YESTERDAY'S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18044, 11 August 1922, Page 7

YESTERDAY'S PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE BOUKOII. The Local Bodies’ Loans Amendment Bill was road a second time pgo forma and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The Minister of Agriculture informed Mr Horn that the reduced price quoted by him a few days ago far Nauru phosphates was to ho the same at nil the principal ports, 'so that farmers in every part of the dominion would be in the same position with regard to the reduction.

The Minister of Labor informed Mr W. S. Glenn that ho was considering the question of exempting local bodies from the operation of the Arbitration Act. The Prime Minister laid on the table of the House the report of the Electoral Boundary Commissioners. A feature of the discussion which followed was a suggestion that bho South Island should not lose any further seats on account of the drift of population to the north, but that the North Island should receive automatic increases if the population increased. Tho Gisborne Harbor Board Enabling Amendment Bill (Mr K. S. Williams) and the Christchurch Municipal Offices Leasing Bill (Mr L. M. Isitl) were read a second time without debate. The amendments made in committee in tho Laud Drainage Amendment Bill were agreed to, and the Bill read a third time and passed. The Rotorua Borough Bill was taken in committee. On clause 6, which provides that the Government may pay to tho Borough Council £1,300 per annum out of bath fees, members generally took advantage of the opportunity to criticise tho management of tho Rotorua Sanatorium, some "members even suggesting that the Government should sell tho whole of the baths and grounds and give private enterprise a chance of making a success c f them. Tho Bill, wjth machinery amendments, moved by the Minister, passed the committee stage. „ The second readings of v the Sea Carriage of Goods Bill, tho Mercantile Law Amendment Bill, and tho Settled Land Amendment Bill were moved pro forma by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Hon. E. P. Lee), all three Bills being referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. Tho Naval Defence Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. Tho House rose at 0.55 a.m.