PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20618, 17 July 1930, Page 13

PARLIAMENT.

lABDEESS-IN-BEPLY.

UNEMPLOYMENT BILL.

SURPRISE APPEARANCE.

the budget proposals.

END /OF NEXT WEEK.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday.

With the/ disposal of the Address-in-Reply debate in tho House of Representatives half an ' lour before this evening's adjournment, the way has been opened for tho more scions business of tho session. An indication of tho Government's determination to push ahead with legislation now that the preliminaries are out of the way was given by tho. surprise appearance of tho Unemployment Bill, introduced through the Minister of Labour. Hon. S. G. Smith, by Governor-General's message shortly before the Houso rose. The bijl was the most anxiously awaited of those promised by tlie Government. After it had briefly been surveyed by the Minister, it was read a first, lime, and the Prime Minister, Hon. G, W. Forbes, indicated that the second reading •would take place on Friday. Discussion on it would continue, if necessary, on Tuesday and Wednesday of noxt week. The Prime Minister also informed the House that he hoped to bring down tho Budget toward tho cud of next week. Interest was lent, to the final stages of the AddreSs-in-Reply debate by the division upon the vote of no-confidence in the Government, moved by the Leader of the Opposition, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates. As was expected. Labour joined with tho Government in defeating the amendment, which, as Mr. Coates had previously pointed out, contained significance only in the fact that it made clear tho Reform Party's position. With the aid of the Independent members and Mr. W. D. Lysnar, the Independent Reform member for Gisborne, the Government mustered 47 voters against 24 for the amendment. On (he whole, to-day's speeches showed little life, although there was greater vitality among the members generally. Among the chief contributions to the Tiebate were those of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland. The former defended the financial outlook adopted by the Government and the latter .criticised the country for failing to give benefits to the workers commensurate with the general progress. Considerable interest, will centre in the discussion of the report of the Select Committee on Education, which will be taken tomorrow.

The House will resume at 2.50 p.m. to day.

NEW STATION FURNITURE.

, TENDERS CLOSE NEXT WEEK.

LOCAL WOODS SUGGESTED

[BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] "WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

Tenders for the supply of furniture for the new Auckland railway station close on Monday, and attention was called byMr. W. J. Jordan (Labour —Manukau) in the House of Representatives to-day to the fact that it. had been specified that the furniture, which comprised tables, chairs anr) stools, should lie made of oak. Mr. Jordan asked whether (lie Minister of Railways, the Hon. \V. A. Witch, would lie prepared to accept alternative tenders for furniture made in New Zealand woods. The. Minister said he was quite prepared to give consideration to the suggestion.

DEMAND FOR FARMS. STATE SUBDIVISIONS. s RESPONSE DISAPPOINTING. [BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. J WELLINGTON, Wednesday. An admission that he was disappointed with the small response made by applicants for land bought by (he Government for subdivision was made by the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, when speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives to-day. " The Government has been criticised in regard to the purchase of estates for which very'few applications have been received," said Mr. Forbes. " 1 need iiardly say that 1 was very disappointed at the response for some of the land whirh had been made available for selection. There have been a good many applications in some districts, but in other'districts there does not seem to bo the. same desire for land, although wo were led to believe that a land hunger existed. There has been a serious drop in the price ofwool, and that has made a tremendous difference to the applications. I have been over one property for **hjch no applications have yet been received. As a practical farmer, I was convinced that the land had been bought at a reasonable price and that those desiring to go on cotild make pood. I asked the Commissioner of Lands the reason "hy there were no applications. He said a number had signified their intention of applying, but they had faded away when the drop/ in wool came. There is no doubt that the drop in the prices of our primary produce did bring to a stop inquiries for land."

DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS.

AMENDMENT BILL READ.

right of access to court. [bt TELEGRArn.—speciai. heportku.] WELLINGTON, Wcdnefldny. Ibis is an endeavour to put a wife on fiiore ot an equal footing with (ho husband so far as flic right of access to the Divorce Court is concerned," said Mr. k l r *' (Labour —Auckland suburbs) in seeking leave in the House of Representatives today to introduce the Divorce arid Matrimonial Causes .Amendment Bill. The law as it now stood recognised only the domicile of the husband, continued Mr. Mason. The result was that wherever the husband was permanently domiciled was recognised as the onlv place here there could be divorce jurisdiction, "hat was somotimcs unfair to the lonian. Mr. Mason said he did not propose to put a wife ori exactly the same footing as a husband as regards domir''e - A husband could apply after a domicile of two years, and us far as a was concerned, his bill suggested a domicile of tlireo years. Mr. Mason said the bill sought also <o remove an illogical position with regard 1? separation as a ground for divorce. Where a separation was made bv mutual consent in any part of the world, no natter how barbarous the country, that could bo a foundation for divorce, but separation by a Court could be a ground for divorce only if the separation had wen mado by a New Zealand Court There was no logic in that distinction, jvhich had its origin in indolent or care less drafting. TThe bill was read a first time and sot for the second reading to-morrow.