PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17293, 17 October 1919, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE HOUSING BILL. AMENDMENTS IN COMMITTEE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] / WELLINGTON'. Thursday The Hou.se of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. The Railway? Bill was introduced by Governor's Message and read a first timeThe Prime Minister, Mr. Massey, explained that it was the annual Bill, providing for annual increments of salaries. He moved that it be referred to the Railway Committee. This was agreed to, Mr. Massey laid on the table, the report of Admiral Jellicoe on the naval defence of the Dominion. The Minister for Finance, Sir James Allen, stated that the Commissioner of Taxes had been officially instructed to enforce the compulsory clauses in connection with the war loan. Those who ought to have subscribed will be communicated with and given an opportunity of subscribing. 'The following local Bills were put through all stages and passed : —Hauraki Plains. Thames, and Ohinemuri Counties Bill (Mr. T. W. Rhodes), Matakaoa County Bill (Hon. W. D. 5. Mac Donald), Auckland Harbour Board Loan and Empowering Bill (Hon. A. M. Myers), Inglewood County Bill (Hon. J. B. Hine). Wellington City Empowering and Amendment Bill (Mr. P. Eraser), Patea Harbour Amendment Bill (Mr. G. V. Pearce), In vert'argil 1 Borough Boundaries Extension Bill (Hon. J. A. Hanan), Hawke's Bay Rivers Bill (Sir John Findlay), and Wellington City Abattoir Loan Bill (Mr. J. P. Luke). " , The House then went into Committee on the Housing Bill. Design of the Houses. On the House resuming at 7.30. P-hl. a. discussion on the first clause of the Housing Bill continued on the lines of the second reading debate until nearly nine o'clock, when it was was parsed. Mr. C. J. Parr (Eden) suggested that an effort should be made to erect houses tasteful in design, and from that the discussion moved to the question as. to who was to suj>ervise the Department. Members urged that a special Department should be created, run by a man with imagination. It should not be managed by the Labour Department, which already had enough to do. Mr. Massey defended the Labour Department, which already had the matter in hand, and he felt confident the present Secretary of Labour would prove capable of doing what was expected-of him. He was not going out of New Zealand for his officers. On clause 7, defining the constitution of the Housing Board, Mr. Massey agreed to an amendment under which the superintendent and deputy superintendent of workers' dwelling.'' shall hold office on the board until successors are appointed, and that the board shall include an. architect and engineer.

Income and Interest, On clause 13, dealing with limitation of income, the Prime Minister agreed to extend eligibility to all workers having an income up to £300, with an additional'£-20 in respect to every dependent, the amendment to be introduced later by Gov % crnor's Message. On clause 15, the Prime Minister moved an amendment fixing the interest at 5 per cent, with one-half per cent, rebate for prompt payment. Members suggested that the interest should be 4 per cent. The Prime Minister said he would gladly i make it so if the cost of material fell, ! but he could not do so at present. In any ' cape he would take it into consideration. The amendment was agreed to. A lengthy discussion took place on clause 21, under which dwellings must not_,be sold without the consent of the board, members being generally agreed that the element of speculation should be eliminated. How this was to be done provoked the greatest diversity of opinion. Finally the House agreed to amendments moved by Mr. Massey which strengthened the position of the board in supervising and sanctioning sales. Loans to Employers. - When Part 111. of the Bill providing that loans might be made to employers to enable them to erect homes for* their workers was being discussed, Mr. H. E. Holland (Grey) moved to strike the whole section out on the ground that if employers owned houses it gave them an unfair advantage over employees who, in the case of a strike or a-lock-out, might be turned out of their homes. I Mr. Massey said he thought it unlikely that such a contingency would arise in New Zealand, but in any case he would see that a regulation was framed to pievent such an event. He would also see that tenants were protected by regula-' tion against unfair rents. Mr. Holland, however, persisted in his amendment, and called for a division. The amendment was lost by 44 votes to 4. Messrs. Holland. P. Fry.ser, Semple, and McCombs voting for it. In clause 48 power was given to harbour boards to erect homes for employees, whether permanent or casual. In Part V. power was given to local i bodies to raise loans for workers dwellings without taking a poll of the ratepayers. Part VI. was added "to the Bill defining the term " worker " and increasing the amount of loffti that may be granted to workers under Part 111. of the State Advances Act. 1913, in accordance with the Prime "Minister's promise last night. A new clause, moved by Sir Joseph Ward, was added : That the provisions of the Family Protection Act shall applyto the Housing Act." The Bill wa s then reported from Committee as amended. On the motion for the third reading the Labour Party entered a protest against the inclusion of Part 111. lor the reason given in Committee. Tin- Bill was supported by Sir Joseph Ward; Messrs. A. Harris (Waitemata) and J. A. Young (Walkato). The Bill -was read a third time and passed. The House rote at 1.55 a.m. LEOISL/iTIVE COUNCIL. MEASURES CONSIDERED. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. _ -«*= In the evening the Council put the following Bills through their final stages : —Education Purposes Loan Bill. Manawatu Gorge Road and Bridges Bill, and the Fishing industry Bill. The Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Amendment Bill was reported from Committee without amendments. The Council then rose.