THE LAWS OF THE LAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 152, 24 December 1903, Page 5

THE LAWS OF THE LAND.

RECENT LEGISLATION EXPLAINED. Following is a summary of a further batch of tho Acts passed last session : — RATE OF INTEREST. Lonns for a considerable amount will shortly become due and will require to bo renowed. Sinco thoy wero floated the rate of interest ruling for colonial loans has increased, and tho Public Loans Renewal Act was passed to enable them to be renewed at a maximum rate of 4J per cent. TREASLHY BILLS. By tho Public Revenue Act 1893 the Government lias authority to issue Treasury Bills to the. extent of a- million pounds in anticipation of revenue or in aid of revenue. These- Bills fall due on the 31flb March next, and the Treasury Bills Extension Act was passed to extend tueir currency to the 31st March, 1910. INTESTATE ESTATES. " The Intestate Estates Act was passed to make better provision for widows and widowers in tho distribution of intestate estates. It will come into operation on Ist January, 1904. Where the value of an intestate's estate is under £500, and there are no children, It will belong to his widow absolutely. Where the net value of the estate exceeds £500 the widow will bo entitled to £600 absolutely, and will have a charge on tho estate for that sum, with interest thereon from the date of the death of the intestate at 4 per cent, per annum until payment. In addition to that sum of £500 the widow will be entitled to her share in the residue of tho eatate in tho same way as if the residuo had been the whole of the estate. The samo provisions will apply to the estate of a woman who dies intestate leaving a- widower and no children. LABOUR DEPARTMENT. Tho Department of Labour has been in existence for some ten years, but its powers and duties have not hitherto been specifically defined, and the Labour Department Act was passed to remedy that defect. The term "employer" is defined as meaning "any person, firm, company, or local authority employing labour of any kind for hire, and includes any agent> representative, or attorney of any of them respectively." "Worker" means 'any person employed for hire to perform any clerical or manual labour of any kind." The Governor is empowered to appoint officers, and the persons at present holding office are to be deemed to have been appointed under tho Act. The general duties of the Department ar<s — to administer the labour laws of the colony; to acquire and disseminate knowledge on all matters connected with the industrial occupations of the people, with a view to improving th© relations between employe!* and workers; to collect and publish reliablo information relating to or affecting tho industries of tho colony and rates of wages. < For the purpose of obtaining the necessary information tho Minister or his officers are entitled to procure from the officers of unions of workers such information as to the membership, benefit, .or advantages enjoyed or obtainable under tho rules, and as to the disqualifications or j ! disabilities under the rules as the Minister directs or requires. The Department may also require any employer to state in writing the name of his manager or managers, and the names of every worker employed by him, together with the nature of the employment, tho hours of labour, and the mode, terms, and rate of payment. It is also empowered to obtain from nil persons able to furnish the same information in respect to the collection of Customs duties and their effect on the conditions and operations of labour and the industries of the colony. Tho information so obtained must not bo made use of except for the purposes of tho Act, nnd any one who commits a broach of this provision is liable to a fine not exceeding £50. For the purpose of obtaining any information to which ho is entitled under the Act the Minister or »nj officer unpointed by^him will be able to exercise all the powers and authorities conferred by the Commissioners' Act of last session, and tho provisions of that Act will apply to any enquiry authorised by this Act. Any one who neglects or refuses to furnish information for ono month after the second application is liable to a fine not exceeding £20, and tny ono furnishing information knowing it to be false is liable to a similar penalty. ROYAL COMMISSIONS. Royal Commissions have been rather numerous of late years in the colony, and their operations have disclosed a number of defects in tho law rolating to them. Tlio Commissioners' Act was passed to put tho law on a more satisfactory footing. Power is given to the Governor to appoint any person or persons to be a Commission to enquire into and report upon /my question arising out of the administration of the Government or the working of nny existing law, or regarding the necessity or expediency of any proSosed legislation, or concerning the conuct of any officer in the public service. So long as any Commissioner acts bona fide in the discharge of his duties no action shall lie against him for any tiling ho may report or say in the course of the enquiry. For the purpose of the enquiry the Commission is given the power and status- of a Magistrate in. respect bf citing" parties interested in the enquiry, summoning witnesses, administering oaths, hearing evidence, and maintaining order at the , enquiry. Witnesses and counsel are given the eamo privileges and immunities as witnesses and counsel in Courts of Law. Witnesses are to be paid according to tho scale allowed to witnesses in civil cases by the rules of the Supreme Court. Where the Commission has obtained the authority in writing of tho Colonial Secretary for summoning any witness such expenses shall, if certified by the Chairman of the Commission, be paid by the Colonial Treasurer out of tho Consolidated Fund. In every other case~tho person requiring the evidence of any witness must, before the summons is issued, deposit such sum as the Commission deems sufficient for the payment of the expenses. Every one is liable to a fine not exceeding £20 who (a) toils to appear in ansM-er to the summons; (b) refuses to be sworn or to give evidence, or to make answer to such questions as may be put to him by the Commission touching tho subject jof the enquiry ; or (c) fails to produce any books, papers, writings, or documents required. Disputed points of law may be referred to tho Supreme Court, whose decision shall be final and binding, and the Commission is given power to award cost* in accordance with a scalo drawn up by two or more Judges of the Supreme Court.