THE MORATORIUM

Evening Star, Issue 18741, 17 September 1924, Page 8

THE MORATORIUM

DETAILS FURTHER DEBATED.

(Feb United Press Association.]

WELLINGTON, September 16. "When the House met to-night it immediately ,wont into committee on the Mortgages Final Extension Bill, which was reported from the Public Accounts Committee.

Mr Harris asked the Prime Minister, who was in charge of the Bill, whether ho would accept an amendment striking out the amendments made by the Public Accounts Committee, as he was in favor of terminating the moratorium at the earliest possible moment. Mr Massey replied that Mr Harris had better wait until these amendments were reached. Personally, be agreed with the amendment extending the date, from December 31 nnfil March 31, because December 31 was an extremely awkward time of the year at which to arrange finance, bat with the other amendments he disagreed and would support Mr Harris in opposing them. Mr Wilford remarked that this was a, complete change of front on the part of the Prime Minister, who had said that since the Public Accounts Committee had como to certain decisions he would accept these amendments.

Mr Massey replied that there was evidently some misunderstanding as to what he' had said.

In clause 2, Mr Wilford mover! to strike out the word “ court,” which meant Supreme Court, with a view to inserting Magistrate’s Court. Ho maintained that judges of the Supreme Court had too much to do already, and wore not possessed of the same local knowledge ns, magistrates, who were thus better qualified to know whether a settler was likely to pull through or whether ho was not. Mr Massey suggested that Supreme Court judges might appoint different centres where applications could be heard, and so avoid country settlers travelling long distances to cities. That would alleviate some of the hardship.

The Hons. C. J. Parr and J. G. Coates supported reference of the matter to the Supreme Court. Several country members preferred to have applications heard by magistrates. Mr Holland favored the entrusting of the hearing of applications to magistrates as being cheaper to the applicants. . Mr Savage suggested that special boards bo appointed, one for each island, Mr Massey asked the House to agree to the clause as it stood, and he would discuss the matter with the Attorney-Gene-ral and have the clause amended in the Legislative Council. Members would then have an opportunity of reconsidering it. Mr Wilford said the suggestion was reasonable, and ho would accept it. The clause was then passed. Clause 5 was amended by putting forward the date to which the extension order might he estimated f'-nm December 31, 1926, to March 31, 1927. A lengthy discussion followed on the date to bo fixed as the limitation to the mortgagee’s power of foreclosure. Finally the date inserted in the Bill, after several divisions, was July 31, 1925. The Bill was then reported without further amendment.