Yesterday in Parliament

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 250, 23 October 1935, Page 6

Yesterday in Parliament

Various Acts

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The House met at 2,30. Pann Holdings For Single Men, Mr. W. J. Broadfoot asked the Minister of Lands if he would give to single men employed in developmental camps the same opportunity of acquiring farm holdings as is at present extended to married mem •

Sir Alfred Hansom, -in- reply, said a definite undertaken -was- given that married ffifeh ’ in 'developmental camps would receive preference in taking up holdings and that undertaking must be carried out. In regard to the extended scheme in the King Country for salvaging Grown securities the Small Farms Board was prepared to give single men opportunities of acquiring sections.

Investment Executive Trust Assets.

’ Mr. E. A. Wright asked the Prime Minister if there was any reason for the long delay in distributing the assets of the Investment Executive Trust.

Mr. Forbes, in reply, said to ascertain the position of the various companies comprised in the group has been a work of great magnitude. The Public Trustee is now in a position to proceed with tho liquidation, but as a number of debenture-holders have approached the Supreme Court with a reorganisation scheme until such action has been dealt with by the Court the Public Trustee is unable to proceed with the realisation of tho assets.

Saturday Half-Holiday. The Public Petitions Committee, which considered petitions praying that a referendum be held on the question that a national Saturday half-holi-day be instituted in the Dominion, recommended that the petitions be referred to the Government for favourable consideration.

Mr. W. E. Barnard thought it was

desirable that the people of the Dominion should have their half-holiday on tho same day and in view of the possibility of a live-day working week coming into operation on some future occasion it was obvious that the extra day’s holiday would be Saturday.- Tho national half-holiday would also do

away with the petty jealousies that now existed between towns that were closo together and that were to a certain extent in competition with each

other. Mr. J. A. Nash supported Mr. Barnard and said in some cases in the same town factories observed one day and shop 3 another and the man who had both had no half-holiday at all. Mr. C. H. Clinkaid and Mr. H. Hoi-

]and opposed a national day being observed and contended that each district should be allowed to determine for itself -which, day was most suitable according to its particular requirements. The report was tabled. Coal Mines Amendment Bill.

Tho Coal Mines Amendment Bill was

put through Committee. Mr. A. J. Stallworthy sought information regarding the cost of the scheme which the Government proposed to take power to adopt to conserve slack coal. Mr. P. C. "Webb said live million gallons of fuel oil were wasted in Nea Zealand every year through slack coa\ not being conserved. Tho cost of extracting fuel oil from coal was between Sd and 9d per gallon, but in New Zealand companies that did this had to pav excise duty on petrol produced. In England this industry was subsidised. Mr. W. A. Veiteh said instead of coal being stored it should be treated at once and a potential national asset should be turned into a national asset. He expressed the opinion that financo could be secured without difficulty and

urged the Minister to go further than the Bill provided. Suckaetion would benefit the coal miners immensely and give them more-permanent employment.

Hon. C. E. Macmillan said the process of the hydrogenation was in course of development and the Government did not wish to establish a plant to •find in a few years it would be a white elephant. Goal for hydrogenation purposes could be handled only in a very large <way. Even in Australia it was considered too expensive for private enterprise. He could not give any idea /ns to the cost of the scheme. Mr. Veiteh asked the Minister to investigate a scheme of coal carbonisation to stabilise the coal mining indurtry. The Bill was read a third time and passed

Immigration Restriction.

Mr. Coates moved the second reading of the Immigration Restriction Amendment Bill. Ho said the Government had been advised to continue the measure for another year. It had been renewed from time to time.

Mr. F. Jones asked it' the Minister would give, information as to what was taking place between the British Government and the New Zealand Government regarding immigration and if there were any proposals that immigrants were to be sent from Britain to New Zealand and other countries. No ono objected to immigrants, but he knew that under the present unemployment position Now Zealand could not absorb a large number of immigrants. Mr. W. E. Barnard suggested that clauses in t\c original Act which wero offensive to Chinese should be wiped out. They were not required and were covered by subsequent Acts. Sir Alexander Young said the Bill before the Houso dealt only with aliens. Mr. Jones nee~ have no fear that Britain would enforce an immigration scheme upon New Zealand contrary to New Zealand’s wish. Mr. Coates said there wero two aspects of the immigration question. There were those who might desire to come to New Zealand to make their own way and that was not desirable unless they havo .means, but there were

Important Amendments to

The second reading was carried

others who might bo required as factory artisans, and though the Government were bringing none out some may como by private arrangement with employers. New Zealand had a duty to her ow t u people to place them in industry first. The Bill now before the House iu.F more particular reference to undesirables. It was not the intention to overhaul tho whole immigration legislation this session. The Bn, was read a seconu time.

Rent Restriction. The second reading of the Rent Restriction Bill was moved by Hon. A. Hamilton who said it merely continued the present legislation. He said last year 120 applications were received from tenents to see' if excessive rents were being charged and in 13 cases the rent demanded w'as reduced on representations being made by the officers of the .Department of Labour. When the House resumed at 7.30 the Rent Restriction Bill was read a second time.

Other Measures. The Land Laws Amendment Bill was read a first time and referred to the Lands Committee. Mr. Forbes moved the second reading of the Administration Amendment Bill, the provisions of which, he said, were highly technical and corrected some anomalies that had been brought under the notice of the Minister.

The second reading was carried. The Colonial Light Dues Bill was read a second time.

Mr. Forbes moved the second reading of tho Whaling Industry Bill. He said' its purpose was to give effect to the regulation laid down by the Geneva Convention.

Mr. Barnard said whales in Antarctica were being ruthlessly destroyed and he asked if the Bill would have any effect on the regulation of whaling in the Antarctic.

Mr. Forbes said the object of the convention was the conservation of right whales and made it incumbent on whalers to supply details of whales taken.

Amendments to the War Pensions Amendment Bill and War Veterans Allowances Bill were agreed to.

Mr. Forbes explained that the amendments were to the effect that pensions would be payable from the first day of tho month in which the application is made instead of the first day of the month in which the application is granted. The Urban Farm Land Rating Amendment Bill, Immigration Restriction Amendment Bill, Administration Amendment Bill, Rent Restriction Bill, Colonial Light Dues Bill, and Whaling Industry Bill were put through Committee without amendment, read a third time and passed.

The second reading of the Law Practitioners Amendment Bill was moved by Mr. Forbes, who said the Bill was introduced at the request of the New Zealand Law Society and he thought it was in the interests of the public generally. One debatable clause was clause 38 which provided that it was an offence for an unqualified person to perform any of the duties of a solicitor. The original clause had been amended very considerably, but there wero still some objections to it and he proposed that tho clause should bo dropped. Other objections, he thought, had been met, Mr. Barnard approved the Bill, but thought Mr. Forbes would bavo been advised to listen to a debate on the clause proposed to be dropped before chopping it out in that rough anu ready fashion. Mr. Broadfoot also expressed Tegret at clauso 38 being dropped out. He said the people of New Zealand had a seiious objection to Mountebanks. Solicitors had to undergo years of training and had established a guarantee fund and if others desired to practice they should be prepared to do the same.

The second reading was carried. Tho Judicature Amendment Bill was read a second time and it and the Law

Practitioners Amendment Bill were put through Committee, read a third time and passed. The House rose at 10.20.