PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 3 September 1926, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ANOTHER BIG SITTING

(by TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 2. The House met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The Hon. R,. F. Bollard moved the second reading of the Local Legislation Bill. He explained there would be a number of amendment® to move in committee, but others had been received too late to consider. The BilL was read ai .second- time, as wa® also the Hutt Valley Lands Settlement Amendment Bill, which was moved by the Hon. A. D. McLeod. The House then went into committee on the Local Legislation Bill, which was partly agreed to an d,progress reported pending further amendments. Tlie Local Bodies Loan Bill was reported without amendment and the Dentists’) Amendment Bill was reported with amendments.

’ On the Finance Bill, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart said he was favourably disposed to setting up a superannuation fund for hospital nurses and would consult his colleagues regarding it. Mr. Sydney urged that a .superannuation fund should also he established for members of ‘Parliament. He understood that a payment of £IOO per member would establish a fund sufficient to make proisvion for members who had served in three Parliaments. The Hon. W. Noswortliy said the Government had received an actual report on this subject, hut Cabinet had not yet had time to v consider it. He hoped, during the recess, to be able to go into the question. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart said he would be pleased to confer with the Minister of Education om the question of la superannuation fund for university professors. . - Progress was then reported pending amendment© to he brought down. The" Hurt Valley Lands [Settlement Amendment Bill was -reported and read a third time and passed. Other Bills which had passed the committee stage were also read a third time and -passed. Further amendments to tlie Finance Bill were then brought down. Dealing with superannuation funds the .Minister isaid that at present these funds were under divided control and there was need of one central hoard to manage them. In reply to the member for Awariia, th© Minister of Finance said lie was looking into the question of country subsidies, but it was impossible to give it the necessary consideration during the session. The Bill was then reported with amendments. "The Workers’ Compensation Amendment Bill No. 2 was reported without amendment. The Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill (Washing-Up Bill) was being considered when the House adjourned fit 5.30. I Progress was reported on: the “Washing-up Bill,” and the committee proceeded l to consider the Waimakariri River Improvement Amendment Bill, to which the Minister of Public Works moved a new .sub-section, bringing the Bill into operation on October 1 next, and this was agreed to. The Bill 1 was reported with other minor amendments moved by the Minister, read a third tiriio and passed. By Governor-Gcneral’si Message the Stamp Duties Amendment Bill was brought down. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington! Central) asked how any more Bills were coming down and .whether this one was absolutely necessary. The Minister of Finance explained that the Bill corrected anomalies in administration, and was purely technical in- character. The Bill was read a first time. The Customs Duties Amendment Bill was also brought down by GovernorGeneral’s Message. The Minister explained that he proposed to proceed with this Bill tomorrow, and tlie Bill was read! a first time.

The House then went into committee on the Main Highways Amendments Bill, which was reported l without amendment. The Education Amendment Bill was then taken in committee, when- considerable opposition developed on the ground that teachers had no right of appeal against appointments under the Bill. This was continued after the telegraph office closed. The Bill l was read 1 a third time and passed. By Governor-General’s Message an amendment to the Tramways Act was brought down and read a first time. The House rose at 4.12 a.m. till 2.30 p.m.

LEGISLATIVE COUNOIL

WELLINGTON, Sept. 2. Speaking on the second reading of the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill, the Hon. R. Moore suggested that power he given to attorneys to vote on behalf of absentees. The instituting of compulsory voting was advocated by the Hon C. J. Carrington, while the " Hon." M. Cohen thought that when a vacancy occurred on a. local body, the first defeated candidate at the previous election should be appointed, to save the expense of a by-election. Tlie question of the privileges of criminals was -raised by the Hons’ E. W. Alison and J- Barr, who urged that they should he debarred from exercising the ordinary rights of a citizen. In his reply Sir R Heaton Rhodes said lie did not think any local body would approve of attorneys acting for absentee®. An attorney might vote in the direction not desired by a voter, and the principle was a wrong one. Many .people would not like to he compelled to vote. It might happen that none of the candidates was acceptable to a voter, when there would,' be no alternative but to make his voting paper informal. He could not agree to the principle of the first defeated canbeing appointed to a vacancy. He felt sure local bodies would not approve of such a thing, arid defeated candidates might he “duds.” There was a good deal of merit in the suggestion in regard to habitual criminals. In committee on the Bill, an amendment moved by the Hon. E. AY. Alison that no. person who has been declared an habitual criminal .should be. entitled fo have his name recorded on' an electoral roll, was defeated by 18 votes to 12. The Bill was passed without amendment. Tlie Veterinary Surgeons Bill was reported with amendments by the Agricultural Committee. By these amendments the Minister of Agriculture is empowered to recommend any number of persons to the board instead' of merely one. The clauses dealing with verification of applications for registration is deleted, and a new sub-clause is added to the effect that any person who has practised as a veterinary surgeon in New Zealand for not less than ten years immediately prior to the commencement of the Act may continue in practice and use the designation “veterinary surgeon” if he lodge® his name with the Minister not later than- six months

after the* commencement of the Act,and satisfies him that he has been practising and is* of good character and r6 The Council adjourned at 4 p.m. until to-morrow.