PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19416, 26 August 1926, Page 12

PARLIAMENT.

GOOD PEOGBESS MADE.

LAND laws amendment.

TENURES AND SETTLEMENT THE HAUBAKI PLAINS BILL. |[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednetiday. By sitting until five o'clock this morning tho House of Representatives broke Its record for the present session. The Local Government Loans Bill caused the trouble, its opponents trying by a series of amendments to have it postponed for a year. All these proposals wero defeatod by two to one majorities, the House dividing substantially on party lines, the Government against tho rest. After a third reading debate the Bill was passed with only Government amendments. The New Zealand University Amendment Bill reconstructing the university on a federal basis took up some time but was eventually committed and passed. Tho Veterinary Surgeons Bill was dealt with in Committee and some progress was made. The House carried the second reading of tho Waimakariri River Improvement Amendment Bill this afternoon and the Lights on Vehicles Amendment Bill. The motion for the second reading of the Land Laws Amendment Bill provoked the expected debate on land tenures, settlement and tho freeholding of the national endowment. Against the latter proposal Sir Joseph Ward naturally made a vigorous protest. Tho Bill was eventually read a second time. The Hauraki Plains Amendment Bill and the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill wero read a second time and the House rose at 11.20 p.m. The Summer Time Bill suffered dofeat in tho Legislative Council upon its third reading by the casting vote of tho Speaker who wa3 required by Parliamentary precedont to vote against it.

SUPERANNUATION FUNDS.

PROGRESS LAST YEAR.

increase; in membership*

[bs telegraph.--special reporter.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. During 1925-26 a total of 1682 new conr tributors joined the public service superannuation fund, their , aggregate > salary being £231,793 and their annual contriv buttons £12,870, At the end of the,year there were 16,328 contributors (14,297 male and 2031 female). Their aggregate salary was £4,262,835 and their annual contributions 1 were , £538,996. Of the whole number 12,314 were contributing at the minimum rate, 5 per cent, of sajary, and only 79 at the maximum 10 per cent.

New pensions amounting to £44,625 per annum were granted during the year to 166 members, 47 widows and 33 children. The annual amount payable in pensions at the closo of the year was £316,400, including £29,715 to widows and children. Tho accumulated funds amount to £2,317,398 and are earning an average of £6 Is 5d per cent. The Government subsidy for the year was £99,269. The teachers' superannuation fund, in tho year ended January .31 last, gained 976 members and lost 451, malting a-total of 7968 ( 3082 male and 4886 female) members;. Contributions for tho year amounted to £127,671 and £169,258 was paid out in 1|.97 ppniions. Tho Government subsidy was £70,681. The accumulated funds wefe £1,008,823.

UNIVERSITY REFORM

ADOPTION OF MEASURE.

MINUTER REFUSES AMENDMENTS.

[BIT TEtECUAPH.—t«P!ECI AS HKPO&WEI.3 . WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The New Zealand University Amendment Bill, which constitutes a federal university on the linos of the recent' commission's report, was committed and passed' by the House of Representatives early this morning. • Tne member for Dunodin South, Mr.' T K. Sidey, who is chancellor of Otago University," provoked a long wrangle by bringing forward a series of machinery amendments dealing with the duties of the vice-chancellor and, the' principal, but these, the Ministor. of Educatton, Hon. R. A. Wright, refused to accept notwithstanding pathetic appeals from th® Leader of the National Farty, Miv G. W. Forbes, and others on , the Opposition benches that lie should adopt a mora conciliatory attitudo.: Mr. Wright was deaf to numerous submissions which weic made to him in spite of the fact that the hour of dawn was getting perilously close, and said he could not see why the Government Should agree to pull the bill about simply to please a ''respected member VI the House," ~,. Eventually the bill wa3 committed without any of 'the suggested amendments and passed.

THE HAUBAKI PLAINS.

PROVISIONS OF NEW BSLL. DRAINAGE ADMINISTRATION. [Hi* TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER .'J WELLINGTON, Wednesday. In moving the second reading of the Hauraki Plains Bill in the House tonight, the Minister of Lane*,-, Hon. A. I). McLeod, apologised for stating previously that the measure was merely a consolidation. There was in fact some new matter not of a controversial kind. Provision was made whereby a refund might be made out of the Hauraki Plains settlement " account to the Public Works Fund in respect of works done •with moneys from the latter. The drainage administration was vested with the powers already possessed by local bodies to enter upon any land for the ( purpose of carrying out drainage works subject to the payment of compensation and to the giving of 24 hours' notice. As the administration was carrying out many of the functions of a local body this was a reasonable provision. The bill provided machinery for the construction, maintenance and repair of party drains which were often the subject, of disputes between settlers, Penalites were fixed for the destruction of drainage works or their damage by interference. Certain new powers were granted for the making of regulations. In reply to some points raised by Mr. T, W. Rhodes (Thames); the Minister »said might be some duplication of rating but the department'? function was only temporary gnd the aim was to hand over the works to responsible local bodies as coon .as possible. The bill Was read % second time.