In The House

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 248, 24 October 1934, Page 7

In The House

Miscellaneous Measures Considered HIGHWAYS CONSTRUCTION Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. In tho House of Representatives this afternoon a Bill to amend the Unemployment Act, 1930, was introduced and read a first time. The House resumed consideration in committee of the Public Works Estimates. On the Main Highways Account, Mr P. Langstone said favouritism had been shown in tho maintenance and construction of highways. He protested against tho amount spent in No. 2 district and thought tho money should have been allocated more fairly. It seemed that the smaller districts had most spent on them. Hon. J. Bitchener said some districts had greater mileages than others, but he thought the allocations had been very good. The Estimates were completed. A.n amendment to the Mining Amendment Bill was introduced, Hon. C. E. Macmillan stating tho amendment was designed to overcome a position where, due to a judgment of the Court of Appeal, if an area was already claimed, under a mining privilege, it could not be again pegged and a license applied for until the original liccnso was surrendered. Tho amendment was agreed to. After the tea adjournment the Mining Amendment Bill was put through committee, read a third lime and passed. Land Drainage Rates Hon. J. A. Young moved the second tending of the Counties Amendment Bill. Ho said the Bill had been brought down as a result of a decision by the Supreme Court which affected land drainage rates of County Councils. The power now asked for was already possessed by Land Drainage Boards,, but not by County Councils and River Boards. Tho Bill gave them that power. Mr W. J. Poison said that was n grievance with a number o£ people. He hoped the Minister would have that provision inserted in the B'ill. Mr J. A. MacPhersou instanced the case of a man who had property in three counties; he could not get to all booths in one clay. Mr F. Langstone hoped that, if any alternative was made, the method of voting would be placed on a Parliamentary basis. He contended that a person and not property should lia\e the vote. Mr W. J. Broadfoot thought there should be some brake on raising loans for public utilities, and that persons •who had acquired property should have some means of controlling tho rates to he paid on such loans. He did not think it should be left to people with .no stake in the country to say whether loans should be raised or not. Mr J. A. Lee said the trouble at the present time was that the country had been governed too long by property. One Man One Vote Mr A. S. Richards said the principle of one man ouo vote was necessary to save the landowners, even from .themselves. Mr A. E. -Jull said it was quite possible for a City Council to be composed of persons who were not propertyholdors, in which case a large amount of property would be disfranchised. •Mr H. T. Armstrong said that, if it wa3 right to apply the principle of one man one vote to Parliamentary elections, it was right to apply the game principle to county elections. Hon. J. A. Young, replying, said the provision for absentee voting wa s not appropriate to counties, but rather to the Electoral Act; but a Commission would shortly be set up to inquire into the whole matter of rural government. That would bo a suitable occasion on which to raise the question. Tho Bill was read a second time. Tho Local Legislation Bill and the Reserves and Other Lauds Disposal Bill were introduced and read a first time. • Mr Young moved the second reading of the River Boards Amendment Bill. He said the Bill was to validate what was formerly the practice of River Boards regarding rating, but which were also affected by a Court decision. The second reading was carried. Rent Restriction Legislation The second reading of the Rent Restriction Bill was moved by Hon. J. 'Bitchener, who said tho Bill had been passed each year since 19-8. It served a rrseful' purpose last year, the number of applications'being greatly reduced. It seemed that the need for it was rapidly diminishing and it was doubtful if it would need to be continued another year. The Bill was read a second time. •The Local Authorities Interest Reduction and Loans Conversion Amendment Bill was introduced. Hon. J. G. Coates said tho Bill con- , tained mostly machinery clauses. Following the Conversion Act a number of anomalies had cropped up and the proposals in the Bill covered those anomalies. There were one or two matiters of wider importance, particularly clause 8, which was a departure form the usual course, and it applied wholly to County Councils, which were in a rather different position from other local bodies. County Councils had special''rating areas and it was proposed to give councils power to Taiso loans without a poll, but they must havo the approval of the Local Bodies Loans Board. Clause 9 reduced all local body interest authorities to 3} per c?nt. Other clauses dealt with the optional domicile of securities. It was known that there was a certain amount of trafficking taking place in securities of optional domicile. After the date of passing the Bill, securities that domiciled in New Zealand could no longer be optional. The Bill was read a first time. The Counties Amendment Bill, the River Boards Amendment Bill and the Rent Restriction Bill wero put through tho remaining stages and passed. The Rouso rose at 11.10 p.m.