PARLIAMENT A GOOD NIGHT'S WORK THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Evening Post, Volume xc, Issue 79, 1 October 1915, Page 4

PARLIAMENT A GOOD NIGHT'S WORK THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ELEVEN BELLS PASSED. The House of Representatives last evening dealt with a large number of Bills, and effectually cleared the Orderpaper. The second reading of the Dairy Industry Amendment Bill was moved by the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, who explained that the chief provisiop was to ensure that butter should not be exported with a great-er percentage of water than 16 per cent. Mr. W. A. Veitch asked the Minister if whey butter would be branded as such, whether it was sold in New Zealand or exported. Mr. D.. Buick supported this suggestion. Replying to a questioner, the Prime Minister said the Bill was to bring the law regarding moisture in butter into line with the English law. Mr. , Poland said it was a scandal that butter was being sold at so high a price in New Zealand, and yet have no law to prevent the admixture of water in excessive degree. Mr A. S. Malcolm corrected any erroneous impression that whey butter was made out of whey. It was really cream butter, and was very wholesome, and he urged that a proper name — " butter " — should be given it to enable a useful industry to be encouraged. Mr. Malcolm was proceeding to correct Mr. D Buick on a statement he had made in regard to the whey butter Mr Buick interjected sharply • "Do you mean to xell me " (Laughter and interjections.) " I have milked more cows " (Loud laughter and cries of " Have it out.") Mr. J Payne chided the farmers or factories who would put water in butter to increase their profits at the expense of the public The Hon. D Buddo said that a]}. butter should be branded according to its character; if whey butter it should be branded as such. Whey butter was made of whey, and whey was extracted from cream. (Interruptions.) Dr Thacker said that whey butter was made from butter-milk. Mr J M' Combs accused dairy companies of having imported machinery specially for mixing water with butter to the fullest legal limit. The Minister, in replying, said that whey butter was good, but it would not keep. The Bill was to make it clear that to sell butter with more than 16 per cent of water was an offence punishable under the law, and also to render it an offence to send butter with over 16 per cent, of water to the grading stores. The Bill was read a- second time. SECOND READINGS. The Prisoners' Detention Bill (Hon. Dr. M'Nab) was read a second time. The Hon W D. S. Mac Donald moved the second reading of the Mining Amendment Bill, which, he said, was to make renewals for water rights in the case of water races, chiefly in the South Island The Bill was read a second time. The Coalmines Amendment Bill, which chiefly includes "machinery" amendments, was read a second time. The Hon. A. L. Herdman moved the second reading of the New Zealand Society of Accountants Amendment Bill. Mr. Herdman explained that the Bill makes provision for reinstatement of members upon certain conditions whose names have been removed from the register. The Bill was read a second time. The Counties Amendment Bill was read a second time The Local Elections (Proportional Representation) Amendment Bill, which amends certain defects in the law of last_ year, applying tbe right to local bodies of holding elections on the proportional representation system, was read a second time. HOUSE IN COMMITTEE. The House then went into Committee. The Dairy Industry Amendment Bill, the Prisoners' Detention Bill, and Destitute Persons Bill were passed through Committee without debate. In the case of the Counties Amend ment Bill, a large number of amendments were brought down by the Minister (the Hon G. W. Russell). Dr Newman protested at the sudden descent upon the Committee of the amendments without time for their perusal. The Minister agreed to report progress in the meanwhile, and this was done. The Footwear Regulation Amendment Bill went through Committee. When the Miners' Phthisis Bill was under discussion in Committee, Mr. Poland complained that the miners would not be as well off as under the old Bill, except, perhaps, that they had greater severity. " The Minister replied that the Bill was not the last word on the subject. Later it might be possible to do more. Clause 8, which disentitled pensioners under the Bill to old-age pensions, was deleted. The Bill was reported. The Local Elections Amendment Bill, Mining Amendment Bill, Coal Mines Amendment, and the Society of Accountants Amendment Bill, passed through Committee. THIRD READINGS. The following Bilk were read a third time and passed : — Dairy Industry Amendment Bill, Prisoners Detention Bill, Destitute Persons Amendment Bill, Footwear Regulation Amendment Bill, Miners Phthisis Bill, Mining Amendment Bill, Coalminers Amendment Bill, Local Elections Bill, Society of Accountants Amendment Bill. MARRIAGE ACT AMENDMENT. An amendment to the Marraige Act was introduced by Govemoi'V Message at the request of the Home Government, in order to make the law uniform throughout the Empire The Minister (the Hon. G. W. Russell) pointed out that in New Zealand there was no provision in our Marriage Act to enable women leaving New Zealand to be married in foreign countries to make arrangements in New Zealand in accordance with the Act of 1892. FINANCE BILL AMENDMENT. By Governor's Message, minor amendments were made to the Finance Act. The most important was the addition of a sub-clause to clause 77, relating to the collection of stamp duty on bank advances on collatoral security The sub-clause provided for the pre-payment of the duty on the advance arranged for in sums of either £500 or £1000, and if this full amount was not taken advantage of by the client of the bank, a rebate would subsequently be made of the duty paid in excess. This provision, the Finance Minister said, was necessary, as, under the machinery of the first proposal, it would have been necessai'y for new stamping of agreements evei*y day an advance fluctuated over each hundred. The amendments were agreed to. The House adjourned at 11.45 p.m.