NEW ZEALAND POLITICS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 253, 28 September 1912, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND POLITICS.

LOCAL BODIES’ SUPERANNUA-

TION BILL

PASSES THE SECOND READING

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION'.)

Wellington. Sept. 27. The Legislative Council met at 2.30.

The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson resumed the debate on Ihe second reading of the Local Authorities Superannuation Bill, which he said local auithorities desired, and he saw no raei son why it should not- go through i with a few amendments. One objeci tioiiable feature of the bill was that 'upon an employee electing to retire lie could claim any money paid in. less interest, whereas under the Public Service Superannuation Act money paid by a withdrawing contributor was refunded with compr and interest. He thought this bill should make similar piovisicn. He suggest cd that local authorities should be asked to contribute so much of their funds to the National Pi evident Fund. That course - would do away with the necessity' of small holies amalgamating, and increase the benefits of participants. The system should be entirely altered, and a retiring allowance based on the avciago salaiy received dining the period of service and not upon the salary at the end of the time. He further urged that as the money paid by a civil servant into the fund was his own contribution he should be allowed to borrow the money he had paid in at any time after lie had paid 'or a certain number of years. Hon. J. Rigg supported the bill because lie approved the principle of it.

Hon. H. D. Bell, in his reply, stated that the position of a person on the public superannuation fund was that he was entitled when he retired to either his annual allowance or th? money he had paid in. If he chose the latter course he got ins money oack with simple inb r est.

The bill was read the second time LAND AND INCOME ASSESSMENT BILL.

The Land and Income Assessment Bill was put through the final stages. The Council then rose. LAND BILL.

Wellington, Sept. 27. In the House of Representatives Mr. Massey gave notice to move certain new clauses in the Land Bill. POLLUTION OF WATER BILL. Mr. Massey gave notice of his intention to introduce the Pollution of Water Bill. WAIHI STRIKERS. Mr. Glover gave notice to ask the Premier if he would immediately leleas? the Waihi strikers now in gaol, the circumstances under which they were imprisoned not justifying that end. MEMBER FOR EGMONT. Mr. Wilkinson, now member for Egmont, was sworn in and took his scat. Mr. Hine and Mr. Okey acting as sponsors. WANGANUI RIVER TRUST. Air. Massey moved the second reading of the Wanganui River Trust Amendment Bill, providing that the i Wanganui River Trust may lease their lands for periods up to 42 years. He pointed cut that the bill dealt only with lands hold by the Wanga fmi River Trust, to enable it to obtain income for improving the river and so reducing its claim on the Government for subsidy. JUSTICES OF’ THE PEACE AMENDMENT BILL. Mr. Herdman moved the second reading of the Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill, which provides for prevision by the Crown cf counsel for the assistance cf accused persons who are unable to afford that The bill was read the second time. PHARMACY AMENDMENT BILL. The Pharmacy Amendment Bill was lead the second time. EDUCATION MATTERS. DISCUSSED AT LENGTH.

On resuming the House went into Committee to further vonsider the Estimates, th? Education Vote, £L--106.211. being taken.

Jlr. Forbes nd'< rated a uniform set of school bocks and the setting, up of a ecui’cil to decide upon uniform becks and stationery for the school children.

The Minister, replying to these and other suggestions, said he was not in a pc sition to make any declaration of policy in regard to the Education Commission’s icpoH which it was intended to submit to the Education Committee. He diii not think it wiaild be possible to adopt uniform school books. Mr. Russell referred to the necessity of a general oveihaul of the central Education Department. i The Minister said he did not be- ' neve in centralisation. School ccmimittees did very valuable work. It | was his. intention to go into the whole [system of tecimieai educalion and i the matte’' of the staffing of the ecn- ! tied department. Mr. (I. M. Thomson referred to defects of the -v-'i'm due to the discouraging of home lessons. The Minister intimated that a large vote for back-block schools would be provided in the Public Works Estimates. Mr. Russell eulogised 'he work being done by Dr. Trudy King and his wife. In Dunedin, where Dr. | King resided, infant mortality was J the lowest in tl.e Dominion .solely | due. he belie; < d. tn Dr. King's; preaching. i Mr. Laurens;-n had no hesitation [ m saying that if a plebiscite we re I taken the result would be in favour! of Bible-rending in schools. i Mr. Wilford adwwtted a broader! franchise for e.l'ieat ion bonid tdcc- ■ tions. ; Mr. Hanan Loped that the Minis- I ter would see tli.tr m future the esii-i mates were not brough up so as to I create an impression that over aj million pounds a year was spent on e.lncat inn. Mr. WiLcm and Mr. Buick plead- < I tor consideration for the educntn *j cf children in tb.e back blocks and ter teachers there. I

Mr. Bollard moved a reduction of £5 as an indication that teachers were inadequately paid. The Minister hoped that Air. Bollard would not press his motion. The sum of £244.00() had been expended on salaries for primary education teachers in the last eleven years, and in that time there had been an increase m salaries of £156,000. The amendment was withdrawn. The Minister said the question of differentiation of grants between city and country centres would receive consideration during the recess. The total vote passed unamended. STATE GUARANTEED ADVANCES. LOSS ON LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES. The Committee then considered the New Zealand State Guaranteed Advances Acocunt, £527.142. Mr. Alien said the Government would satisfy the requirements of local bodies so far as was possible. The Government had an unexhausted borrowing authority of £825,0tt0, but there were commitments against that off £653,760. The balance between the amounts Tepresented what was available for local bodies for the rest of the year. The Government was providing for loans up to £BOOO. Mr. Russell asked if the State Guaranteed Advances Department was not receiving annual repayments of a million sterling, which was largely available for re-lend-ing. The Minister said there was considerable loss yearly on loans to local bodies. He estimated that nothing would 'be available. As a fact, the loss made on loans to local bodies since 1910 was £22,557, and he had to make provision for it. Mr. Russell moved to reduce tnc vote as an indication that the Government should borrow further sums to assist local bedies in the work of colonisation.

The Minister stated that the previous Government had committed the country to £2,152,195. When he took over office he had to find £1,284,000. He would have to raise a million a year to meet the responsibility left on his shoulders whin he assumed office. Mr. Massey said the disclosures which the Finance Minister had made showed a record of squandering such as this country had never known. The amendment came with very bad grace to-day. Mr. Hine described the attitude of the Opposition as the very essence of political hypocrisy. The amendment was lost on the voices.

The whole of the Estimates weN? passed. The House rose at 1.55.

CIVIL SERVANTS’ HOMES.

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL.]

Wellington, Sept. 28. A novel suggestion for assisting ■ivil servants to get their own hemes ".nd generally assist them in the battle cf life was made in the Legislative Council yesterday by trie Hen. J. E. Jenkinecn when speaking m the Local Authorities Superanluaticn Bill. He said there was a suggestion he had in his mind and it might at first sight appear revouticnary. The great difficulty oi many civil servants was to get a house cf their cwn. Aiea cf between 25 and 30 years cf age had 3cn:-iderable difficulties in this e;>pect. AVl;at he suggested was this. ;hat after a civil servant had contributed to a superannuation fund for a certain number of years he should be allowed to borrow a portion of die money lie had paid in. The Hun. Air Bell (Minister cf Internal Affairs): Where is tae security ! The Hen. J. T. Paul: He is simply making a suggestion. The securCy would be the home of course. The Hon. Mr. Jenkinson said that the security would be the man's position and his home.

The Minister interjected that there would be no benefit in providing a nipcranmiati.cn fund if a contributor could spend it. Mr. Jenkinson retorted that " contributor at the present time paid his contribution to the Public Trustee who lent the money out to other-.

Iti conclusion, Mr. Jenkinscn said that ho had given a considerable amount of thought to the subject, and lie was certain there was some merit in what he had suggested. The matter was at all events well worth ccnsideration.

LAND POLICY

Wellington. -Sept. 23.

A brief but interesting statement respecting the Gcvrminon's land policy was made by the Prune Minister yesterday afterncc.n. He referred to some remarks that had bi en made by past Ministers on the suoject. In 1892, for instance, the H<.n. |W. Rollostcn had said there should lie as little- interference as possible ;;n the part cf the State with che land and that the freehold tenter' should nc; he done a’v.iy with. He (Mr. Rciiest(.’i) was in favour of -.he perpetual lease, but it should not take the place or do away with tb.e freehold tenure. If that meant anything said Mr. Masse v, it mcctiti tbaf Mr. Rrlbstc.n thoroughly -y-j pined <f the principle <:f freeb.<. Id | tenure, at the same time maintac.i-1 :ng the opinion that any man wno[ cared t<i take up a leasehold shemir! be allowed to do so. Mr. G. W. Russel] : We have nev-r propsset! to do awav with tb.e freehold. Mr. Ma-sey went on to say that Str Georg;' Grev had been refer. a to in the House as the "father < 1 I Liberalism" and ho quoted from itis I speeches to the effect that it wcidd! be an injustice ic take away for! tv;",' the right cf the freehold. I MEIKLE WANTS MORE. [by telegraph—special.] John James Meikle is again pc.i-> iicrnng Parliament fcr eempen'-'t n in respect of his impy. -eminent for ‘ leged sheep stealing-. He asks that'

the original vote of £5OOO, placed on the Estimates for compensation (and reduced to £2s<i<’») he paid, that is to say a further sum of £2500. Tire petitioner states that be lost all he possessed through wrongful imprisonment and the weary 25 years misery he had to endure.