr. Wright. for bis “unrestrained and undignified language.” “Very Astute Tactics." The Rev. C. L. Carr (Lab., Tlinaru) attributed the action of the Prime Minister not so much to rudeness and lack of courtesy as to very astute tactics. Through tlie efforts of a private member lie had been able to discover exactly where the House stood on this much-debated matter, and then he jumped in and said he was going to make it a Government measure. It was obvious that private members were simply being used as chopping-blocks. Mr. Wright vigorously replied to Mr. Cobbe. denying that he had used any unparliamentary language, and expressing regret that the Standing Orders did not allow him to express himself even more freely. Members' rights in the House were gradually being frittered away, be said, and it was about time the country knew it. Tlie Minister of Labour, Hon. A. Hamilton, said he thought the House would admit that private members had been given a good run with their bills this session. The Government had been generous enough to give Mr. McKeon’s Bill a second reading, when it might very easily have voted against it. After all, the Government had to take the responsibility for any legislation that was enacted Mr. McKeen said it was only fair to state’that no definite compact had been made with the Prime Minister. He was prepared to accept an assurance that tlie Government would bring down legislation on the subject this session. He therefore agreed to report ' progress on the Bill.

HARBOUR CONTROL

Protection for Boards AMENDING MEASURE Payment of Port Charges The main purpose of the Harbours Amendment Bill, which was read a second time pro forma in the House of Representatives yesterday and referred to the Lands Committee, is to give legislative effect to remits passed at the last conference of the Harbours Association and approved by the Government. The Bill also makes a few other amendments to the principal Act to bring it into uniformity with corresponding provisions m other local body legislation and to meet departmental requirements. The provisions of the Harbours Act in respect to disqualification for membership of a harbour board are amended so that they fall into line with the legislation governing other local bodies. Under the existing legislation a person is disqualified from membership who is interested in any contract made by the board if the payment is more than £25 in tlie case of a siugle contract or £5O altogether in any financial rear. The new clause reduces these* limits to £lO and £25, although the Audit Office is empowered under special circumstances to raise the limit to £5O. Interest in any newspaper in which the board inserts advertisements is not to constitute a disqualification under this clause. Contracts With Officers. Harbour boards are empowered by the Bill to enter into contracts with any of their officers for a maximum term of three years, with power to renew the contracts for a similar maximum period. Provision is made for three pienths’ notice to be given of termination of office. Boards are given power to insure the fidelity of their officers by taking out guarantee policies and paying tlie premiums on these from a special fund. Additional protection is given boards in the collection of harbour dues on goods carried in vessels trading within harbour limits. Provision is made for the payment of tlie dues by the master or owner of the vessel in cases where they cannot be collected from the proper person, who will then be liable for reimbursing the master or owner. Charges for the use of a board’s tug oi’ for labour or material of any description supplied by a board are to be excluded frbm the definition of dues. Government departments are made liable to pay thesp charges to the same extent as though they were private persons. Exemption from Dues. Au interesting clause of the Bill removes the exemption from the payment of harbour dues, which lias been granted to whaling vessels. Since this industry has become highly commercialised and is a highly profitable one it is considered that there is no good ground for continuing the exemption. The principal Act exempts from the payment of ail dues vessels employed in fishing, sealing or oyster-dredging. To meet the representations of. harbour boards an amendment is provided under which the exemption of these vessels is restricted. They are now to be exempted from all harbour dues except for berthage, storage, dock, slip or other accommodation actually provided and for services rendered by officers of the board and for pilotage rates. The principal Act authorises ’ the payment of expenses actually incurred by members in travelling to or from board meetings or on board business. Since boards have had difficulty in assessing these expenses, it is now provided that they may make to their members travelling allowances not exceeding a rate to be prescribed by the Governor-Generul-in-Council. Where a board collects its own rates it is to be empowered to charge tlie cost of collection against the rates, that is, against the general account. The Annual Accounts. The meeting of a harbour board for the production of the annual accounts, Which the principal Act says shall be held in March each year, may now be held under a clause in the Bill “not later than March 31.” This will enable eacli board to have its meeting as soon as its accounts are ready for presentation. Sinking fund commissioners of harbour boards arc given under the Bill similar powers of incorporation as are granted to municipalities under the Local Bodies Loans Act, 1926. The sinking fund commissioners of harbour boards are to be made a body corporate with succession and common seal, and this will save the boards unnecessary expense. For the . purpose of. executing documents and holding securities the office of sinking fund commissioner is made perpetual and not personal. Tlie maximum amount under which boards may enter into contracts without submitting them to public tender is increased from £5O to £250. With the consent of the Minister harbour boards are authorised to spend, funds on afforestation work within their areas. Bower is given boards to sell small or narrow areas of tidal mudllat on condition of their reclamation. Any reclaimed land which is within the defined boundaries of a wharf is exempted from any local authority control other than that of the harbour board. The maximum period for the lease of wharves, buildings, etc., is extended from seven to 14 years, the same period as that for which foreshore licenses are granted.' Boards are to oe permitted to lease wharves, buildings, etc., for any period not exceeding one year without calling public, tenders. The vesting of reclamations of not more than five acres is authorised by Order-in-Council. Hluminated Signs. On account of the inconvenience and confusion which has arisen in some harbours through the exhibition of illuminated signs on land which may be mistaken for lighted harbour beacons and wharf lights, powers are conferred on harbour boards to serve notices on offenders, who. if they do not comply with the directions given, may be liable to fines not exceeding £lOO. The principal Act gives harbour boards power to deal with cases where vessels are sunk, stranded or abandoned in any harbour or tidal water or on the seashore “in such a way as to tend to the injury of navigation.” Since the inclusion of this condition has hindered the authorities from ordering the removal of obstructions, it is revoked in the Bill. Harbour boards are empowered to make by-laws in the following directions:—(l) For the exemption of . vessels laid up from tlie payment of port charges. (2) For the sealing up of garbage chutes on vessels in harbour,

in the interests of public health and navigation. (3) For seaplanes using harbours. (4) For controlling the speed, use, and management of motor launches and outdoor speed boats. (This will include power to enforce the installation of silencers on boats). (5) For the conditions under which tugs shall be used. Deposits of Rubbish. An important clause gives harbour boards power to restrict the deposit of ballast and , rubbish. The existing legislation only prevents the discharge or deposit of rubbish into harbours in cases where the discharge or deposit is to the injury of navigation. It is stated that the discharge of rubbish has injured harbours and beaches without injuring navigation, and this condition on its discharge is therefore eliminated in the new Bill to give boards better control of harbours. Boards are also empowered to prosecute with a view to preventing refuse, filthy and insanitary matter, polluted waters, etc., being discharged into harbours or into the approaches to any harbour or into any pipes discharging into harbours. Boards are given wider powers to order the removal of abandoned and laid-up vessels in a harbour. For any of these offences the offender is made liable to a fine of £lOO. The existing powers of boards for the recovery of such fines are extended. Under the principal Act penalties are prescribed for wilful injury to, or removal of, harbour beacons, buoys, and life-saving appliances. There have been cases in which wilful damage, such as by rifle fire from launches, has been done to harbour property, but boards hare found it difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain tlie actual offender when the offences have been committed from a vessel. The Bill places the responsibility on the master or owner of any vessel from which such an offence is committed. Finally, tlie Bill authorises harbour boards to advertise and publish handbooks and other publications concerning their affairs and to make and exhibit cinematograph films relating to tlie harbour and harbour works.