PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 14

PARLIAMENT.

BUBAL CREDITS REPORT LONG DEBATE ENSUES. 'AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. OLI) SQUABBLES RENEWED. IflY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Tho special select committee's report on rural credits gave tho Houso of Representatives material for a long debate to-day, and the discussion dragged on into the evening, many members airing their views on the subject of banks and advances to settlers. At n lato hour tho committee's report was adopted. The Finance Bill was then introduced and was under discussion when the telegraph office closed. Earlier in tho day a bill to constitute the New Zealand Agricultural College was brought down and led to a renewal of old squabbles regarding the choico of a site, besides criticism from South Island members specially interested- in Lincoln College. AMENDMENTS TO BILLS, LAST-MIN UTE CHANGES. THE FAMILY ALLOWANCES. RAILWAYMEN AND ELECTIONS. [Bt* TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON, Friday. The Government has adopted, a rather unusual procedure to secure certain necessary amendments in bills that have passed both Houses of Parliament. In tho early hours of this morning three messages were r«eived by tho House of Representatives from tho Governor-General returning three bills which had been submitted for his assent and proposing amendments to them. With regard to tho first the Oil in Territorial Waters Bill it was explained that the amendments were some which had been made in tho Legislative Council but which were an infringement of tho privileges of the Houso and which had to receive the approval of the latter before they could bo sanctioned. Another message relating to the National Provident Fund Amendment Bill Was intended to enable certain verbal errors to be corrected. Respecting the remaining message which concerned the Government Railways Bill, Mr. Coates stated that as the original bill had been merely a consolidating measure it had not been possible to introduce amendments to the law after it had loft the House. Otio of the amendments made it an offence to give or offir liquor to a railway officer on duty. Another made it an offence to misuse communication cords', emergency'brakes, or similar Bftfety appliances siicji as it was proposed to provide on trains. A legal" impediment to the sale or other disposal of Workshop site? at Newmarket «rd elsewhere which would become \-acant in due course was removed by a new clause. Amendments to the superannuation section of the Act allowed in certain circumstances the payment of moneys to the personal representative of a deceased contributor. !A special clause gave the Minister power to reinstate in the service without loss of superannuation or status those employees who had voluntarily retired in order to contest seats at the last general election and w)io had been unsuccessful in their contests. This was subject to tho condition that they applied for reinstatement before January 1 next. All the amendments were approved and were referred to the. Legislative Council. At this afternoon's sitting amendments to tho Family Allowances Bill and the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill were brought down by the same means and approved bv the House. Those relating to family allowances provided for the inclusion in the scheme of a child •which is a member of a household but hfis not be«n formally adopted, for the deduction of friendly society payments and th? value of the family home in the calculation of income. ' There was only one amendment to the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill making, it operative on January 1 instead of April 1 next. SMALL SHOPKEEPERS. CLOSING HOUR QUESTION, : PLEA FOR AN EXTENSION. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL RErORTEP..] • WELLINGTON, Friday. A proposal that ail shops should be compelled by Act of Parliament in tho interests of small shopkeepers to close at 8 p.m. is made by 336 small shopkeepers carrying-on business in the North Island in a petition presented to Parliament today. The petition states that most small ehops are situated in the suburbs and the oarlior closing hour causes them to lose a considerable amount of business. It also asks that any small shopkeeper prejudicially affected should have power to apply to a magistrate for exemption. The signatories aro in business in Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Waihi, Pa<yoa, Thames, Pukekohe, To Kuifct, Taumarunui, Taihapo, Ohakmie, Woodville, Feilding, Palmerston North and Otaki. THE WATER BOARD BILL. REQUEST FOR SHELVING. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. The Auckland Provincial Water Board Bill, by which it is proposed to constitute a board to provide and distribute a water supply for most of tho southern suburban districts of Auckland, has been before the Houso of Representatives for several weeks. It has passed two select committees with slight amendments, but has not yet been read a second time. The Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. Baildon, and the city engineer, Mr. W E, Bush, while in Wellington to-day, waited on the Minister of Health, the Hon. J. A. Young, and asked that since the Government tiad promised to set. up a commission to go into the merits of the water supplies in and around Auckland tho bill should not be passed until tho commission * had sat and presented its report. It Is understood tho Health Department is in agreement with this view. There lids been no discussion upon tho bill in the House of Representatives, hut as the sesnlon is nearing its end any measure of opposition will certainly result jn tho measure beiiiß shelved.