END OF THE SESSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18234, 30 October 1922, Page 8

END OF THE SESSION.

TO-NIGHT OR TO-MORROW. DATE OF THE ELECTION, PEOBABLY 'DECEMBER 7. [ME TKLEOBArH.—SPECIAL REPOUTEB.] WELLINGTON, Sunday. The fourth session of the twentieth Parliament is expected to come to an end on Tuesday at the latest. The House of Representatives is to meet at 11.."50 a.m. on Monds.y and all the measures to ho dealt with should be put through by the evening. The Finance Bill and the native "wash-ing-up" Bill are still on the Order Paper, and when the Houso meets the Appropriation Bill and the Supplementary Estimates should make their appearance. It may bo found necessary for the House to sit late on Monday evening, in which case members will havo to reassemble on Tuesday morning to receivo any Bills which may he returned from the Legislative Council.

The Prime Minister stated on Saturday that as far as it was possible for him to judge the elections would be "hsld on Thursday, Decembor 7. A number of members anxious to start their campaigns have already left for their homes. Many of tho Southern members are expected to leave by the Lyttelton ferry steamer on Monday evening. PRICE OF PHOSPHATES. FARMERS MISS DISCOUNT. GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS. [BX TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Saturday. The price of Nauru phosphates was again mentioned in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. R. W. SmitTl (Waimarino) said the farmsa were dissatisfied with the prices. The Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, said he was able to state j once more that the Government had done everything possible to bring the prices j down. What tho member did not take j into account was that there were thous- • ands of farmers dealing with mercantile j firms who gave them credit for periods of j from three to twelve months. Such pu*-; chasers could not expect to cot the manure ; as cheap as others who paid cash and pot j the discount. It was impossible for the ; Government to do more than it done at present. Until there was a reduction in | the cost of produition and interest on money, little more could be done io reduce "tho price. CHATTELS SECURITY. AN AMENDING BILL. {»X TBLKOBAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Saturday. The Chattels Transfer Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day, contains some amendment* that have been sought by the auctioneers and the stock and station agents, as a result of certain rulings under the existing law. A clause provides that upon the expiration of tho time or extended time for registration an unregistered security over chattels shall not be effective as" against any bona-fide purchaser or mortgagee, for valuable consideration, or as against any person dealing with the chattels aa auctioneer or dealer ot agent in the ordinary course of his business. Section 26, of the Chattels Transfer Act. provides that a security over etosk shall include tho natural increase of the stock and all branded stock depastured on> the land mentioned in the instrument. The Bill strengthens the security by providing that it shall hold good even if the stock is removed from tho land mentioned in the instrument. Another clause strengthens tho security, over wool. It provides that, if under any registered instrument, the grantee shall be entitled to require the grantor to give a security over wool, growing or to grow, upon the sheep, subject to the instrument then, during the substance of the registration of the original instrument, the grantee shall be deemed to possess a lien over, the clip in terms of the | covenant, just ae if the instrument of security had actually been executed and registered.

NATIVE LAND PURCHASE. VALUATION AND APPEAL. [BE J3£E£OBAPH.--fI?KCIJU REPORTER.] . WELLINGTON. Saturday. That no provision existed for an appeal against the valuations made in respect of native land which is in the yrooes3 oi' being sold to Europeans, xraa the substance of a statement made in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. R. W. Smith (Waimarino). He asked that steps should oe taken to permit of such appeals being roade. He 'mentioned Taumarunui, where the valuations involved a total sum of £123,000 and the purchasers had no alternative but to accept the valuations. The Prime Minister said the position was a very difficult one, but in any case it would be impossible to introduce legislation this session to give effect to the suggestion made. The prospective purchaser had one alternative, and that was not to buy the land if he did not approve of the valuation. Mr. Massey said that he had gone into tho question with the Valuer-General, and the Crown law draughtsman, and it seemed that it was impossible to provide a form of appeal that would satisfy both the native owner and the European purchaser , CROWDED RACE FIELDS. MATTER FOR THE CLUBB. [BX TSUIOBXPU. — SPECIAL REPORTER.] "WELLINGTON. Saturday. "I do not recognise any responsibility," said the Minister for Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, when his attention was drawn in the House of Representatives' to-day to accidents arising from crowded 'fields at race meetings. "This is a matter that the racing clubs themselves can easily control," he continued. "There are various methods of avoiding largo fields. The racing clubs have claimed the right, where the field is too big, to run the r;ice in heats, but we have been advised by the Crown law officers that this is not permissible. The heats would constitute separate races, and would result in exceeding the number of races stipulated by law. That question has gone to the Supremo Court ? with our concurrence, to see if there is a way out of the difficulty. If the difficulty cannot be overcome, and it can bo shown that the racing clubs hava not' any possible way of_ adjusting it, the Government will deal with the matter. I am advised that in the meantime there is no difficulty about the racing clubs limiting their fields." He added that he would not admit that the Government or the department was responsible for the shortcomings of the clubs. B SOLDIER SETTLERS. DEPARTMENT NOT HARSH. (BY TELSQRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER-] WELLINGTON. Saturday. The Minister for Lands, th? Hon. D. H. Guthrie, stated in the House of Representatives to-day that although notices to pay up arrears of rent might bo sent to j soldier settlers, no soldier had anything Ito fear from the department so long as ho was doing his duty. It was only business that such notices should be sent, and he was not going to allow hja department to become lax in its business methods.