PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19405, 13 August 1926, Page 14

PARLIAMENT.

MORE ANNUAL REPORTS. MEASURES CONSIDERED. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. THE WORK OP THE COUNCIL [I)Y TEXEGP.APK. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. Minor legislation took, up. most of today in the House of Representatives. Reports were presented by a number of Seloct Committees in the afternoon and s'eVeral official annual reports were tabled. Six amending bills, namely, Land and Jncopie Tax, Samoa, Scenery Proservatiori, Cook Islands, Cinematograph Film Censorship and Cemeteries wore committed without amendment except in refpect of the Scenery Preservation Amendment Bill. Subsequently all these bills were passed. 'The third reading of-the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill was then taken and produced another debate on direct taxation in general, Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. J. McCornbs, Hon. A. I). McLeod and Mr. D. Jones taking a loading part. A reply to criticism was made by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart. The bill was passed and the House rose shortly before midnight. The Legislative Council put several bills through Committee and passed the Land and Income Tax (annual) Bill and tho Destitute Persons Amendment Bill. Tho Dairy Produce Export Control Amendment Bill was read a second time and referred to a Select Committee. GOVERNMENT MOTORS, TOTAL OVER A THOUSAND. MAINTENANCE EXPENSES. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. The various Government Departments own over 1000 motor vehicles, of which approximately half are owned by the Post and Telegraph Department, states the annual report of the Stores Control Board. Although most' departments have kept a reco,rd of the running and maintenance expenses thero has been no uniformity of method, with the result that tho same make of car running under approximately the same conditions has shown widely varying fconts according to the method of costing adopted by the particular-depart, ifient owning the vehicle. The matter has received consideration on nevbral »nd last year it was decided to ; -appoint a special committee consisting of three expert officers, one 'each from the Popt and Telegraph, Railways and Public Works Departments. The committee investigated the problem very thoroughly and came to tho conclusion that it waft practicable to adopt a uniform system, and to enable this result to be achieved drafted sets of suitable' forms. • Instructions have been drafted and so . soon aa they are printed tho new '.system will be brought into operation, .. . - / .I/IEGISLATORB' SALARIES. THE PROPOSED INCREASE. STATEMENT BY A MEMBER. Tho arguments advanced by members of the House of Representatives in favour of the proposal that thoic honorarium should be from £450 to £6OO a year were explained by Mr, W. J. Girling, M.P. for Wairau, in an interview at Blenheim:at the 1 last week7ond. Mr. Girling, said the matter had been under, discussion , among; members . for soma, time, as 'many, found that the expend of keeping two homes going during the session, together with the heavy of travelling about their electorate?, more than absorbed their honorarium. This was without taking into aocqunt the coat of getting into Parliament and—Mr. Girling added humorously -*the heavy cost of getting out of it, A comparison of the' honorariums paid in the various legislatures pf Australia with those paid in New Zefc.and justified the members of the New Zealand Legislature in thai* attitude. In Queensland the salary had ieoently been increased from £SOO tc> 41750, while New South Wnlos paid'members of the Assembly £BSO, and the Commonwealth legislators got £IOOO a ytiai". The New Zealand M.P.'a, with £450 a year, wera the lowest paid in all the Australasian States. The Taxation Department had already' established »' pre* cedent recognising the extraordinary expenses of members in" Wellington during the session, said Mr. Girling, by allowing them to deduct £IOO a year from the a?ncunt on which they had to pay income tax, this being, a sessional allowance, and members felt that as the principle had been recognised, an increase to that amount should he made by tho Government, either by increasing the honorariunyor by way of a sessional allowance. It was also felt—by country membqrs particularly—that as travelling about • the electorates on public business entailed heavy expense on members they shouldbe allowed £SO per annum for that purpose, making the total increase £l5O per annum. Mr. Girling added that his own opinion ■was that the £159 should ,bo given by way of allowance, but at a meeting of members the general opinion wis that it should be given as a straight-out increase in honorarium which would then be £6OO per annum. THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. BILL BEFORE COUNCIL. AN ADVERSE, MOTION LOST. [BY TELZCIRAPH. ■—SPECIAL TIEI'OP.TER. ] ' WELLINQTON. Thursday: * In order that the evidence might be brought directly before the,, Government the Hon. M. Cohen moved in the Legislative Council to-day that tho report of the Select Committee which had taken evidence regarding the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill should bo referred to the Government for favourable consideration Tho report had favoured the adoption of the Nelson system of teaching. Sir R. Heaton Illiodes said such a procedure wquld stul.tify the already expressed opinion of tho Council in favour of the • hill. The motion was' defeated by 14 votes to 11. GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE. THE HABITUAL CRIMINAL. [UY XSIEQBAPJf,—9I'ECIAt. REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday, The committee of the Legislative Council which _ considered the Mildred Elaine Smyth Divorce Bill recommended the Government to-day to favourably consider legislation making it a ground fop.divorce if one party to a marriage has been declared by the Supreme Court to be an habitual criminal.