PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19391, 28 July 1926, Page 14

PARLIAMENT.

DAIRY PRODUCE EXPORT. A CONTENTIOUS MEASURE. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. LONG DISCUSSION ENSUES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. J WELI! N c: TON. Tuesday. Tho most important, lint-mess <>f tne Hnusf. of Representatives tu-tlay was the Dairy Produce Export Control Amendment Bill, which was introduced by (h>v-ornor-General':; Message. The I till proved to contain no changes in the control system, hut to provide for a ward system of electing producers' representatives on the hoard. However, opponents of absolute control that they wujikl make it a contentious mc isr.re l>v moving a:i amendment tho operation of absolute control for a year. A Valuation of Land .Amendment Bill Viis also introduced, together with a large number of reports and papers. The second Imprest Supply Bill of the session was brought down just before ih< dinner adjournment. The motion to go into Committee of Supply was debated for a number of hours, Sir Joseph Ward taking a rather late opportunity to make his first long financial speech since his return to the House. The bill was still -antler consideration at a late hour.

VALUATION OF LAND. DEPARTMENT " STARVED." AN OVERHAUL PROPOSED. PERSONNEL OF THE COURTS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL .REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON., Tuesday. An attack on the constitution of the Appeal Courts set up under the Valuation of Land Act was made in the House to-day by the member for Kaiapoi, Hon. D. Buddo. who complained that whereas the Government and the local bodies of

the district eacli appointed an assessor

to sit with the magistrate, who acted as chairman the ratepayers were not represented. It was high time that they were. The Minister of Lands would admit that tho local bodies were interested as taxgathers. 1

Mr. Buddo also complained that lands round Christ church occupied by dairymen and market gardeners were given very high speculative valuations because of their possible/future use as building sites. This, he said, was unfair because the. present occupiers Wanted them solely for farming and gardening and they would not ;be nfeeded. for building : for many years to come. In the mcahwbile the occupiers had to pay exorbitant rates and could get; no' redrdss./,], * 'J Mr. F. P. I-fOckly (Rotorua) suggested that as valuers were in the habit of giving very cursory inspections to properties with which they had become familiar it would be a good thing if a " general post " were instituted,.although he did not propose that any of them should be sent from one end of the country to the other. ' ■ ■ The Hon. A. D. McLeod said Mr. Buddo's complaint was not a new one, but so far the ratepayers or landholders had not brought forward a sound or reasonable scheme for their own direct representation. It was impossible to reconstitute the Court continually in order that the people of each neighbourhood could be represented on it. The Court must have some permanence and be capable of working over a wide area. However, any practical scheme brought forward would receive full consideration. Regarding the matter of suburban properties the land tax was a small matter and the occupiers' main concern was local lates. The remedy lay in the hands of the local' bodies which could have their own valuation systems and rate-

accordingly. Dealing with Mr. Hockly's criticism the Minister said he recognised that the Valuation Department had been starved and that far too many outside valuers were employed. It had Only recently come under bis control. lie intended to have a thorough overhaul and would give consideration to the suggestion made by the member. Instead of the sub-valuers employed for particular districts there should be a large permanent staff.

DOMINION'S POTATO CROP.

CRITICISM OF STATISTICS. [by telegraph.—special reporter.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. An allegation that the recently-issued potato statistics' are misleading and should be corrected, was made by the member for JMlesmero, Mr. I). Jones, in,the House of Keprcsentatives to day. Mr. Jones said hat usually a farmer gave an estimate m the table potatoes tie would have Ihis tune an estimate of the whole of the potatoes was asked for. with the result that the statistics included pig and seed potatoes. A consequence of the publication of these statistics was that, ],« potato market had gone flat, and inquiries from Australia had fallen off becaus" 'he impression was that there was an excessive quantity in New Zealand.

The Minister of Agriculture, Hon. 0 J Hawken. said the statistics had been gathered by the Statistical Department not by his department, which had informed aim on several occasions that the quantity available for shipment to Australia was .a very small proportion of (lie whole. He hoped the figures which had just been issued would not deceive the public. He did not think there was anv reason to believe that there was anv over-supply of potatoes.

FOUR AUCKLAND BILLS. MUNICIPAL LEGISLATION. U~ 'TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER WELLINGTON. Tuesday."" Notice of motion to introduce fuur a, tf iland local bills was giver, i„ the House t<vuay by Mr. J. S. Dickson (PariMn They were the Auckland Electric- Power Board Bill, the Auckland Harbour 80-ml Empowering Bill, the Auckland City Em powering Bill and the Auckland I'rovineia! Water Board Bill. The last-named fee been framed to enable local bodies in l > P rov ' Mcia! district to form b watei board for the purpose 0 { investi gating ,ou,x,. s «f water supply, the cost ° M t0 L ° lKJ '" nn hy Ule bodlcs