PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 30 September 1925, Page 10

PARLIAMENT.

HOySijJ OF REPRESENTATIVES. (BX a'K^KGRAPII. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) / WELLINGTON, Sep. 29. The iflouse of Representatives met at } 2.30/ p.m. to-day. ‘ Replying to a question by Mr T. K. Sidey /(Dunedin South), the Minister for Agriculture (Hon. W. Nos worthy) said t.ne reduction in the. price of flour had .been accompanied by an addition 1 of scl per bushel in the price of millers’ wheat, and it had been necessary in consequence to allow an increase in the price of bran and pollard. The Government was satisfied the position was satisfactory and the prices obtaining wele reasonable; at any rate, that was the result of inquiries he had made. |Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) asked the Minister in charge of tile public service superannuation fund Whether he was ■ aware that civil servants in .the'Defence Department were paying into the fund without pi’ospects oi; ever benefiting under the scheme, o|>ving to the fact that they were compiulsorily retired at 55 years of age. Some were paying in as much as £3O a year. ; The Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes replied that the matter was giving him jsome concern, and he was going into it with the officer in charge of the department. The Minister for Lands (Hon. A. D. McLeod) moved the second reading of the Deteriorated Lands Bill.

The Minister explained that the general purpose of the Bill was to provide for revaluations and the granting of such relief to settlers as may be found necessary. The carrying out of the proposals would cost a considerable sum of money. It was impossible to deal with so large an area of land without a heavy loss to the State, but it was undesirable to attempt to put off the evil day. The Bill authorised postponement of rents for as long a period as 15 years, and this naturally would involve an appreciable reduction in the revenue from the lands. The Bill was read a second time. Minor amendments to the Weights and Measures Bill and some additional clauses to the Washing-up Bill were brought down by Governor-General’s Message and were read a first time. The House then engaged in a discussion on a report of the Standing Orders Committee on proposed new standing orders relating to the procedure with regard to the introduction of local legislation. Amendments to the standing orders were agreed to with minor alterations.

The Washing-up Bill was then pui through committee, reported with minor amendments, read a third time and passed. The Public Reserves and Domains Bill was read a. second time. The Bill empowered the raising of the price of admission to reserves and domains on 15 days in the year. The Harbours Amendment Bill was read a second time.

The Hospital and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill was read a second time without debate, andi a similar course was followed with the Shipping and Seamen’s Amendment Bill, all of which were then pul through committee, read a third time and passed. The House rose at 12.35 a.m. till 10.30 a.m.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, Sep. ,29. The Legislative Council met at 11 a.m. to-day. The Stamp Duties Amendment Bill and the Native Lands Amendment Bill were received from the House. The former was put through all stages and passed unamended, and the latter was read a first time and a second time pro forma and referred to the Native Affairs Committee. The representatives at the conference with the House of Represntativs reported. an agreement on the points of difference in the Coal Mines Bill, and the Council agreed to the amendments. The Council approved of the Gover-nor-General’s amendments in the Weights and Measures Bill. A motion was passed recording the Council’s sense of the distinguished services rendered by the late Mr Thomas Mac Gibbon, an ex-member of the Council. The Native Lands Amendment Bill and the Native Lands Claims Adjustment Bill were reported unamended f' - om the Native Affairs Committee, nut through the final stages and passed. The Council adjourned at 8.20 p.m. till 10.30 a.m. to-morrow.