PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17623, 9 November 1920, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

ANOTHER LONG DAY. SEVERAL BILL6 PASSED. FINANCIAL LEGISLATION. ARBITRATION AMENDMENT. [BY TELEGRAI'H.— SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Monday. The House of Representatives commenced work at 11 o'clock this morning. 'I he Legislature Amendment Bill, the "Washing-up". Hill, an 1 tl>a Law Practitioners Amendment Bill were passed. The Finance Bill was Id-ought down in Lie evening and read a first time.. The t-e.-ondreadmg debate will be taken torn.now. The report of the Labour Bills ('■. mm it tec on the Industrial Conciliation mid Arbitration Amendment Bill No. 2 was responsible for a long debate in the evening, Labour members strongly opposing the proposals in regard to guilds. The discussion was still in progress at a late hour. The Legislative Council kept pace with the House during the day, and" disposed of a number of Bills.

LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT. ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES. CONTRACTS WITH GOVERNMENT. [BY TELKIIRAriI. — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Monday. In the House of Representatives this morning tho Prime Minister moved the second reading of the Legislature. Amendment Bill, which postpones for six months the proposal to elect Maori members on the same basis as European members, owing to tho difficulty of getting the Maori rolls prepared. Other clauses widen the definition of contractor under the Legislature Act, 1908. This was rendered necessary owing to dealings between the Government and members of the Legislature during the war. The Bill also proposes to widen the margin allowed the Representation Commissioners in allocating the boundaries of electoral districts to 1250, so as to preserve greater community of interest. Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton), Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East), and Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) protested against the latter amendment as further accentuating the evils of the country quota. It was, they said, an outrage on democratic government. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) agreed with extending the discretion of the Representation Commissioners, but thought the proposed margin was too wide. He deprecated the proposal to allow members 1 of Parliament to deal with tho Government. If special cases were affected bv war dealings then they should be specified and a validating Act passed. i The Hon. E. P. Lee and Mr. R. McCallum (Wairau) denied that the amendment extending the discretion of the electoral commissions involved the question of the country quota at all; it affected only community of interest, and had been asked for by the commissioners themselves, who declared they could not carry out it proVlslons of the Present Act withThe discussion was continued in the afternoon when the Prune Minister replied. He announced that he would not go on with clause 3 defining the term contractor under the Act. He would obtain a declaratory judgment on the question from the Supreme Court. That he thought, would be the better wav, and would prevent any suggestion of impropriety. _ He strongly supported the proposed increase in the marginal discretion lor „fne Representation Commissioners. I the Bill was then read a second time. Measure in Committee.

In Committee on the Bill Mr Veitch objected to the clause postponing 'the taking of the Maori elections on the European basis because the time for which they were put off was too indefinite bir William Herries said the postponement as only intended to meet the case of by-elections. If a vacancy occurred in the Maori seats at present no by-election could be held because no rolls were in existence. As soon as the rolls had been prepared the clause would be withdrawn. All the Maori members favoured the clause. ,

The clause was passed. The clause widening the definition of contractor was, on the motion of Mr Massey, struck out. * ' Mr. Massey moved a new clause givinsr puuhc servants the rights to become candidates for Parliament. This was agreed to on the voices.

On the new clause extending the margin of discretion which the Representation Commissioners may exercise from 550 to 1250 electors in order to better preserve •community of interest" in new electoral districts, Mr. McCombs complained that the change would operate unfairly on some city electorates. Removal of Anomalies. The Prime Minister said the clause had nothing to do with the "country quote " It was simply designed to remove some anomalies often complained of in the past especially in the case of some small boroughs The matter was one that should be dealt with so that the Representation Commissioners could go on with their work. The clause was carried on the voices. Mr McCombs then moved a new clause providing for the adoption of proportional representation. He remarked that in a general way it would be found that about nine electorates in the city or thicklypopulated centres would equal three in the country districts. The clause was lost bv 40 votes to 23 Mr. McCombs moved" a further amendment enabling women to be appointed to the Legislative Council. This was lost on the voires The Bill was reported with amendments read a third time, and passed. '