DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1942, Page 4

DAY IN PARLIAMENT

QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

ALLEGED "CONFIDENCE" TRICK

WELLINGTON, October 19. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr J. A. Lee (Ind. Lab., Grey Lynn) asked the Prime Minister. It a report, which alleged that a confidence trickster, from Mount Eden, was authorised by the National Security Department to stay at. Rotorua, spent public money, and build up files against innocent people, was correct. If so, would the Prime Minister state how national security was controlled, and also would estimates of the expenditure be presented to Parham<Mr Sutherland (Govt., Auckland East) asked the Minister of Marketin'* whether he was aware that approximately 200 acres of potatoesun rhe Ohakune district nad not been harvested, and would the Mmiste take steps to have the crop harvested and made available to the public. Mr Clyde Carr (Govt., Timaru) asked whether the detention camps for military defaulters could be visited by the Official Visiting Justices as with ordinary gaols; and, ii not, ’whether the Minister of Justice would arrange for such visits. In reply to a question regarding the remaining business of the sitting by the Leader of the Opposition, Mi Fraser said that since he had announced that they would discuss manpower as far ,as possible in open sitting, the position in the Pacific had altered very considerably. “At the present moment, hs said, “everything is very much in the balance. It is well to face up to that. Mr Fraser said that manpower was receiving the very earnest consideration of the Government for reasons that must be obvious to everybody. Urgency was taken for the passing of the Finance Bill. Mr «.Cullen (Govt., Hawkes Bay) dealt with the ’rehabilitation of returned men on the land. These men, he said, should not be debarred Irom going on the land if they wished to do so, but the mistake of placing untrained men on the land would not be made again. All who applied for land would be considered by Local Selection Committees. Men who were experienced farmers would be placed on the Rehabilitation Council and Board to be placed on farms and those who needed training would be sent to training farms. Those given training would be paid, and where blocks were developed, returned soldiers could work on development, and later take up land.. Exorbitant prices would be paid for land, he added. , , . , Mr Sutherland urged that returned men should be given the right to the freehold of land. He expressed the view that suitable selection committees should be able to eliminate all difficulties over land values. The Bill was read a second time. During the committee stages Mr Holland expressed appreciation of the fact that specialists had been brought under the medical scheme in the Social Security benefits. Now that specialists were recognised, there should be a specialist’s fee lor their services. Mr Nordmeyer said that the amendment to provide for the payment of 7/6 to specialists was necessary, because, under the Act, they could not receive payments from the fund for their services. There was. difficulty about a special fee for specialists, because the medical profession itself would find it difficult to. give a list of specialists. He was satisfied that, as soon as an opportunity presented itself, fuller specialists’ services would be provided for. Mr Polson (Nat., Stratford) said that the reward claimed by specialists was sometimes unreasonable in comparison with the amount awarded to the ordinary practitioner. However, in many cases specialists’ fees were reasonable, and he thought that the Government might do something to subsidise these fees, and so make a specialist available to the ordinary citizen. Mr Nordmeyer pointed out that the services of obstetrical and radiological specialists had been made available, and specialists were also available in most of the public hospitals of the Dominion.

The Bill was put through the re maining stages and passed.

STATUTES AMENDMENT

Thirty-live clauses, dealing with a variety of subjects, are contained in the Statutes Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House to-night. The date for the next elections and the appointment of members of Fire Boards is altered from May, 1943, to June, 1944, and subsequent elections and appointments are to take place in the same month every third year thereafter.

Provision is made for the appointment of Industrial Efficiency Appeal Authority to deal with appeals under the Industrial Efficiency Act, 1936. The Authority is to have the powers of a commission of. inquiry, and will determine appeals from the decisions of the Bureau of Industry. The power of Magistrates to deal with indictable offences is extended. Any person who commits an offence under the Marriage Act, or makes a false statement under the Births and Deaths Registration Act, is liable to a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, and must be tried, on indictment, before a jury. It is considered that cases could properly be tried before a Magistrate alone, and Magistrates are now given the power if they think it expedient so to do, with the consent of counsel, to adopt this course.

Modification is made in the qualifications for admission as a barrister. An explanatory memorandum states that it is desired by the university authorities and the Law Society to reduce the course of study for the solicitor’s examina.tion from live years to three years, but it is considered by those bodies that persons who qualify under the shorter course should not be admitted as barristers without further studies.

Authority is given for the appointment of representatives of the State Advances Corporation and the New Zealand Returned Services Association to the Land and Settlement Board. The Bill was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The National Provident Fund Amendment Bill was read a second time.

Moving the second reading of the Local Legislation Bill, Mr Parry said that the responsibility for the Bill rSally rested with the various members whose districts were concerned. The Bill was read a second time. The committal of the Native Purposes Bill was agreed to, on the motion of Mr Mason.

The second reading of the Homewood Trust Bill was moved by Mr Barclay. All these Bills were put through the remaining stages and passed. After an adjournment to allow the Fair Rents Amendment Bill to be introduced, this measure was put through the preliminary stages. Mr Mason sa\d that the Bill extended the Fair Rents Legislation for the duration of the war and one year thereafter. All dwellings, flats or otherwise, were covered by the Bill. The rental limit of £3 was gone, and there was now no limit. Licensed premises were not affected. The amendment did not deal with business premises but a dwelling was not excluded by virtue of the fact that part of it was used as business premises. The rental to be charged on buildings brought in by the amend-

ment was the rent on September 1 of this year. Until the fair rent was fixed, provision was made for the protection of sub-tenants where it was apparent to the landlord that the principal tenant intended to sub-let. There was also provision for dealing with people who refused to let because the prospective tenant had children. The Bill was read a first time.

Mr Fraser said that the Bill was the last measure to be introduced at this stage of the session, and the major debate on it would be taken to-morrow. The Government had intended to bring in a Building Construction Bill, but it had been referred to the local bodies concerned and would have to be postponed until December. The House adjourned at 10.30 p.m.