NEW LAWS FOR THE NEW YEAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14566, 31 December 1910, Page 9

NEW LAWS FOR THE NEW YEAR.

IN operation TO-MORROW.

ACTS OF LAST PARLIAMENT.

jfCTMBEH oil the Acts passed last session c«no into operation to-morrow (January i Ji. Amongst these are the following: — •. Tramways Amendment. Municipal Corporations. Indecent Publications. Secret. Commissions. Crimes Amendm Education Reserves Amendment. Native Townships. Post and Telegraph Amendment. Harbours Amendment. Auetioneers Amendment. Destitute Persons. Commercial Trusts. By-laws. National Provident Fund. Thermal Springs Districts. Kauri Gum Industry Amendment.

Below is a summary of the principal Acts that come into operation in the New ear: — NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND. The salient feature oi the National Provident Fund Act is that it will enable contributors whose wages are under £200 per annum to obtain, by small weekly payments, annuities ranging from ,10s to £•2 per week from the age of 60 onwards. Applicants to become contributors mustbe resident in New Zealand and bo between 16 and 45 years of age. Persons v ho cease to bo contributors shall, after 12 months, be entitled to receive a return of all contributions. If ?. contributor of five years' standing or a person in receipt of a pension, dies and leaves n child tinder the age of 14, the widow shall receive 7s 6d per week in respect to each child and 7? 6d per week in re--s.cect to herself as long as any child is under 14 years of age. If a contributor is incapacitated by ill-health or injury, each of his children under 14 will receive 7s 6d per week during his incapacity after the first three months. Provision is made, to assist in the expenses of maternity by paying £6 to married contributors in respect to each birth. Before becoming entitled to benefits, contributors must satisfy the Board that they have not, since joining the fund, been absent from New Zealand for a longer period than two rears at any one time or for more than jive years in the aggregate. The weekly contributions will range from ninepence per week to 4s lid per week for pensions of 10s a week, and 3s to 19s 8d for pensions of £2 a week.

All Act which has an important bearing on the National Provident Fund is the Inalienable Life Annuities Act, which safeguards an annuity from seizure by a creditor, bankruptcy, or assignment, or voluntary or involuntary means of alienation. PRISON REFORM SCHEME. The most important Bill that originated it» the Legislative Council last session was the Crimes Amendment Bill, which, provides the necessary legislative machinery for carrying out the scheme of prison reform which the Minister for Justice (Hon. Dr. Findlay) has outlined. The salient feature of this scheme is the classification. Care will be taken that young offenders "ho have made a first or a second slip shall not be brought into contact with hardened criminals, who might have a prejudicial influence on their character. " The Gaols of the Dominion are to fee graded and reformative methods applied in both city and country institutions. One of the most important provisions of the Act is' that extending "the application of the indeterminate sentence. A magistrate may, in addition to or in lieu of imposing a determinate sentence, impose on any prisoner, even though he be a first offender, a quasi-indeterminate sentence not exceeding three years. This power may be exercised in any case where the offence is punishable by a maximum determinate sentence of three months, and the considerations that shall weigh with the magistrate are the character of the prisoner, the circumstances of the offence, etc. The Prison Board which is providi d for under the Act, will be set no early in the New Year. It will consist of a Supreme Court jud;;f , two other official members and four qualified laymen, one each from : the chief centres.

GAMING AND LICENSING. The Licensing Act is no - in force, but application for registration nay be made by barmaids np to June 1 next. Application must be made to the Secretary for Labour at Wellington, and the qualification is that the applicant was within one year before the passing of the Act employed as a barmaid for not less than '/hree months continuously. Apparently barmaids have net yet began to register, and regulations governing this section have not. yet been framed.

The Gaming Amendment Act comes into force on January 31, 1911. The restrictions on the issue of licenses to use the totalisator will not have effect till after July 51 next, and the Governor may appoint a commission to determine the number of licenses to be issued during the year, commencing August 1, 1911. THE TRAMWAYS BILL. One of the contentious measures or' last session was the Tramways Bill. Hardly anyone expected the Bill to pass, but one . night the Minister for Pi'blic Works found the House in a complaisant mood, and got the Bill through. .H was modified in several miitexial points but it is still fairly drastic. On and after January 1, 1912, all drivers on tramways must he the holderr. of a certificate; issued by a board of examiners appointed by the Government. Applications for certificates will be received up to December 34, 1911. In tb<, case of motormen, service for one yew as a conductor is required and a course of training for not less than 21 days <"-s motorman. The manager of every electric tramway shall give such facilities to the conductors as will enable at least 20 per cent, in each year to qualify for the mot or men's examination. Extensive prw ers tire given to the Government in (he way of inspection, and the inspector may order alterations or repairs to ensure the safety of the public or employees. Among the matters which the Government may control by regulation are the licensing of ears, fixing the maximum number of passengers that may be carried (provided that it shall not exceed 75 per cent, in excess of the seating capacity), the limit of speed, the use of proper appliances, and the keeping of a car report book. Appeal boards, consisting of one representative of the employers, one of the employees, and the senior magistrate shall be set up in each district to bear all appeals by employees. DESTITUTE PERSONS ACT. The aim of the Destitute Persons Act fs to give the Courts greater powers against those who seek to escape parental or other obligations. It litis long been a complaint of charitable aid boards that they are put to a heavy expense on account of women and children who have

been deserted and thrpwn on charity. Rarely were steps taken to bring the defaulting husband to book, because the woman had to advance money to pay the costs of extradition, and she usually had no money to devote, to such an unremuncrative investment. The new law allows the Crown to defray the costs of extradition, and it is expected that the prospect. of being brought back to the Dominion to face justice will make many husbands pause before sailing away without making provision for their wives and families. One of the provisions of the Act is really designed to assist the course of justice against the Australian wifedeserter, but it is hoped that a reciprocal provision will be made by the Australian State Governments before long. The new Act provides that if a man deserts his wife and family in Australia and conies to New Zealand, an order may be made against, him in the Commonwealth, and may bo enforced in our Courts, compelling the man to contribute through our Courts to the maintenance of his dependents in Australia. .It is hoped that reciprocal provision will be made in Australia to make things uncomfortable for wife-de-serters from New Zealand. Under the new Act the obligation on the father of an illegitimate child may now extend till tho child is 16 yeans of age, and the amount of an order against a husband for the support of a deserted wife may be made as much as £3 per week. Under I lie old law (as interpreted by the Supreme Court), a husband was liable for the maintenance of his wife, although she might be living with another man; now the magistrate will have discretionary powers. The procedure in actions brought against the alleged father of an illegitimate child or a deserting husband is simplified, provision being made for the evidence of witnesses being taken before a magistrate in the localities in which they reside, and forwarded to the Court which is hearing the case.

INDECENT PUBLICATIONS. At present a person charged with the sale or publication of indecent literature cannot be convicted summarily, except with his own consent. In accordance with the recommendation made in the year 1908 by a Joint Select Committee of the Imperial Parliament (Lotteries and Indecent Advertisements), it is provided by this Act that all such offences can be dealt with on summary conviction, but by a stipendiary magistrate only. For the purpose of avoiding the risk of vexations and unreasonable prosecutions, it is provided that informations are to be laid by police officers only. A private prosecutor must obtain the leave of the AttorneyGeneral. Clause 4 is intended to obviate the existing difficulties in the way of prosecutions -for indecent matter published in newspapers. The clause determines what persons are to be held responsible for the conduct of a newspaper in this respect.