A NOTABLE SESSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10452, 6 December 1927, Page 5

A NOTABLE SESSION.

ONE HUNDRED. AND THREE BILLS PASSED

MOST' IMPORTANT LEGISLATION ,

, (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 5. The session of Parliament which ended to-day- will be notable . liecause of its length and the variety and ‘ importance "of the legislation discussed. / ' - •- c : ~ 4n the total of. 100 days ot tlio session, 103 Bills were passed, and 38 dropped, or otherwise disposed of. While the greater part of the leg-islation'was-of New Zealand interest only, there were several Bills which' ‘were of Imperial and mteinational interest. Of the latter category is the Customs revision with its 'increased British preference, anc. ,the inclusion on the Statute Book of a provision enabling the Government to impose retaliatory tariffs against countries which discriminate against the importation of New Zealand goods, or whose tariff walls are considered to be too high. The Insurance Bill passed late in the session was designed to place outside associations of underwriters on practically the same- . footing as other companies operating in ISew Zealand in competing for the insurance business of the Dominion. Hie Petroleum Bill which was introduced and postponed, until next session, had as its principal object the facilitating of prospecting for commercial oil deposits, while another postponed measure, the ‘Cinematograph Films Blil 1 seeks to encourage the production and exhibition of Empire-made films. . Other measures, the effects of which will. be felt outside the Dominion, were the Petrol Tax, Fertilisers, Seeds Importation _ and the Introduction of Plants Bill. Students of social legislation m other countries will find in the extension of the National Provident Fund an attempt tq provide means for the payment in old age of. high retiring pensions, or by reason of voluntary payments on behalf of the prospective beneficiaries. Cf academic interest is the legislation relating. to farmers’' finance contained liLthe Rural Intermediate Credits Bill, the. Dangerous Drugs’ Amendment- find the discussion on licensing legislation, • and, also of New Zealand’s administration of its mandate over Samoa. » . '-Taxation loomed large during the session, an amending Bill of a few clauses' to the Land and Income Tax Act providing the subject matter of a prolonged and animated debate in the House, 5 and the country. It was the contention! of .the Minister of Finance (the Hon. TV. Dofvhie Stewart), that it was necessary to place the 'sliding scale of income tax assessment on a scientific basis before any general revision of the .incidence- of income taxation could be made. ' There was also the petrol tax, the imposition cf which was in fulfilment of the Government’s policy that users should pay for the roads of the country. The session saw the removal ot many of the difficulties which confronted the successful establishment of higher education in the fanning industry. The status of Lincoln College - in Canterbury was defined, and the passing of another Bill paved the way for the creation of the Massey Agricultural College at Palmerston North. The removal, bf some of the barriers which have hitherto made the various Departments of State close corporations for public servants who entered the respective services in their, youth, and the creation of greater uniformity in procedure, were the chief objects of a few measures dealt with during, the session. There is now power to transfer officers?, from one department to another under the public service commissioner, and to appoint to the services specialists from outside. (Press Association.) -WELLINGTON, Dec. 5.

During the session just concluded tho House sat on 105 days, which is a record for the Dominion. The hours -of sitting totalled 766 hours 53minutes, an average of 7 hours 24 minutes, which is rather less than in 1913, when the average was 8 hours 42 minutes. - Public Bills passed totalled 101, those dropped or otherwise disposed of 38; private Bills passed numbered 2. Petitions presented were 283 from Europeans, and 63 from Maoris. Eighty-four divisions "took place, and the questions asked of - -Ministers numbered 260. t There were’ 274 papers, presented to the Hoiise and 400 reports were received from the Select Committe.e.—P.A. -- ------