PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19412, 21 August 1926, Page 14

PARLIAMENT.

PROGRESS IN HOUSE. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT TOWN PLANNING BILL. MEHBEKS DISCUSS SCHEME [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL nEPORTEE.3 WELLINGTON. Friday. The Public Works Statement was presented to the House of Representatives to-day by the Minister, Hon. K. S. Williams. Discussion was deferred.

A proposal by the Prime Minister that the House meet next Monday afternoon led to objections by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, who complained that members had no time for committee work. After some discussion, which gained interest from the fact that Mr. Coates hopes to leave Auckland by the Niagara on August 31, it was agreed that the House meet on Monday evening for the consideration of a number of local bills. The Prime Minister hinted that possibly there might be a sitting on the following Saturday, and that the continuation of Parliament after his departure might possibly be considered. The Town Planning Bill came up for its second reading and was debated for most of the afternoon and evening. Those in favour of postponing the bill until next session had a good deal to say at first, and an amendment to that effect was moved by Mr. H. L. Tapley (Dunedin North), who, however, elected not to alter it when the wording was ruled out of order. This phase of the subject was afterwards obscured by others. The second reading was eventually carried without a division. The Public Revenues Bill was read a second time. The second reading of the New Zealand University Amendment Bill was next taken, the Minister stating that he believed its provisions were satisfactory to all concerned. After a brief discussion the motion was agreed to. The House then went into committee on the Town Planning Bill. The Legislative Council held a short sitting and dealt with several bills. GERMANY'S LOST COLONIES QUESTION OF RESTORATION. NEW ZEALAND AND SAMOA. [BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] "WELLINGTON, Friday. A suggestion was made in the Legislative Council this afternoon by the Hon. Mark Cohen that the New Zealand delegates to the League of Nations Assembly should take particular notice of and resist any propaganda which may be made. by \Germany in favour of the return of her old colonies lost after the * Great War, particularly Samoa. ' Mr. Cohen said that measures should be taken to counteract that agitation in Germany. He anticipated Germany would show her hand very plainly at Geneva and put all her cards on the table. "We are determined," he said,, "that Germany shall never again obtain controlling influence in the Pacific." The Leader of the Council, Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, said he was informed , that the impression in England was that the propaganda was directed toward the late German colonies in South Africa rather than toward her old colonies in the Pacific. , Samoa was looked ~f upon as a model territory as the result of its administration by • New Zealand. Considerable sympathy would be extended to New Zealand if she desired to . hold Samoa, as he hoped she would do. - ■ ■ ■■ '— EDUCATION AMENDMENT. THE MEDICAL INSPEBT!ONS. SCHOLARSHIP CANDIDATES. ■ ■ • [BY TE&KiBAJPH.; —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Amendments to the Education Amend ment Bill proposed by the Education Committee of the House of Representatives, include the deletion of a clause , extending medical inspection of school children to those in secondary and registered private schools.

• Provision is made for concessions to be given to national scholarship, candidates who have attended public schools in rural districts and the examiners are to take into consideration not only the ago of the candidate but the grade of school attended. A teacher may suspend a child from attendance not only on the ground of misconduct, but also if he considers that the child's attendance at school is likely for any serious cause to have a detrimental effect upon himself or upon the other scholars. In addition .to reporting .on the matter to the Education Board, the teacher must also inform the school committee. HIGHER PRODUCE FREIGHTS THE RATES FROM ADELAIDE. STATEMENT BY. MINISTER. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Friday. In the House of Bepresentatives today the member for Auckland East, Mr. J A. Lee, asked the Prime Minister wheth® Jia 'had taken cognisance of the recent -sharp rise in freights on wheat, fcran pollard and chaff from Adelaide to Auckland. The increases, he said, ranged from 13 to 25 per cent, and would have a serious effect on certain industries. Mr. Coates said the secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce had ascertained from the Union Steam Ship Company that only chaff, bran, pollard and wheat were affected. The rise the company said was brought aboutby substantial losses made hitherto on the round trip as 'tonnage had to be despatched to Adelaide in ballast and large quantities of light cargo had to be loaded there. He would be glad to get into : touch with the Minister in charge of the department in order to learn whether the increased rates were satisfactory or not.

SMYTH DIVORCE BILL. HUSBAND TO BE HEARD. [B'Z TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON. Friday.' The husband concerned in the Mildred Elaine Smyth IHvorce Bill now. before the House of. Representatives is to be brought from the, Mount Eden gaol to give evidence before the Select Committee •which is considering the bill. Mrs. Smyth is seeking a divorce on the ground that her husband, Maurice James Walkington Smyth, failed to disclose before the marriage that he had a criminal record. Smyth has petitioned Parliament denying his wife s ch»rir PS an( j p ra y. incj that the bill be not passed. In the House this evening Mr. F. F. Hoekly, chairman of the Committee of Selection on Private Bilk, moved that Smvth be. brought in safe custody from A".-j.-land. to give evidence before the comy ' J'hk cou»« waa adopted.