LOCAL LEGISLATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18763, 17 July 1924, Page 10

LOCAL LEGISLATION.

facilitating passage. MEASURE AGAIN APPEARS. LIMITING CLAUSE OMITTED. [B2 TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. The Local Legislation Bill, which was introduced by the Government session,, but could not be put through 6wing to pressure of other business, has been brought down again unaltered, except for the omission of one clause. The purpose of the bill is to provide machinery by means of which local bodies may obtain minor local legislation without recourse to the "Washing-up" Bill, and then ratepayers and others interested may have full notice -of what is proposed to be enacted and opportunity to oppose it if they so desire. One notable objection to the present method of including such legislation in the "Washing-up" Bill is that the various clauses of the bill cannot be considered by special committees, and are apt to be passed without adequate discussion in the House. _ Further, persons interested have practically no opportunity of being heard. The new bill provides that a local authority shall submit its proposals in a concrete form to the Minister for Internal Affairs, in order that they mav be considered by _ the Government. If the Minister is satisfied that the legislation should be presented to Parliament, he publishes in the Gazette a notice to that effect, together with a copy of the proposed clauses, so that ratepayers, members of Parliament, Government departments, and persons interested, may nave full opportunity to take any- desired action before the matter comes under the notice of Parliament. The bill permits the Minister to approve a clause or clauses provisionally, subject to certain modifications being made. Objections are to be made in writing to the Minister, who must forward particulars to the local authority concerned in order that the parties may appear before a Parliamentary committee. The clauses as gazetted are to be incorporated in an annual Local Legislation Bill, which shall not contain any other matter. Nothing in the bill is to be deemed to interfere with the right of any local authority to initiate local legislation in the ordinary way by means of a local bill. The only difference between the present bill and that of last session is the omission of a clause providing that no application shall be received by the Minister after the first two months of a session have expired. •

INSURANCE COMPANIES.

LIMITS To BUSINESS.

EARTHQUAKES AND FIRES.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER. ]

WELLINGTON Wednesday.

A short bill to amend the Insurance Companies Deposits Act, 1921-22, extends the definition of the term "company'' to include single persons and excepts from the definition of the term "insurance business" insurance against earthquake or against fire consequent on earthquake. The bill also provides that any company which insures against loss by or incidental to fire, whether the insurance covers other risks or not, shall be deemed to carry on the business of fire insurance for the purposes of the act, save that a company carrying on the business of marine insurance shall not be deemed to carry on the business of fire insurance by reason only that loss by fire is one of the risks covered by its policies. If a British or foreign company carrying on business in New Zealand has not itself made the deposit required by the act any broker, agent, or other person undertaking business on its behalf in New Zealand is required to do so before undertaking the business.

SALE OF SOLDIERS' HOMES

EASING THE RESTRICTIONS.

TRANSFER TO CIVILIANS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday.

Tho restrictions on the sales of soldiers' homes were mentioned in a question by Sir John Luke to tlio Minister for Lands, Hon. A. P. McLecd, in the House of Representatives. Mr. McLeod to-day replied that transfers to civilians of soldiers' holdings on which advances had been made under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, had been and were being approved in cases where it was absolutely necessary that a discharged soldier should divest himself of his interest in his holding and a suitable discharged soldier could not be found as a purchaser.

COAL FOR DOMINION.

CAUSE OF IMPORTATIONS. BREAKS IN WORKING TIME. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. " Encouragement of coalmining in the Dominion is granted by the Government with a view of locally providing all the coal required in New Zealand," stated the Minister for Mines, Hon. G. J. Anderson, in reply to a question in the House. "As long as there are breaks (owing to strikes) in the continuity of production, thus preventing the coalmine owners from making forward contracts for the delivery of large quantities of coal, consumers must be allowed to fortify themselves against possible shortages by arranging for importations from abroad."

AUCKLAND CITY ABATTOIR

application of profits, dealing with by-products. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTED.] WELLINGTON Wednesday. The Auckland City Abattoir Bill (Hon. C. J. Parr) was circulated in the House of Representatives this evening. It provides that it shall be lawful for the Auckland City Council to acquire or establish and maintain in connection with the city abattoir boiling-down works, manure works, and works for the treatment and disposal of tripe, bones, offal, condemned stock and waste, or other by-products. The council is authorised to include in the annual cost of the abattoir established ; by it, in lieu of 5 per cent, per annum on the capital expended in establishing and erecting -the abattoir, a sum of £7 per cent, per annum on the value of all buildings and improvements now erected or hereafter to be erected and the lands used or connected with such abattoir and any boiling-down or other works carried on in connection therewith, and a further sum of £10 per cent, per annum on the value of all machinery now or at any time used in the abattoir and works.

The council may apply from* time to time all profits derived from the boilingdown or other works for the purpose of additions, extensions and renewals to the buildings, machinery and plant of the abattoir and works and shall be under no obligation to apply such profits or any part towards the annual cost of the abattoir.