PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 10, 9 December 1937, Page 12

PARLIAMENT

PETROLEUM BILL COMMITTED. AMENDMENT AVITHDRAAVN. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON. Dec. 9. In the House of Representatives this morning, on the resumption of the debate on the commital of the Petroleum Bill, which had been adjourned on December 6, the Minister of Mines (Hon. P. C. AA’ebb) said that when the debate was previously adjourned the amendment* concerning tho division of royalties moved by Mr AV. J. Broadfoot was under consideration, and it appeared that at that late hour in the session there was a possibility that the Bill might not pass before the Christmas recess. He felt that no division of opinion on the question of royalties should be big enough to prevent prospecting for oil from proceeding, and an arangoment had been made with the Opposition that Mr Broadfoot’s amendment be withdrawn and the Bill be allowed to proceed on condition that facilities after the recess be provided for the discussion of the question of division of royalties. .Personally, said Mr Webb, he did not think royalties should be divided between the State and the propertyowners at all. If the Bill were now allowed to pass he was confident that within six months they would have one of the largest boring plants in the world in operation in the Dominion. If the measure was not passed it would be a national—almost an Empire—calamity. The Leader of the Opposition (Hon. A. Hamilton) said the Bill would be allowed to proceed, provided an opportunity would he given for consideration of the question of royalties later in the session.

The amendment was withdrawn by Mr Broadfotffc in view of the assurance given by Mr AVebb, and the Bill was committed. FIGHTING HYDATIDS.

The Minister of Health (Hon. P. Fraser), moving the second reading of the Dog Registration Amendment Bill, said there could be no possible opinion as to the necessity of combating hydiitids. Its cycle was wellknown; it came from sheep to dog, and from dog to human being. The only effective remedy was to get people to stop feeding liver and lights to dogs. Obviously that could not be done under compulsion —it could only be carried out in an educative way. It was a question of bringing cooperation and common sense to bear to fight this deadly disease. The Bill provided for a second effective means —the provision of hydro-bromide, which had proved very successful in the Argentine, Nicaragua, and particularly in Iceland, where the incidence was very great. The Minister explained that the present proposal could not be brought into operation until January 1, 1939, because there was not a sufficient supply of the remedy in the country. Mr H, S. S. Kyle supported the Bill and said the present legislation would assist very largely in checking the spread of tho disease in the Dominion. * Other members of both the Opposition and the Government supported the measure and congratulated the Minister on the introduction of the present legislation. Some of the speakers advocated that steps should be taken to reduce the number of dogs in the country. The Bill was read the second time and the House rose at 1 p.m.