PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 14

PARLIAMENT.

SAWMILLING TRADE. ' IMPORTATION QUESTION. MEASURES CONSIDERED. LAND LAWS AMENDMENT. [by telegraph.— special reporter.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. Most of this afternoon was spent by the House of Representatives in discussing the report of the Industries and Commerce Committee upon numerous petitions asking for greater protection for the sawmilling industry. The committee recommended tariff revision in favour of the New Zealand timber industry, subject to a lowering of the duties in the event of an increase in local timber prices. After a keen debiite tho report was allowed to be tabled. In the evening the House considered tho Veterinary Surgeons Bill in committee and the measure had to run the gauntlet of much criticism from members who feared that unqualified but useful practitioners would suffer if a register of qualified veterinary surgeons were established. Eventually tho bill was reported with amendments, The House then went into committee on tho Land Laws Amendment Bill. A discussion on freehold versus leasehold followed. Tho Lender of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, said his party would not unduly delay tho passage of the bill. All they could do was to register their protest against certain clauses through the niodiilm of divisions. Accordingly, clause 9, permitting the sale of certain national endowments was challenged, but was retained by 48 votes tc 21., The bill was reported Without ameiiidment. The Local Elections, and Polls Bill and tho Lights on Vehicles Amendment Bill ■were also passed. The third reading of tho Land Laws Amendment Bill was in progress at a late hour. The Hauraki Plains Bill, which was 00 ihe Order Paper as a Government measure, was not dealt with, but by direction of tho Speaker, it was referred to the Joint Committee on Standing Orders to determine whether or not it was a local bill. The same course was taken with the Waimakariri River Improvement Amendment Bill. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. A GOOD DAY'S! WORK. AUCKLAND BILLS PASSED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—'PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. In the Legislative Council to-day the Town Planiijng Bill and the New Zealand University Amendment Bill were read a second time, and referred ,to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Local Government Loans Bill was read, a- second . time, Sir - R. Heaton Rhodes promising to Consider* the inser T tion of a clause exempting hospital boards from the operation of the bill as j they already had to submit all loan pro- ] posals to! the Health Department for i approval. j The Public Revenues Bill was put! through its final stages and passed.. The. Local Railways Amendment Bill j was passed with a minor amendment. j The following local bills were passed: Whangarei County Council Empowering j Bill, Auckland Electric Power Board j Amendment Bill, Auckland City Council; TSmcowering Bill and Wellington City Milk Supply Amendment Bill. TOWN PLANNING- BILL. - PROTEST FROM DUNEDIN. TIME TO CONSIDER DESIRED. [Bl' telegraph, —-prsss association.] . DUNEDIN, Thuredoy. The Dunedin City Council has passed » resolution protesting against the hasty way in which the Town Planning Bill had been put through the Lower House, resolution urges or. the Upper House that the bill be held over till next session to permit- of it being considered at tho next meeting of the Municipal Conference. AUCKLAND UNEMPLOYED. COMMITTEE'S DISBANDMENT. CONCERN OF LOCAL MEMBER. [BV TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] . WELLINGTON, Thursday. Tho disbandment of tho Auckland Unemployment Committee is disquieting to the member for Auckland Central, Mr. W. E. Parry, who obtained a promise from tho Prime Minister in the House today that inquiries would be made to sea whether additional work could be found. Mr, Parry asked whether Mr. Coates' attention had boen drawn to the fact that the committee had decided last Monday to disband. Was there justification for such a course ? he asked, seeing that 637 names remained on the Auckland unemployment register, exclusive of returned soldiers and engineers, who brought the total 'up to over ICOO. In fact, there was more unemployment now than when the Prime Minister had been approached three months ago. Did the Prime Minister think the committee- ought to disband under such circumstances ? Mr. Coates said that according, to information received by him, the committee which had done its very best to relieve unemployment, had now decided that it had done all it could by way of arrang- , ing with local bodies and the Government for the provision of work. It believed that there was no real need at present for keeping up regular meetings. He would be glad to make inquiries arid let the hon. member know whether it was possible to find additional work in view of the report that there were still 1000 men in need of employment. KAITUNA RIVER BOARD. AMENDMENTS IN BELL. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. The bill recently introduced. into Parliament to reconstitute the Kaituna River Board, Bay of Plenty, with new and extended powers was reported from the Lands Committee oi' the House to-day with a number of amendments. The proposals to define a new Kaituna River district and dissolve tho existing board are struck out, as is another to provide that lands deemed to benefit by the board's ooefations may be included in the district by Order-in-CounciL A new clause is inserted providing that if the Arawa Trust Board pays £ICCQ toward the cost of reopening the old outlet of.the Kaituna River, native lands owned by members of the tribe shall bo flxemai troxa'ratiijg. ' "