PARLIAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 September 1924, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

BEAM WIRELESS SYSTEM

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND SHARES

LAND BILL AMENDMENTS. -

(BY TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) , ■ WELLINGTON; Sept. 18.I he. House met at 2.30 pm, ..'Air T. ,M. Wilford (Leader: of the • Opposition) gave notice of .. his . intention to ask the. PostmasterTGeneral ;i'f he will cable to England- and'obtain for the Government a copy., of .the: tions'of the contract, just entered into, between the Postmaster-General in' England and the Marconi Cdnipariy with .reference to beam wireless, and whether, in any negotiations with the Marconi Company in to, heain wireless, he will take every i bare that *• the Dominion, is not committed to the Marconi Company in reference tcut-Jie same without incorporating safeguard-' ing provisions. Great:Britain,,he said, - had provided against the possibility 6f : same being an absolute failure. . A large number of petitions wefe presented, some in favour of and Saihe against the Fruit Control Bill. . . :! Mr F. Langstone (Waimarinp) asked the Premier whether he would withhold his consent to the Bank of Nefa. Zealand issuing further sharps to, they present shareholders ; in - the terms of’ the announcement , made by the PrP- ? mier last night, as shares already -' is- - • sued in 1920 • and 1922 were worth; £2 r r 16s 9d, which was equal to a dividbiid ? of 20 per cent. ' ‘ - ' •

The Premier said that Mr. Langstone . had evidently overlooked the fact that" the State owned a. large number of shares in the bank.. Mr Langstone: “I know :that.” .-: Then, added Mir Massey, -, the' hoai, gentleman was not candid, otherwise he would have mentioned that fact." Continuing, Mr Massey-said' the; Grown was entitled to take up 375,000, of . the new shares, and he had .arranged ,accordingly. 1 - ' ' .'

Replying to Mr P. Fraser (Welling- • ton Central), the Hon. J. G- Andpr-, son said he had promised to call a conference of those interested "in'’ the '' subject of . installing : wireless .. on all • ships on. the New Zealand. cogst. —lt ; was not an easy matter to arrange, but > ho had now got so far as to be in ; a* - position to send out notices for a eon-." fere nee and this would be done to-mor-row.

The Minister for Lands, brought down? a series of amendments ; to the Land' -‘ Bill, the majority of which were- of a Purely machinery nature,, and" thje ..., House, went into committee to consider ’ them. ' ' yw •<’.

At clause 20 the Minister, proposed that where more .land' was :taken for< public purposes under the Public Works Act than was necessary the land would' be taken over by the. . Lands Department.

Mr W. A. Veitch (Wanganui)' pointed out that if land was not used for the ~ .purposes for which it was. taken !tlie former owner should have the opportunity of buying it hack hefei i e‘’it was -’ taken over by the Lands Depart-, ment. ... .. . .

The Minister explained.;that" this “ right still remained to the former o\riT- ; - er under the Public- Works Act., .The Lands Department would only ,take,.tbe land over if the original or adjoining owner did not-wish to purchase it. The amendment was agreed to. ' In clause 165 it,was proposed to .increase by five years the license'to occupy rural land which an occupier was : converting into- freehold .under- the-, deferred payment system, The. Minister explained that this . concession would be administered by land boards? who l -' would discriminate between..those set-! 1 : tiers who required- to take . advantage' of it and those who did not. The amendment was agreed to.' • • The Minister proposed an amendment to clause 216 by providing thatif a transfer of the lease of Grown lands took place within five.years of a ' concession in rent the .CroWn could J ’ claim for conceded rents, but- not if , the transfer took place after, a five, year period. This, said, the Minister, ' wa.s intended to gSt ovet the 'difficulty wliich followed upon the piling up of conceded rents.- The amendment wasadopted. , The Bill was , reported with amend-;' meats. ' •" •• '

The committee then . agreed, to ftjrr thcr amendments to the Local-Bodies. Loans Amendment Bill and the' Bill ivas also reported with ''amendments;' The House then passed: through all < ■stages the Amusement Taix Amend* ment Bill, which provides that where the charge for admission is>2S;ibr less a tax shall not be imposed.

The House rose at 12.7 a.in. till 230 p.m. ■ .• •• • w 1

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Legislative Council met at-2.30 p.m. to-day.

The Masseurs Registration Amendment Bill was reported from the Statutes Revision • Committee with amend--meats. •

The Mortgage Final Extension Bill and. the Police Force Amendment Bill, winch were reported from the House of Representatives, v T ere referred.. to the Statutes Revision Committee,- after being read a first time and a second time pro forma.

The Prevention of Crime Bill was read a first time.

The Council adjourned at 2:43 p.m until 2.30 p.m. to-morrow." ~ .