PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 305, 23 November 1932, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

APPRENTICES BILL. EVIDENCE TO BE TAKEN. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 22. The Holise of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. The Apprentices Bill was introduced by Governor-General’s message and read the first time. Hon. A. Hamilton said that the measure was a consolidation of the Apprentices Act of 1923 and subsequent amendments. It maintained the principle of the apprenticeship contract and conditions of employment. He woidd ask that the measure be referred to the Labour Bills Committee, so that evidence might be heard from all the parties interested. There was no particular need to lmrry the legislation through and ample opportunity would he given for hearing representations and reasonable amendments would be considered.

Continuing, the Minister said that the Bill placed the control ot the apprenticeship question in the hands of an Apprenticeship Council consisting of a registrar, two employers’ representatives and two employees’ represent a.tives.

Mr R. AlcKeen : Are you abolishing the Apprenticeship Committees? Mr Hamilton: No Committees will he given a better standing than at the present time. The registrar will he able to carry out the duties of the committees in the districts where there are no committees.

The Bill was read the second- time pro forma, and referred to the Labour Bills Committee.

RELIEF ON FUNDED DEPARTMENT. PREMIER’S EXPLANATION. In the House of Representatives today, Air H. AI. Rushworth asked if it was correct that Britain had agreed to suspend for another year the payments due from New Zealand on the funded war debt, and whether the sum involved for the current year was £825,000. He further asked how would the bondholders he alfected in the event of the report being correct. Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes drew attention to the announcement in the Budget that Britain had consented to postpone for another year all payments due on New Zealand’s funded war debt, and certain other debts due to the British Government, and that the relief to this year’s Budget was £825,000, in addition to which a saving of £47,000 would accrue to the State Advances Office. He added: “The funded debt is an arrangement made between the Imperial Government and the New Zealand Government in respect to moneys raised by the Imperial Government during the war period and lent to the New Zealand Government. It relates to no particular holders of Imperial Government securities and therefore the lenders are not affected as their interest will continue to he paid by the Imperial Government.”

| CONTROL OF HOSPITALS. SECOND READING OF AMENDING BILL. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 22. In moving the second reading of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill, in the House tonight, lion. J. A. Young said the measure was designed to make further provision for the 1 amalgamation of small hospital districts. Amalgamation could not take place at the present time unless by the mutual consent of the boards concerned or by legislation. The Bill brought hospital hoards into line with the law relating to counties and municipalities. The Minister then outlined the provisions of the Bill.

Air Al. J. Savage said that there was a tendency to-da.y to minimise rather than increase the services, and for that reason one was entitled to utter a warning against the danger that amalgamation might mean —the cutting out of country hospitals and institutions or services given to country districts. Commenting on the

clause relating to maternity services, Air Savage said that it appeared that the Government was endeavouring to transfer all the responsibility from the State to the hospital hoards. Mr IV. E. Parry appealed to the Minister to give effect to the promise which, he said, lmd been made by the United Government—that a representative of the inmates would be appointed to the board controlling the Jubilee Institute for the Blind.

Air J. Bitchener said that he hoped tho interests of country districts would not he prejudiced by the passage of the Bill. Air P. Eraser said that the Bill took away powers which rightly belonged to Parliament. He considered the measure should bo sent to the Health Committee so that its full implications could be thoroughly considered. While the Hospital Boards Association might have had an opportunity of examining some of the proposals the public were very much concerned, particularly people in country areas. Representatives of the smaller hospital hoards should have an opportunity of placing their views, not before a commission, but before the House. He objected to the principle of people in country districts being deprived of hospitals without Parliament being consulted.

Air A. AL Samuel said tho.t country hospital hoards wore very concerned about the Bill which, ho considered, would confer autocratic powers upon a Government official in the direction of hospital administration. He agreed with Air Fraser that the Bill should go to the Health Committee. He did not think it would he wise to appoint one-man commissions. Alembors with a knowledge of local conditions should be on all commissions. Air Iv. S. Williams said that he hoped the country districts would ho given every facility to submit evidence before nny decision to close hospitals was reached by a commission. Air J. O’Brien stressed the necessity for reasonable medical aid in mining and sawmilling districts. Air S. G. Smith supported the Bill which, he suggested, might well go further. He invited the Alinister to consider the advisability of proposing to Cabinet that the measure should make provision for a full and wider investigation into the whole question of hospital administration. The country was faced with a fall in the national income and he advocated an investigation, loot in AV/ellington, where evidence would he limited prnctcail.v to Departmental heads, hut in the districts themselves with a view to maintaining hospital efficiency on the one hand and effecting a greater reduction of expenditure on the other hand. He pointed out that there should he scope for economy when it was realised that there were 45 hospital boards serving a population of only one and a-half millions. Replying to the debate, Air Young said that he did not believe in placing economy first. Efficiency was the ftrst consideration and once a high standard of efficiency was attained economy would automatically follow.

, The Bill was read the second time a.nd the House rose at 11.50 p.m.

URBAN FARM LANDS. MEMBER FOR OTARI'S VIEW. WELLINGTON, Nov. 23. The -opinion that rating on unimproved value had become a confiscation tax in many boroughs and concerted assets into liabilities was expressed by Mr W. H. Field during the second reading debate on the Urban Farm Land Rating Bill in the House yesterday. The Bill was read the second time. Mr Field said that the Bill required very careful consideration. There was no doubt, however, it was framed on the right lines. The Bill would be an enormous relief to the occupiers of farm lands in boroughs. He did not think it fair that as proposed one of the Assessment Court assessors should be appointed by the local body. Local bodies were fond of appointing local land agents, and if that were done there was often no certainty that justice would be done. That was one of the weak spots in the Bill. A highly qualified farmer was the person best fitted for the position of assessor. Doubt as to the advisability of introducing such a Bill at the present juncture was expressed by Mr D. G. Sullivan. Any concessions granted to the owners of urban lands, lie said, would have to bo made up by some other section of the community. Mr W. Nash, who was a member of the Commission which recently investigated the problem of urban lands in boroughs, said that the Bill was long overdue. A reduction in rates for any area automatically added to the vaiue of that land. Rates could be fairly and justly levied in proportion to the benefits received and services rendered. He had seen cases where the rates on g property on one side of the road were from £2 to £3 per annum, while a property opposite receiving the same services paid from £2O to £3O. Anomalies such as that should be removed, and the Bill tended in that direction.