PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19809, 2 December 1927, Page 13

PARLIAMENT.

(LICENSING AMENDMENT DEBATE IN THE COUNCIL. SECOND READING PASSED. THE ARBITRATION BILL. APPEAL FOR POSTPONEMENT [BY TELEGRAPH. SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. Interest in the Licensing Bill and the Arbitration Bill has supplanted the end of the session feeling that has been in evidence in Parliamentary circles during the past few days. Following its all-night sitting on the Licensing Bill the House of Represents lives this afternoon turned cheerfully to the further consideration in committee of the Arbitration Amendment Bill, and the debate on the short title, which commenced at 2.45 p.m., was sustained until a late hour. The Minister of Labour, Hon. G. J. Anderson, appealed for a full discussion on broad aud national rather than narrow party lines. Many speakers who participated in the debate, which centres round the proposed exemption of tho farming industries from the jurisdiction of the Arbitration Court, strongly favoured a postponement of the measure to enable the whole question to be submitted to a conference of the interests affected. Tho Licensing Bill was considered by the Legislative Council to-night, the second reading of the measure being carlied on the voices. The Committee stage wil! be taken to-morrow, when attempts will bo made to amend the bill on the majority issue. It is suggested that amendments to the bill may result in a deadlock. The Council passed the Insurance Companies' Deposits Amendment Bill and the Contributory Negligence Bill.

INSURANCE DEPOSITS. COUNCIL PASSES THE BILL. TIME FOR LODGING MONEY. [by telegraph.—special reporter.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Insurance Companies' Deposits Amendment Bill was passed by the Legislative Council- this afternoon. The Hon. L. M. Isitt said all that was being asked by Lloyd's was that their representative, who was on his way to New Zealand, should have an opportunity oil putting their case before the Government. If the measure was passed it would not put Lloyd's on an equal footing with other insurance organisations, but would penalise them very severely. He understood there were five agents of Lloyd's in New Zealand, and that each would have to put up a deposit of £20.000. Sir Francis Bell: You are quite wrong. Sir Francis denied that the bill was being bustled through. It had been proposed before, and there was no reason why it should be postponed again. The bill provided that Lloyd's could carry on business on payment of one deposit of £20,000. An amendment had been inserted to extend time for making the deposit from January 1 until March 31, 1928. The bill only required Lloyd's to do exactly what was required of other insurance corporations. There would be no difficulty whatever on the part of Lloyd's in finding the deposit. In committee the Hon. T. S. Weston moved to add to,the clause dealing with deposits to be made by agents of underwriters an amendment providing that agents for underwriters who are members of Lloyd's, required to make a deposit under the Act shall not be required to make deposits exceeding in the total amount, in respect of any class of insurance business, the amount specified in the schedule in respect ojj that class of business, but each such agent shall be required to pay an equal portion with every other agent for underwriters who are members of Lloyd's transacting business of the same class of the total deposit specified in the schedule in respect of each class of insurance business. Further, tH Public Trustee shall, in respect of each class of business, adjust the amount of the deposits as between the agents, and the Governor-General may make regulations by Order-in-Council prescribing the mode of adjustment between agents. Sir Francis Bell said he woukl submit the amendment to the Crown law officers, and if it was thought necessary it could be brought down later as a Government amendment.

Mr. Weston then agreed to withdraw the amendment.

The bill was reported with the amendment made by the Statutes Revision Committee extending the time for making the deposit from January 1 to March 31, 1928, read a third time and passed.