LOCAL BODIES' LOANS.

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

LOCAL BODIES' LOANS.

SETTING UP THE BOARD.

BILL PASSED BY . HOUSE.

AN EARLY MORNING DEBATE.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] "WELLINGTOJ7, "Wednesday.

After a long debate which lasted until 3.20 a.m., the* Local Government Loans, Bill was put through its committee stage by the House of Representatives, in spite of all efforts by a section of the House to have its operation postponed until after the next session. -

There was then a third reading debate in which opponents took the opportunity of repeating their committee speeches for purposes of record in Hansard and it was 5 a.m. before the bill was passed and the House adjourned., At 1.35 a.m. the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, moved an amendment to the effect that the bill should come into operation on April 1, 1928, instead of oh the same date in 1927. After 35 minutes' discussion the amendment was defeated by 47 votes to 22. Mr. W A. Yeitch (Wanganui) then moved to the effect that harbour boards be eliminated from inclusion in the definition of "local authority" for the purposes of the bill. This was lost by 48 votes to 20. . _ The next amendment was in the direction of making the board purely advisoiy in its duties and this was defeated by 47 votes to 22. Other amendments shared the same fate and the bill was reported with amendments of which the Prime Minister had given notice. The divisions in Committee were on party'' lines with some exceptions. Messrs. A. Harris (Waitemata) and H. L Tapley (Dunedin North) voted for Mr. Holland's arhendreont to -postpone the operation of the bill for a year. Mr. R.. W. Smith (Waimarino) did not follow the other Nationalists, . but voted with the Government.