POLITICAL NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 97, 21 October 1924, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

The House of Representatives y>a£ in! good, working mood last night. . For .about an hour it discussed Ministerial answers to questions, and then decided to do some serious business. The Motor Vehicles Bill was passed without any alteration in the schedule, the Minister of Internal Affaire deciding to adhere to the schedule as it ..already. appeared in the Bill.' Other Bills passed were the Trustee Amendment Bill, the Poultry BUI, and Xarid Transfer (Compulsory Registration of Titles) Bill. The Native .trustee Amendment' Bill was read a second time and referred to the Native Affairs Committee,. and after some discussion on the Chattels Transfer Bill progress was reported with leave to sit ag?-, n n ™The House roEe afc 12.17 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-day. MORE THAN COWS AND CHICKENS The Chattels Transfer Bill ■ was discussed in the House of/ Representatives last night. - • ' Some objection was raised against clause 29, which provided that an instrument should be deemed to include' not only.the.stock comprised as provided m the Bill but also the natural increase of such, stock, and all stock of every kind. - . * Mr. W. D Lysnar (Gisborne) said he did not like the. Bill, because it would tie up,the smaU man. Several clauses required adjustment if the producer was to be protected against the mercantile firms. He could see.no cause for such extreme law at the present time. • f i n*erPretation of the word "stock" cats etc a ™an>S SheßP) Cattle ' d °B8' bfc£i * Edle (CluthaJ: "Even rahA. member: "-If yon can catch them -' i Mr. Lysnar mClUdeSrabbits 't00'" saW Tb* Ministers-gave an, assurance, that! in -fiT "T d be altered to P^vide specifically what stock was affected ■•■.Mr. Lysnar found fault, with several! other clauses m the Bill, and urged that > such an important Bill should not be pressed when the House: was so thin Mr. H. E.-Holland (Buller) suggested that progress should be reported on the Bill after it had been discussed-in Com- ■ mitt 66. ■ The Minister.said the Government did Sit the Biu throush a»t. frf Vo^o^^;'^ 6 tloUble «*» BOON TO THE PUBLIC The Land Transfer (Compulsory Re-' gistation of Titles) Bill was put through its final stages and passed by the House lendS! 1^68 laSt ™th°ut Rin^^lr t0 wief Hussion on the Bill the Hon W. Downie,St6wart said he had no information that the banks had asked for the measure. It was a reform which the.Attorney-General wished to see effected during his term of fhr Th6/ m WOU, W be a bAriTthi public, and none but lawyers would question it for it enabled the public to dispense with the services of the law° yers. . It would be of great benefit to the public generally, and he could not STtlelß^ I'^olllllll^.^1'^01111111^.^ QUEENSLAND LOSSES ni^' k l3i« ( Christchurch North) asked, the Bnme Minister in the House of Kepresentatives whether, seeing/that the Government of Queensland has mads a loss of £85 961 upon its State shops, he ,will, for the guidance of the, House secure evidence showing w hi cn of th ' agencies pay1 and those on which the loss has been made?

The Right Hon. Mr.'Masaey, (Prime Minister) replied last night as follows: — It has.been stated definitely that the loss mentioned has been made, and I am endeavouring to secure balance-sheets so that we shall be able to ascertain for our own guidance in which departments the greater part of 'the loss took, place " Mr. Isitt also, asked the Minister of. Railways whetner he has noticed the statement that the Queensland railways under a, Labour Government have suffered a deficit this "year of • £1.593,066 % d^?QX 6d ™}X* deficit last y<*r of £1,475,193; and whether he would ascertain the methods of Queensiand's railway management in order that our own 7 i\ew Zealand management might be aware of and avoid their errors? •Jfcrf^n rfei)- lie- d: "Tfie aimual'repmt of the Commissioner of the Queensland Government railways will be closely examined when received, and the infor mation contained therein will be carefully notedl, The Government's policy is' to avoid debits in the administration of the railways." CAWTHRON TRUST NOT r , ; ■AFFECTED One' of the amendments to the Trustee Amendment Bill which were introduced m the House of Representatives last night provided for advisory trustees to be appointed to assist private trusxj.ll!? deader of the Labour Party (Mr H. E Holland) asked if the proposal would have any effect upon the Cawthron Trust. If seemed to him that it conferred power upon the Cawthron trustees which they did not possess at the present time. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart assured Mr. Holland that the clause was not drawn for the purposes of the Cawthron Trust, and he did not think it applied to it. It was merely a copy of the power given to\the Public Trustee which had been found useful. PROTECTION OF STOATS AND WEASELS . With a view of protecting the bird life of the Dominion, Mr. J. C. Thomson (Wallace) asked the Minister of Internal_ Affairs in the House of Representatives whether he would recommend the Government to abolish the protection of stoats and weasels, which were proving most destructive. " In view of the necessity for using every" available means of coping with the rabbit nuisance, and of the fact that stoats and weasels undoubtedly take' an important part in controlling this pest," stated the Hon. R. F. Bollard last night, in replying, ''it is regretted that the Government cannot at .present see its way to remove the protection in question." • . . . M.P.'S AS J.P.'S In a question put to the Minister of Justice recently, Mr. P. N. Bartiam I (Gray Lynn) suggested that the .Government,, should legislate-' at an surly date

to give members of' Parliament "during the term of their. Parliamentary life the same status as Justices' of the Peace1 for, the attestation of signature. " Members of Parliament have only! ' to indicate their desire, to be appointed to the Commission of the Peace,'' stated! the Hon. C. j. Parr last evening in re* : ply, ". and, their appointment will be( ■ recommended to' His Excellency the Go-. vernor-General. If, however, it is dej sired that honourable members 6hall ba Justices by virtue'of their membership of the House s the Legislature Act would require to be amended so "that- honourable members should be on the same1 footing in .regard to appointment to tha Uimmission of the Peace as are Mayors of cities and. boroughs under section 27 of the Municipal Corporations Act, and county chairmen under section 75 of tha Counties Act. I can see no objection' toj such a- course being adopted." STATE COMPETITION AND . BUILDING . "Inquiries are being made regarding the possibilities of reducing- the costs of building, and .consideration may .be" given w> the advisability.of extendiiig'Stats competition in the production-of building hftl <■ ■ is -fyto Ha? been-givea by the Minister, of Industries ahir-Com-. merce (the Hon; \y..Downie Stewart) toe asked by Mr._M.jJ.:Ba.v a g9 (Auckland West) as to whether\inquirief* ' will be made into, the possibility "of.having State brickworks established'in"New!' Zealand m order to increase the supply) • of cheap building.material/- .;.;;■:;;;.- '