PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 66, 14 September 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. FRIDAY, 13th SEPTEMBER. The Police Offences Act Amendment Bill was put through its final stages and passed. MOSTLY ABOUT BREAD. The Pure- Food Bill was further considered in committes. Clause 23 was amended to read : "Whero any food or drug is sold it shall be deemed to be sold for human consumption or use unless the contrary is proved. ' ' The following new clause was added : "Every person commits an offence who sells any bread except by weight, or who cells any bread the weight of which at the time of sale is less than the seller represents it to be or is less than the weight which the buyer demands." When the clause prescribing the power to make regulations was under con- I sideration, a suggestion was made that j it should ba an offence to hang meat i outside butchers' shops. One councillor stated that he had seen meat hanging outside butchers' shops in Wellington so low that it could be licke.d by dogs. The Attorney-General stated that tho powers contained in the Bill wera sufficiently wide to deal with tho question. Rovevting to bread, some discussion took place on a proviso to the now clause stating that "tho Governor may by regulation permit any particular class of bread to be sold otherwise than by weight." This induced an argument about fancy bread. A suggestion was made that a baker might sell an under-baked aiticle and that the consumer should be protected. The Attorney-Gensral said the remedy for this was in the consumer's hands. Objection was made to the proviso by Mr. Paul, who moved that it should be struck out. The term 'fancy bread" was only a dodge. The Attorney-General said it would I perhaps meet the case if the Governor was empowered to make regulations giving the right to soil other than by weight only in. respect of bread under 21b in weight. The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson pointed out that most of the, "fancy bread" sold | was under 21b This would give bakers a loophole to get outside tho Act. The Attorney- General replied that any attempt to defeat the object of tho | Act could be met by the Governor refusing to make regulations giving the right to sell other than by weight. In that case it would still have to be sold by weight. Mr. Paul withdrew Ids amendment, and the suggestion of the AttorneyGeneral was approved and added to the Bill. The following new clause was also added : "Tha pi-ovisions of this Act, so far as they arc applicable, shall extend and apply to tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes." With these and machinery amendments tho Bill was reported. TOHUNGA SUPPRESSION. The Tohunga Suppression Bill was put through its committee stages, read a third time, and passed. The Council adjourned at 4.20 p.m. till Wednesday next. i