HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 268, 13 November 1909, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m

MAORI WAR VETERANS

Mr McDONALD (Bay of Plenty) asked the Government what it intended to do in regard to recognising the claims of old soldiers which were continually being made. It was 36 years since the Maori Wars, but so far no comprehensive scheme had been formulated to deal with the matter. , . Mr HERRIES (Tauranga) urged the Government to announce its intentions as early as possible. ■ The Hon. Mr CARROLL said that the whole matter was at present being considered by the Government. Mr Massey and other Members on both sides of the House urged the Government to deal sympathetically with the claims of Maori War veterans. . LOCAL BODIES' SINKING FUNDS.

Mr DAVEY (Christchurch East), chairman of the Petitions Committee, reported that it had no recommendation to make on the petition of the Dunedin City Council, praying that section 25 of the Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1908, be repealed. Tho section provides that sinking funds must be invested m fc Governmenjt securities^ even when there is no Government guarantee of the Joan, instead of being invested, aa formerly, by; the sinking fund commissioner. Mr Davey explained that the committee considered the matter one of policy. Ke moved that the report lie on the table. Mr SIDEY (Caversham) moved as an amendment that the report be /referred to thb Government for consideration. The amendment was supported by Messrs Allen, Glover, Baume, Massey and Phillips, who held that local bodies had a right to control their own sinking funds. . .<_._,_. Mr McLAREN (Wellington East), in ' iuporting the amendment, said that he was opposed to the policy of? centralising power, whicM'was danger* ous to the democracy. The question involved in the/amendment was one of local government. : The Hon. R McKENZIE opposed the amendment. The' object aimed at in demanding the repeal of the clausa was, he said ? to enable boroughs to traffic in their own stocks. Mi- LA3RENSON* (Lytt#bon) de-

niedt that local bodies were repositories of power, as stated by Mr McLaren. - : ■ ' ~ Mr ELL (Christchurch South) said that there was abundant evidence to show that local bodies were far more conservative than the Government, and in "many cases,^ could not be trusted: ' - ' Mr GUTHRIE (Oroua) supported the, amendment. - The Hon. Mr DUNCAN (Oamaru) opposed the amendment. , On the amendment's being put it was carried by S4 to 25.

NATIVE LAND BILL

The Native Land Bill was read a second time, pro forma, and referred to the Native Lands Committee. HOSPITALS BILL. The House went into Committee on the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill. On clause 45!, siibclause kr MASSEY (Franklin) pointed out that Ibhe local, authority was authorised to raise contributions untie* the Local Bodies' Loans Act instead of under the State Guaranteed Advances Act. _. v . V /The Hon; Mr FOWLDS explained that this could be amended later on, in the event of the State Guaranteed Advances Bill being passed this session. The fact that the Bill had not been passed was the reason why the measure was not nientioned in the subclause. - -

Mr HENRIES suggested the tak~ ing of -Mio subelauses of clause 42 oher "hy "one", which the Mikister agreed, to. ' Mr RHODES (Ellesmere) nioted to strike out subclause 2 ? which provides for (the Bdard's making nan estimate of its expenditure during April in' each financial year, and to: substitute an amendment to the effect that every old Board shall, before the 20th-"'March, 1910, for the guidance of the newly-elected body, prepare an estimate of the probable expenditure for thp ensuing year, and every Board before the same date in each succeeding year shall estimate its probjable requirements for a similar period. :'<' '; ..••■"■.'; .' -, ■ After discussion the amendment was put and lost on the voices. j The House adjourned at 5*20 p.m. '{