YESTERDAY’S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18033, 29 July 1922, Page 3

YESTERDAY’S PARLIAMENT

LEOISI.ATIVE COUNCIL. Imprest Supply Bill (No. 2) was received from the House, put through all stages, and passed. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. The Administration of Justice Bill (Hon. E. P. Lee) was formally read a second timo and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. ' The second rending of the Surveyors’ I Institute and Board of Examiners Bill (which the Hon. Mr Guthrie explained was ( the result of an arrangement between the j Surveyors’ Institute and the Survey De- . partment, and would remove anomalies which had been found to exist) was agreed to without debate. LAND DRAINAGE. In moving the second reading of tire Land Drainage Amendment Bill the Hon. W. Doiwnie Stewart said it was intended to give effect to certain representations made by the Land Drainage Association. The clauses were entirely of an administrative nature. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie said that ho had not had time to consider the Bill, but from what he had heard be thought it was interfering with the powers of individual ratepayer’s, which would require to be looked into. Mr Riwdes (Thames) commended the Bill, : which would facilitate the getting of drainage work done and secure the reclamation of large areas of swamp lands. Mr Wilford questioned the equity of the voting power, given to properties of various values, and asked' the Minister to state on what basis the voting power had been arranged. Mr Reed urged that the Bill should be submitted to a committee of the House. The measure waa of great importance, and no mistake should be made. Mr Holland objected to the principle of pi rural voting contained 1 in the Bill. It was one more form of class legislation passed by the Reform Government. -Mr Hawken contended that the one-man-one-vote on rating proposals had resulted in rating becoming too high in New Zealand, because irresponsible people bad voted for expenditure for- which they did not have to pay. Mr Jennings combated this view, and suggested that the'Bill should be sent to the committee, as its, provisions were of the greatest importance to many districts. The Prime Minister arid the Bill would go to the Lands Committee. The Bill was then read a second time and referred to the Lands Committee. LOCAL BODIES’ LOANS.

The eecond reading of the Local Bodies’ Loans Amendment Bill was moved by tho Hon. Downie Stewart. It gave power, he explained, to raise money tor expenditure outside tho local body district on such work as a road giving access to that district. Clause 5 gave facilities for raising loans for the purpose of the extinction of antecedent liability by limiting the liability to defined areas. Mr Wright protested that there was no provision in the Bill for permitting alocal body to pay the flotation expenses of loans raised for extinguishing the antecedent liability. The Prime Minister intimated that tb's would be done. Sir John Luke commended the IMI, because it was impossible to carry on municipal work without increased powers, and this Bill would assist them in this respect. Tho Hon. J. A. Hanan pleaded for a decentralisation of public affairs by enlarging the powers of local bodies. What wo would probably como to in ten years’ time would be some modified form of provincialism, which would leave Parliament more time to discuss national matters. Messrs Rhodes (Thames), Lyanar, Dixon (PateaJ, and Malcolm supported the Bill, but suggested committee amendments. The Minister, in reply, said that the local bodies were steadily getting into a good position, with regard to antecedent liability, and, if they only stood by the Act for a few years and not whittle it away, tho result would bo most satisfactory. The Bill was read a. second time. Tho House rose at 9.30 p.m.