YESTERDAY'S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18336, 25 July 1923, Page 5

YESTERDAY'S PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Baptists Union Incorporation Bill was read a second time. The Slate Advances Amendment Bill was read a first time. The .Police Offences Amendment Bill was put through all the remaining stages and passed with the addition of a new clause moved by the Hon. W. H. MTntyro,_ with the object of permitting Sunday_pictu.ro shows on license from the Minister in towns such as isolated mining towns. The British Nationalities and Registration of Aliens Bill was passed. The Council rose at 3.30 p.m. HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES. RENT RESTRICTION BILL. The Hon. G. J. Anderson moved the second reading of the Rent Restriction Continuance 'Bill. Dir A. L. Montcith stressed the amendments which ho considered necessary. The Minister, in reply, said these points had been previously considered, and it was thought inadvisable to give effect to them. The present Aft was not a good one, as it prevented private people building houses to let, ana the sooner it was off the Statute Book the better. The only reason why tho Govcvnnioiit was continning it was on account of the legislation now in course of passage through tho House, which it hoped would be in full operation next year. LOCAL LEGISLATION BILL. The Hon. W. D. .Stewart moved the second reading of tho Local Legislation Rill, the object of which is to provide a method by which ratepayers and all others interested may have full prior information, both as to the purpose of proposed minor Ideal legislation and as to the actual legislative method by which effect is.to be) given to such proposals, such “prior information ” to bo given by notice in the Government ‘ Gazette.’ This, he said, would obviate the objection to _ tho clauses being inserted by local bodies in the “Washing-up Bill,” concerning which local residents had no notice. Tho Hon. D. Bnddo objected not so much to tho Bill as to the method of notification. Very few people nowadays rend tho Government ‘ Gazette.’

Air Witty supported this contention. He said that what was wanted was full publicity for what was going onJ Tho notifications should bo in the local papers. The Alinister, in reply, said the question of local advertising had not been lost sight of, and authority for that could bo provided for in the regulations. If a local body chose not to use this legislation, but preferred to proceed by local Bill, there was nothing to prevent that. Tho Bill was read a second time and referred to tho Standing Orders Committee. DEATH DUTIES. Tho second reading of the Death Duties Amendment Bill was moved by Air Massey. The Bill was, he said, highly technical, and ho proposed to refer it, to the Statutes Revision Committee. The amendments were mainly in removing the duty in certain cases of gifts, where it was felt tho State should in justice make remission. Air Wilford said that under clause 2 a rich man could give his daughter £50,000 on her marriage without paying a penny of gift duty, and that, he feared, was tho purpose of the Bill. Ho would like to know who suggested this—not the Commissioner of Taxes, he thought, as ho was too careful in guarding the revenue to make such a suggestion. There were other_ proposals in the Bill of which ho heartily approved. Air Holland urged that the time had arrived when the House ought to ho considering the raising of tho death duties on rich estates, instead of reducing taxation as proposed in clause 2. The Premier, in reply, said that arrears of death duties, which, up to this year, were very heavy, wore greatly reduced as a result of the power taken to charge 5 per -cent, on amounts owing. lie assured the House that the Bill was not intended to meet any particular case, but there were cases whore relief could be fairly given, though ho did rot know of many men who could give away £50,000 to their daughters nor to anyone else. Ho did not agree with Mr Holland that the death duties should bo ; increased. The State was now collecting a very large sum of money Enough this charnel, and ho did not want to put a levy on the thrift and industry which had built up this country. At the same time, in reducing taxation, there were many directions in which relief could be giver before death duties. The Bill was read a second time, and referecl to tho Statutes Revision Committee OATH OF ALLEGIANCE. The Hon. W. D. Stewart moved the second reading of tho Immigration Restriction Amendment Bill, the principal provision being that British subjects by birth might, after tho Bill became law, enter New Zealand without raking the oath of allegiance. Mr Holland thought the line of distinction between British subjects by birth and by naturalisation was too fine to be reasonable. It was time the Government dropped the whole silly business of trying to make n disloyal person loyal by tailing an oath. Tho Alinister, in iho course of a brief reply, said he was quite prepared to cli? cuss* in committee the point raised by Mr Holland that exemption from the oath should apply to all British subjects. Iho Bill was read a second time. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. The Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill was, on tho motion of the Hon. C. J. Parr, road a second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. Tiie House ros-o at 11 p m.