HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 16 October 1914, Page 6

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

]^'"'"""•'" "The Mto Z Petitnons Committee $' brought down a report that it had no *a •- Tecommendation to make on the petij/_ lion of the trustees of Cornwall Park j\ - (Auckland), asking for a remission of «\ - rates on the park, and all other endow- '^' i ments similarly situated. The report %.A raised a lengthy discussion, the major- £ ity.of the speakers suggesting that the *• ' One Tiee Hill Road Board, which cons trols the rates from the park, should be 'l a*Js°rbed by Greater Auckland, -which [/ could remit rates to assist the revenue, " t of the trustees without hurt to the city. r The multiplying cf small local- bodies \j came in for considerable censure during the debate. In Teply to Mr Wilful, the Premier V stated that he would endeavor to vali--V date in the "washing up" Bill gifts of v , labor unions towards Avar charities/ £. Hon. F. M. B. Fisher moved the sec- £. ond reading of the National Provident Fund Amendment (No. 3) Bill. He explained that the measure intended to *' ease and secure those members of the . -, expeditionary force who are contributors to the fund, during their absence. £ < Mr Veitch suggested that similar pro. "vision he made with regard to life in- -- surance policies held by members of the - force. 'C l In his reply, Hon. Mr Fisher said the* Government Life Insurance Department [A intended to do that, i The second reading was then carried. "> The Premier moved the second read- £. ing of the Workers Dwellings Amend- . raent Bill, providing machinery amend- > - ments to the main Act. r Right Hon. W. F. Massey said the ' scheme of workers' dwellings was working well, and had been approved by both i - , the House and the country. The amend-' ments proposed were necessary to meet ** developments of the policy, such as increasing tbe amount to be lent from £700 to £750, while an alteration in the area of land attached to a dwelling re^ \> . quired to be made more elastic. _ Messrs Wilford. Wilkinson, Witty, and Ell commended the Bill as likely to have beneficial results. Tfye debate was adjourned. The House went into,com'mittee upon > * the Education Bill. .-',.""■' : At 8.30 p.m. the Minister made an ' appeal to members to make their remarks as concise as possible, otherwise there was a danger that the Bill would not be got through. , In reply to criticism, he said that he -regarded the reduction, of education • ' districts as a vital part of; the Bill. Personally, he did not favor making a reduction by Royal Commission. With a view to coming to some more satisfactory arrangement he had that morn,<ing met informally some of the members of the Education Committee, who ielt strongly on the question. He had endeavored to overcome the difficulty by drafting another schedule, which was of quite a provisional nature. TJn-' ' _er the arrangement Auckland would 1 • lose the counties of Kawhia, Awakino, Waitomo, Ohura, and most of Taupo, leaving the education district with a „ population of 228,749. The Taranaki I .-district would be retained, with the x addition of the five counties taken from Auckland, and Eltham from.the v "Wanganui district, giving a population of 47,105. Hawke's Bay would take in the counties of Whakatane and Opo- ,' tiki from Auckland, giving a population of 72,505. Wanganui (district remained, minus the Eltham'-county, .with-a population of 84,258. Wellington took in Marlborough and Nelson,' and had a population of 179,072. North and South Canterbury districts would be abolished, and Grey and' Westland iaken into Canterbury, giving a new district with a population of 199,192. Otago, with 128,246, and Southland, 61,126, would remain unaltered. » This statement aroused what looked like a storm. The Hon. Roderick McKenzie raised a vigorous protest against the absorption, of the Nelson district, and Mr Colvin moved to report progress, with a view of sending > the Bill back to committee. Sir Joseph Ward said he regarded it •as a fatal mistake to hold private meet- , ings with interested members. He fay- ■ ored referring the question to the. Commission, which would report to-Parlia-ment next year, and let Parliament decide what the new districts should Tie. Mr Wilkinson said he ought to have been consulted about the readjustment of the Taranaki district, as he was vitally interested. What hi wanted to i . see was the Taranaki province under v one control. > < Mr Allen "stated that since the \ House rose yesterday, he had had an j -amendment drafted, which would go in I -* "the direction suggested by the leader j .* -«*£ the Opposition, andptfkch might > » * --0- i. > > x , V\ ' } A. ' '

meet the wishes c_ those• who objected to the scheme of the new district. He first read out the amendment, which provided for setting up a Commission J for the' purpose of reporting to Parliament on the most suitable educati' districts, the number not to be Jtt than seven arid not more 'than -ess The report was to be submitted "iae. liament by June 30, 1915, ar *° ?av* terations made as a result >d a^y al* effect on January Ist, V a would take Mr Colvin expressed -- f16».--...-■ fied with that arrar- • kaasel- 'satlsthat if 'the Minis.- . i«ras_-,. and said amendment at J ,-* would move the would withdraw ; •*» proper' time. he progress. -; motion to report This-the '" the motic .Mfeiis'ter agreed to do, and. On rr A W&& "withdrawn. centr- ./®M_t_ alter supper, discussion m [g A "I'buhd the scope of the Come/ ■>*__ 'suggested by the Minister, exjtftiuTn be:mg.taken to limiting its dis-' ( - Gl'etioh 'as to districts. Finally the uVfiriis'ter agreed to leave it to the Hotfse to decide whether the minimum 9itimber of boards"should be seven or a "Smaller number, but would not agree to increase the maximum to ten. Clause 1 was agreed to at 11.20 and the remaining clauses up to clause 11 passed without amendment. At this clause, which established, district councils, Sir Joseph Ward moved to strike out. the words "District Council of Education," with a view to abolishing this new body. , The Minister, contended that the councils would be exceedingly useful to him from an advisory point, of view. On a division being taken, the words were retained on the casting vote of the chairman, the Ayes and Noes being 29 each. : The House rose at 12.9 a.m.