PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 September 1924, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS,

ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE. THE LAND BILL. (BY TEL.KUUA.rU VKESS ASSOCIATION I WELLINGTON, Sept. 10.‘ The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. In reply to the Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill),. Mr Massey said there would be a loan Bill this session, but he could not say what the amount would be, as that would depend on-the, requirements of the country. The loan would be raised in London, probably about April or May next. < On the mot io n of Mr A. L. Monteith (Wellington East), the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill, was introduced and read a first time.

The Hon. J. A. Hanan asked leave to introduce his Election of Ministers and Party Government Reform Bill which he claimed would eliminate some of the bad features of the present system of party government. In days when there were only two clear parties the position may not have been so bad, but the present tendency was to introduce the group system into the House, and Parliament might be so constituted that it would be unable to do anything. This Bill would ensure that Parliament would be effective and in consequence respected by the people. ; An academic discussion on the subject of an elective executive followed which served the additional purpose of’ delaying the introduction of the Legisature Amendment Bill, a measure to which the Labour Party' especially is .strongly opposed. Eventually the Bill ' Va i ul S d ! lee(! and a first time. Th e Minister for Lands (Hon. A D McLeod) moved the secfnd reading of the Land Bill. He said the Bill was a consolidating measure relating 'to ands alone. Special provisions of the amending Acts relative to the settlement of lands were not included and were excepted from the schedule of repealed enactments. The consolidation of the Land for Settlement Act was in course-of preparation. Mr G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) explained the views of the lands committee on the alterations made, most of which he approved.-'He thought the time had come when the rent free period to those occupying hush and swamp lands might be extended to 10 years. He also stressed the necessity of the Minister hardening up on residential conditions in connection with Crown lands arguing that unless this was done settlements would not remain, as there was always a tendency for people to drift towards the towns. Further, there was always greater difficulty in getting people to go into backblocks if there were no neighbours near them. , The Minister said there was no chance of the Bill consolidating the Lands for Settlement Act- being brought down this session with * the general principle of granting further privileges to. backblocks settlers in the form of rent free lands, etc., but he warned the House there was always a danger that. unless land was carefully classified settlers who were not entitled to these privileges would he claiming them. This was not, perhaps, the Bill in which to open up the general question of tenures, but he was in ; favour of giving the freehold - to all those who went out and cultivated the land and who wished to acquire the freehold. He hoped yet to be able to give the holders of, national endowment : land the freehold. He was as much- against aggregation as anyone, but he recognised the great difficulty of defining what was aggregation. - Compulsory residence was, he thought, the only remedy, but he proposed to go into the whole question before Parliament met again.

The second reading was agreed to. On the motion of Mr L. Mellvride (Napier), the Sunday Fishing Bill was introduced and read a first time. The promoter of the Bill explained that the measure was designed to prevent fishuig on Sunday for trade purposes. Sunday work was a grievance of the Napier fishermen.

The Licensing Amendment Bill (Mr W. H. Field, Otaki) was read a first time, as was also the Unemployed Workers’ Bill (Mr P. Fraser, Wellington Central). The Hon. G. J. Anderson said that so far his study of unemployment went he was of opinion that there were not sufficient unemployed in New Zealand to warrant the tremendous amount of machinery required by this Bill. The Agricmtural Bank Bill (Mr T. M W 1 dprd) was introduced and fread a first time. In reply to the Premier, Mr Wilford stated the Bill was exactly the same measure as he introduced last session.

The House rose at 11.25 p.m.-till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.