HOUSE SITS ALL NIGHT

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9332, 5 October 1910, Page 5

HOUSE SITS ALL NIGHT

STRONG OPPOSITION PROTESTS. ADJOURNS AT 10.15 A.M. The House of Representatives sat all night last night, and rose at 10.15 this morning. The business done., '• besides the passing of the Defence ■ Bill, included amendments to the Education Bill -and a discussion of. the Land Settlement Finance Bill. It .was the latter measure that occasioned the all-night sitting. LAND SETTLEMENT FINANCE. PROPOSED NEW PROVISIONS. (Peb Pbesb Association.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The Prime Minister, shortly after one o'clock, moved to postpone two orders of the day to permit of the 'further consideration in committee of the Land Settlement Finance Amendment Bill. Mr Massey and several Opposition members protested againstgoing on with important business at such an hour of the morning. They pointed out that a number of amendments were proposed on a supplementary order paper which had only just been circulated. It was impossible for members to grasp their meaning in so short a time. The Prime Minister said that the proposed amendments were designed to meet a very difficult position in a thoroughly practical way. The House had only put two Bills through their third reading for the whole day, and he \yanted to do at least some proper work before the adjournment. After further protests the motion to postpone the intervening orders was ca«ried by 37 votes to 22, and the HoubC went into committee upon the Land Settlement Finance Amendment Bill. One of the amendments proposed Dy the "Prime Minister sought to increase te £2500 the maximum value of any allotment that could be taken up, but mad s no increase in the limit of area. The Prime Minister's amendment was carried on - the voices. WELLINGTON, Oct, 5. Mr J. Duncan (Wairau) -moved to strike out the area of limitation.

The Premier would not accept rht I amendment, which was lost on a division - by 35 to 26. < Mr Malcolm moved further ameud- i ments fixing, the minimum of allotments < to ten acres, which was also defeated t . The Premier moved an amendment tc j reduce the minimum of allotments to 25 t 'acres. < At 3 a.m. Mr Herries moved to repert ■ progree*. i Mr Massey objected to the method ol ) conducting business which he characters- i ed as disgraceful. Sir Joseph Ward said he asked the Committee to help him to set some work done, but very little had been .dona 60 far. Mr Herries said the Act was passed last year after 2 a.m., and the consequenee was that eleven clauses had to be amended. At 4 a division on the motion to report progress was lost by 28 to 21. Sir Joseph Ward's amendment was eventually carried by 28 to 21. Mr Malcolm again moved to report ' progress, but the Chairman ruled him out of order on the question. Clause 2 passed. A verbal amendment re licensed surveyors was interrupted by an adjournment at 8 for breakfast. The House resumed at 9.5 a.m. The discussion on clause 4 resumed. The clause was struck out on the voices. Sir Joseph Ward moved a new clause relative to the allocation of debentures and payments on account of purchase moneys. The clause was adopted. On the motion of the Minister a newclause was inserted providing for the payment by the purchaser of an allotment of a half per cent on the purchase money, to be paid by the Public Trustee into a fund to be created for the purpose. Replying to Mr Allen, the. Minister said the fund would apply to the whole estate purchased under the Act. it was intended to cover losses due in default of purchases and expenses of administration. A new clause providing for the letting of an allotment of a purchaser defaulting. pending the re-sale, was added. Replying to questions, the Premier said any surplus accruing from the re-6ale of an allotment would go into the general I fund of the Association. A clause ■ was adopted providing tor examination as to the fitness of members. Sir Joseph Ward moved-that no committees sit to-day. This was carried, and the House adjourned till 7.30 p.m. A CURIOUS STATEMENT. (By Oub Pabliamentaby Repobtek.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 5. It was not until fifteen minutes past ten this morning that the House rose, after sitting right through the night, with an interval for breakfast between 8 aiKl 9 o'clock. Many protests were made by tne imposition against the driving process, but the Premier had his way, and eventually all the clauses of the Bill were passed cxcept one of minor importance, which will necessitate a re-committal of tne measure. ~ Just before ; the House ro6e a rather curious statement was made by the Premier, which throws grave doubts on the use of the Act. In proposing to omit a clause fixing the price of land by arbitration, he said there was a danger to the State in agreeing to arbitration. The matter should be left to a Board, otherwise too high a price might be fixed, lie was :')o\n investigating a case in which it was alleged that the owner had come to an understanding with members of the Association by way of private arrangement to get £2 or £3 an acra more than had been arranged with the Board. He thought they should make it a criminal , offence to make a secret agreement of any kind by a vendor and members of an Association. . , Mr Herries said this would ruin the Bill Sir Joseph Ward said it would be bettor to ruin the Bill than to ha\e what he knew had happened. Mr Smith said that unless there was some form of arbitration the Act would bo inoperative. The Prime Minister mentioned a case that had actually occurred. The vendor had come to am agreement with members of an Association and the agreement was signed, but the Board would not agree to it. The vendor then agreed to reduce his price by 30s an acre, and later he offered to further reduce it. Mr Massey: He must have been very anxious to sell.

Sir Joseph Ward: Ho was very anxious to get the country to put its debentures at a price that the land was not worth, and members of the Association would have had that around their necks for a. long time. . Mr Buick thought the Prime. Minister was quite right. He knewof ®i mi ' nr cases to those mentioned. The Government was on very dangcrousr ground in : matter, and; would be quite v right m providing safeguards. . The clausc was struck out on the voices.