AMENDMENT OF STATUTES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 143, 14 March 1938, Page 11

AMENDMENT OF STATUTES

Attorney-General Outlines Provisions Of Bill

Although some requests for minor modifications of tbe Statutes Amendment Bill were made by Opposition speakers in the House of Representatives on Saturday morning, generally speaking there were no serious objections made. The second reading debate was interrupted for the introduction of other legislation and was then adjourned until Monday. The Attorney-General, Hon. H. G. R. Mason, gave a long and detailed outlin'e of tbe provisions of the Bill and was thanked for this by Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo), on behalf of other members on his side of the House. Mr. Broadfoot asked that the clause dealing with the prevention of lights which might be confused with railway lights should 'be extended to allow for the setting up of an independent tribunal to deal with cases and also for some right of appeal. When thanking the Minister for the inclusion of the clause exempting agricultural tractors from registration fees, Mr. Broadfoot said that it would remove an anomaly which had caused a great deal of irritation. The Opposition received an assurance from the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, that the clause dealing with the leasing of drill balls involved no scheme for the wholesale leasing of these places throughout the Dominion. Many of the halls in country centres were more or less community halls and it was desired to extend the existing right to lease them for communal purposes for one year. Principally tbe clause had been inserted, he said, to meet the case of the Queenstown Borough Hall.

The boy was subsequently removed to hospital. r ' '