YESTERDAY’S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 20321, 1 November 1929, Page 2

YESTERDAY’S PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (Abridged from Press Association). Speaking on the second reading of the Customs Amendment Bill confirming the increase in primage duty, the Hon. W. M. Snodgrass said it was extremely unfortunate the Government Jmd chosen such a course for raising extra taxation. One effect of the increase had already been that the wholesalers had reduced their monthly discount by 1J per cent. It was satisfactory that certain articles had been exempted from the extra duty, but he regretted the remission had been made in respect of articles which were made in New Zealand, giving the outside, grader an advantage. The Leader of the Council (the Hon. T. K. Sidey) said that so far as could be ascertained the extra tax had not been passed on to the average householder. The Bill was put through its final stages and passed without amendment. The Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Amendment . Bill was put through its final stages and passed unamended. 'The Council adjourned at 3 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House of Representatives met at 8.30 p.m. The Minister of Health (the Hon. A. Stallwortby) presented a petition Containing over 15,000 signatures praying that legislation be introduced to enable the reopening of inquest proceedings, and that the inquiry into .the death of Elsie Walker he reopened. The Minister of Health gave notice 'of his intention to introduce the Nurses and Midwives Registration Amendment Bill, and the Minister of Agriculture XMr "Forbes) to introduce the Products Export Amendment Bill. _ The Rural Intermediate Credits Bill was introduced by Go-vernor-General’s Message. Mr Forbes stated that_ the Bill provided for raising the limit of an advance to any one applicant from £I.OOO to £2,000. The Bui was read a first time. The following Bills were reported from select committees with recommendations that they be allowed to proceed;—Gisborne Harbour Amendment. Bill (with amendments). Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, Native Land Amendment and Native Land. Claims Adjustment Bill (with amendments). The reports were laid fin the table. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland Empowering Bill was read a second time, put through the remaining stages unamended, and passed. HOSPITALS BILL. The House went into committee on she Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill.

Mr J. A. Nash asked What was being done to rectify the shortage of house surgeons. The- Minister of Health (Mr Stallyrorthy) replied that it was hoped to jbrercome the shortage by this time next year. *■ Mr A. M. Samuel (Thames) and Mr H. D. Campbell (Hawke’s Bay) raised the question of improving the nurses’ conditions and hours, and asked the Minister to give an assurance that something would be done. Mr A. Harris (Waitemata)- asked ydiat remuneration would bo paid certificated. nurses who went to a St. Helens hospital to train as maternity nurses. . At pjresent they received nothing, but the Minister bad promised to look, into the question. The Minister stated that the first consideration in connection with nurses’ conditions rested with the respective hospital boards. It might be possible to adopt such by-laws as would make it possible ■to ■ improve the conditions. : He had done liis best to indicate to all the t hospital hoards what Jiis policy and mind were on this subject, and in some instances had had the pleasure of authorising expenditure on improved accommodation for nurses. It was- impossible to bring about; all the desired reforms in a few,short months. Recently he had received reports concerning nurses’- conditions and hours in St. Helens hospitals.- This information had never previously .been collated and was most valuable. Air , Stallworthy'said he was now considering a scheme tb be tried out in one hospital under which nurses would work eight hours a day and have one day on each week. He was desirous of unproving the hours and conditions of all nurses, and it was his intention to make a ' thorough investigation during the .recces to ascertain whether legislation should 1 be introduced to improve the lot of-nurses. , The- Bill was put through all its stages and passed. Its only effect is .. to amalgamate the Wairdu and Picton Hospital Boards. ‘ - -

SOLICITORS’ TRUST FUNDS. The Law,, Practitioners Amendment (Solicitors’ Fidelity Guarantee Fund) Bill was discussed on the motion to go into committee, the Minister of Justice (Mr Wilford) explaining that it was a Bill to provide means whereby people who bad been deprived of money through the dishonesty of solicitors might bo reimbursed. Every law society and district society, together with the council, stood behind this Bill. There were 1,750 solicitors in New Zealand, but many of them were in offices or in the Public Trust Office, and there were only . 1,500 practising lawyers to whom this Bill would apply. Each practising lawyer would be called on to pay £5 to £lO a year, thus creating a fund at the rate of £7,500 annually. No lawyer would pay more than £SO in the fund during his whole practice, and when any contributor went out of practice he would get his contributions back.

Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo), speaking as a member of the legal profession. said that lawyers wanted the principle of a fidelity fund to be written into the Statute Book. _ The scheme could be improved in detail later. Mr H. E. Holland (Buller) asked what was the reason for limiting the fund to £IOO,OOO. , ' . Mr H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs) said that solicitors did not desire any more than other people to go_ on paying contributions once a sufficient guarantee fund had been created. He considered the main principle of the Bill was so important that comparatively unimportant imperfections should not be allowed to imperil its passage. This view was endorsed by Mr W. E, Barnard (Napier), while Mr W. D. Stewart (Dunedin West) and Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) also spoke in favour of the measure. The Bill was then put through the committee stage without amendment, read a third time, and passed. PACIFIC CABLE SALE.

The Pacific Cable Sale Authorisation 'Bill was considered in committee. Replying to Mr Coates, the Postmas-ter-General (Mr Donald) said that personally as a business man he would have bought the Pacific cable for Now Zealand at the price at which it had been sold to the merger company, even if at the risk of losing £IOO,OOO a Year. Mr Coates said that £IOO,OOO a year would not have covered the loss. It would have been hopeless for the Pacific cable to have coped with the competition from other services. Mr Donald saiddie was only expressing his own opinion, and not that of the Government, but he still thought New Zealand would have been well advised to have taken over the Pacific cable. The Bill went through committee unamended, was read a third time after a fairly lengthy debate, and was then passed. < The House rose at 10.30 p.m.