THIRD EDITION PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 38, 14 August 1917, Page 8

THIRD EDITION PARLIAMENT

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES

Tho House met at 2.30 p.m.

Notice was given by Mr. Anstey to ask the Government if it will amend the Land Act so as to prevent holders of land taking up fresh areas while returned soldiers are unable to find land accommodation.

Mr. Craigie presented a petition from the Council of the State Service Association on the subject of the cost of. living. The Prime Minister said he had no objection to a Special Committee being set up to consider the matter. It would give the general public an idea of the difficulties in the way.

Mi 1. leitt asked the Minister of Justice if he would refer to the Controller of Prisons the charge by an ex-inmate of Lyttelton Gaol that an inmate of the gaol had been punished for feeding sparrows with the crumbs. The Hon. J. A. Hanan replied that he wanted a definite charge to be made, and when that charge was i made he would reply to it.UOAN PROSPECTUS. Sir Joseph Ward said he proposed to lay on the table the prospectus of the new loan, and would like to explain the position of the Post Office in the matter. He wanted to remove any impression that people of slender means would have no opportunity of making suitable investment. He then explained the conditions of the loan, remarking that, to enable poor people to obtain 5 per cent, for any sum up to £500, they would be called upon to sign a paper that they did not pay income-tax at aIL This was to ensure that income-tax payi ers did not obtain 5 per cent. Every means had been taken to ensure full publicity of the details of the loan and the attention of the public had | been directed to the necessity of the I money being provided. The sum of ! £24,000,000 was a huge sum, but it had ■ to be provided, and he would only hope that it would be, because, it was absolutely necessary to enable us to carry on our part in the war.

He would make arrangements to enable investors under the previous loan to convert their stock into the proposed 5 per cent, securities. Later.on he would ask the House to have the Committee of Ways and Means set up to deal with the duty of 30 per cent, on silks, so that they should not be put under the preferential surtax. He also proposed to bring in and put through to-day a Bill providing that any retailer ''who had charged the increased price of 3d per pound on tea, owing to the Budget proposals, should be made to refund it. If the proposals were agreed to the old-age pensioners would have an increase in then- pensions of 5s a week for the period of the war. (Hear, hear.)

(Left sitting.)