YESTERDAY'S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19327, 13 August 1926, Page 2

YESTERDAY'S PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL The Christchurch District Drainage Amendment Bill, tho Police Offences Amendment Bill, and the Fire Brigades Bill were reported from committees without amendment. Tho Summer Time Bill was reported by Special Committee, together with evidence, with a recommendation that it ho allowed to proceed. . I The Special Committee which rc--1 ported on tho Mildred Elaine Smyth Divorce Bill expressed the opinion that 1 tho Government should be recommended' to give favorable _ consideration to 1 bringing in legislation making it the 1 grounds for a divorce when a person has been declared an habitual criminal ,by the Supremo Court. The report ' will be considered next week. I The National Provident Fund Bill , was received from tho House and read a first time. . , . Tho Destitute Persons Amendment Bill was put through its ‘final stages and passed. , „ , , The Dairy Produce Export Control Amendment Bill was read a second i! time pro forma, and referred to the Stock Committee, i Tho Land and Income Tax (Annual) ■ Bill was received from the' House, pub , through all its stages, and passed. 1 BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. The Hon. M. Cohen moved that tho I report of the Special Committee on the ' Religious Exercises in Schools petitions, expressing tho opinion that full opportunity should be given for the adoption ; of the Nelson system, be referred to the Government for favorable considorI I ation. He pointed out that there was 1 a strong demand for tho Nelsomsystem from q largo section of the community. ' ]t was said that the system was not practicable in country districts, but ho questioned that. . _ i The Leader of the Council (Sir R. Heaton Rhodes) said it appeared to him that the Council, having approved of the principle of tho Religious Exorcises in Schools Bill, would be stultifying its action if it now sent forward an adverse report for favorable consideration by the Government. | Tho Hon. L. M. Isitt protested 1 against tho Council passing one resolution one day and a different one next day. The Hon. Mr Cohen consented to withdraw the word “favorable ” in the motion, and tho Hon. J. Barr then pointed out that the motion merely drew the attention of the Government to the matter, and he submitted that it could not be objected to. | The motion was defeated by 15 votes to 11 on a division.

ROUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Replying to Mr J. A. Nash, tho Hon. 0. J. Hawken (Minister of Agriculture) said there was no truth in the rumor in circulation that the site recently purchased by the Government for an agricultural college had been seriously flooded by the Manawatu River. About thirteen acres were temporarily under wafipr owing vto the blocking up of creeks running through the property, but no land was flooded by water from tho Manawatu River. I In reply to Mr T. B. Y. Seddon, tho Prime Minister said he was aware that the condition of the railway rolling stock on the West Coast was not satisfactory, and they were doing their best to improve tho.se conditions at the earliest possible moment. He was satis--1 fied that, so far as engine power was concerned, he did not require to im--1 port any 1 more engines from abroad, and that when the workshops were brought up to date they would be able to build all tho engines required for the New Zealand railways. ■ | In connection with the laying on the

' table of tho report of the Lands Department on the llauraid Plains, the Minister of Lauds stated that a committee of inquiry had been set up to investigate reading, drainage and settloment matters within the Patctonga I riding of the Hauraki Plains county. Tho order of references would be issued at an early date, and the following gentlemen had been appointed as members of tho committee; —Mr G. T. Murray, retired inspecting engineer of the 'Public Works Department; Mr Alexander I Sutherland, fanner, of Wbakalfjuo,; and Mr P. W. Walters, farmer, of Waitoa. I The Hon. W. Downio Stewart moved the third reading of the Land and In-

come Tax Amendment Bill, which, I after a brief debate, was agreed ot.—1 Replying to tho debate, tho Minister of : Finance said that during war time | taxation was heaped on tho wealthy ' people, and when remissions were made tho Government was only giving back to tho people what belonged to them, because it had previously been taken i from them under necessitous circumI stances. He admitted that the time I might bo ripe for a remission of taxa-- | tion, but the Government was coni stantly watching it to keep it in harmony with tho public requirements. For instance, they had imposed an addition 50 per cent, on all land owners who did not use their land to tho full benefit. They had reconstructed the debenture tax. They had reimposed tho tax on pastoral tenants, and had granted concessions to taxpayers on the basis of the size of their family. ; They had in this way kept abreast of 1 tho times until they were ready to place i revision of tho whole system before the House next year. The Samoa Amendment Bill, tho Scenery Preservation Amendment Bill, the Cook Islands Amendment Bill, the Cinematograph Film Censorship Amendment Bill, and the Cemeteries Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed, and tho House rose at midnight.