PARLIAMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21881, 17 August 1934, Page 13

PARLIAMENT

UNINSPIRING DAY NEW MEASURE APPEARS freezing works control PRIVATE BILLS AGAIN "ONLY WASTING TIME" r BY TKI.ECRAPTT —SPECTAT, REPORTER] WF.LLTNCJTON. Thursday No main theme rnn through to-day's proceedings in the "House of Rrnresent.ativcs and little of*valne is likely to be done until Budrret and Customs Amendment Bill anpear next week. Some time was snent in the afternoon in discussing the renort of select committees. The renort which attracted most interest was one from the Privileges Committee recommending that no further action be taken in connection with a breach by a Hastings newspaper and by a woman, a report of whose speech led to the inquiry. Occasion was taken by some members to urge that the question of Parliamentary privilege should be clearly written into Statute law, so that the position would l)e more clearly defined than it now is. Government's Wide Powers Another Government measure, the Slaughtering and Inspection Amendment Bill, was introduced. The measure is designed to give the Government wider powers in controlling the freezing and meat export trade. Under its provisions, the Minister of Agriculture will be entitled to fix the maximum number of stock killed at any export slaughterhouse and to control additions to slaughterhouse buildings and the erection ot new premises. Freezing works will also have to accept for killing and export all stock offered by a producer who has raised and fattened stock on terms laid down by the Minister. In the evening the House turned its attention to local bills and private members' bills. Three of the former were put through all stages in quick time and the remainder of the sitting was occupied by Labour and Independent members urging the Government, to grant pensions to invalids, a course advocated by, Mr. O'Brien (Labour — Westland) in his Invalid Pensions Bill. Mr. Forbes Allows Debate The bill was actually ruled out of order by Mr. Speaker as involving an appropriation, but the second reading debate was authorised by the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes. A sympathetic reply was made by the Hon. J. G. Ccbbe, Minister of Pensions, but he pointed to the financial difficulties of the scheme. If Mr. O'Brien's bill becsmie law, he said that invalid pensions, based on Australian standards, would cost the country £728,000, or if wives and families were also provided for, over £1,000,000. The second reading stage was still in progress when the hour for the • adjournment arrived.

When Mr. Forbes announced that Government bills on the Order Paper would be proceeded with to-morrow, Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour —Auckland Central) facetiously remarked, "Anything will do to keep us going. We are only wasting time."

LOCAL BODY NEEDS UP-TO-DATE LEGISLATION ti ' ___ DEFECTS NOT REMEDIED -[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Thursday The necessity for more frequent legislation to meet the changing circumstances of local bodies was emphasised by Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour —Avon), in the House of Representatives to-day, when speaking on the report of the Internal Affairs Department. Mr. Sullivan said that resolutions passed at the Municipal Conference were laid aside, sometimes for years, before they were acted on. In the meantime, local bodies, as a result perhaps of legal decisions embarrassing to their operations, had to continue with inefficient and ineffective law, whereas the matter should be remedied at the earliest possible moment. Mr. Sullivan said the Government must realise the necessity of bringing the Municipal Corporations Act and associated Acts up to date to meet the requirements of local bodies. Unless more activity is shown bv the Go'vernment," added Mr. Sullivan, ' we may find the Municipal Conference becomo a thing of the past." ■ Mr. Sullivan also touched on townplanning, and urged the Government to appoint a. town-planning officer. "When we see how some cities have grown up in a higgledy-piggledy fashion, wo should wake up to the necessity for proper planning, he said. "Parliament has recognised this, its legislation provides that local bodies must prepare schemes, but when these schemes ;re prepared and subniitted to Wellington, nothing further is done. We have a Jown Planning Board that has two meetings only a year, am there is no expert to guide it. ihe position is impossible.

ANTHRAX DANGER. CONTAGION FROM BRUSHES STEPS FOR DESTRUCTION [BY TELEGRAPH' —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Thursday The danger of anthrax contagion from the use of a certain type of shaving brush was emphasised in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Government , Riccarton), who addressed an urgent ; question on the subject to the Minister of Health, Hon . A Young Mr. Kvle asked the Minister whether in view of a recent Christcburch case of a person suffering from anthrax and in view of a medical officer's report that the disease was contracted through the use of an imported shaving brush and that a microscopical examination na shown three out of six brushes to )e infected, the Government would take immediate steps to withdraw from sale nil shaving brushes of similar origin. The Minister stated that action had alreadv been taken under the supervision 'of the Health Department to withdraw frbm sale and destroy all such brushes./ Members: Hear, hear. . Mr. K. J. Howard (Labour—Christchurch North): Where do the brushes come from? ... The Minister: I am not sure of that point and 1 should not like to say where they come from unless I was certain °f it. Mr. W. J. Poison (GovernmentStratford): The information should be taade public.