UNUSUAL VOTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22071, 29 March 1935, Page 13

UNUSUAL VOTING

COMPENSATION ISSUE

LABOUR WITH GOVERNMENT OVERWHELMING MAJORITY ONLY FIVE OPPONENTS [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL IMPORTER] "WELLINGTON, Thursday Unusual voting occurred on the final division in the Committee stages of the Rural Mortgagors Final Adjustment Bill :in the House of Representatives late this afternoon when Labour members walked into the same lobby as the Government members, thus enabling one of the Government's recent amendment!! to be retained by the overwhelming majority of 61 votes to 5. The amendment on which the division was called was one providing that iin the event of the sale of a mortgaged property the mortgagor should be entitled to receive out of the purchase money an amount of compensation equal to the amount to which he would have been entitled if the lands had been taken over by the mortgagee. The amendment provided that the purchaser should be required to pay in cash an amount:not less than the amount so payable to the mortgagor. Mr. A. Harris (Government —Waitemata) claimed that the payment of compensation to a farmer mortgagor was wrong and inequitable, but if he was to receive such compensation it should not come out of the pocket of the mortgagee, who was already losing heavily, but from the Crown. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Independent— Egmont): Why didn't you raise that at the caucus? Mr. Harris: I was not there. The contention was made by Mr. H. M. Rushworth (Country—Bay of Islands) that a farmer who had been receiving bare living expenses for a period of years should be paid compensation for the assets he had maintained. The compensation, he thought, should be regarded as deferred wages. Mr. Rushworth moved another amendment that the words "deferred wages" should be substituted for the word ' 'compensation.'' The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage, said that if members voted against the Government's amendment they would leave the mortgagor in a position where he would receive nothing, but the amendment did at least offer him something for his years of hard work. > Mr. Rushworth's amendment was lost on the voices. Mr. Harris then called for a division on the amendment itself, and Labour members filed out to a man with the Government, the amendment being carried by 61 to 5. The members who voted against the amendment were Messrs. Harris, T. D. Burnett (Government —Temuka), Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Government —Dimedin West), Messrs. R. A. Wright (Independent—Wellington Suburbs) and W. A. Veitch (Independent —Wanganui). When the result of the division was announced Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour — Grey Lynn) asked if it was possible to know who the five members were, to which the Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, replied laughingly, "No." SALE OF RYEGRASS SEED MISREPRESENTATION RUMOUR SEARCHING INVESTIGATIONS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] "WELLINGTON, Thursday A widespread rumour among farmers that ryegrass seed is being sold in false circumstances, was referred to in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Government —Riccarton), asked the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. C. E. Macmillan, whether he was aware of a rumour that sacks which had contained ryegrass seed, sold at Bsi a bushel, and branded accordingly, were being purchased at 2s 6d a sack, refilled with imported Australian seed and sold as sacks of certified Hawke's Bay ryegrass. Would the Minister have searching inquiries made into the alleged misrepresentation ? Mr. Macmillan said that the rumour had come to the notice of officers of his department and that searching investigations were being carried out. It was as well, however, to state that any buyer of certified ryegrass should be aniply protected by the fact that all certified seed was Government sealed.

FIGHT FOR LOST CAUSE PERSISTENT ADVOCATE [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] "WELLINGTON, Thursday The' persistency with which Mr. E. F. Healy (Government —Wairau) advocates resumption of work on the South Island main trunk railway was again illustrated in the House of Representatives to-day when he advanced a proposal for undertaking, the work with the assistance of unemployment funds. _ . He raised the issue in the form of notice of question to the Prime Minister, and the amusement caused by his attempt to advance what most members regard as a lost cause was capped by an interjection by Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour—Auckland Central): Is there another election coming?

DISMISSAL FROM ESTATE INQUIRY RECOMMENDED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday A request for an inquiry into the matter of his dismissal from the New Zealand Reparations Estate in Western Samoa, and for compensation was mac.o in a petition presented to Parliament, bv H Morlev, of Auckland. The M to Z Committee to-day expressed the view that the petition should be referred to the Government for consideration and inquiry. A report to that effect was tabled. MORTGAGEES' PENSION SUGGESTION TO MINISTER [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER J WELLINGTON, Thursday A pension for mortgagees was suggested bv Mr. A. J. Stall worthy (Independent —Eden) in notice of question in the House of Representatives °The notice, which was addressed to the Minister of Pensions, was as follows: " Will the Minister this session introduce legislation to provide -for a mortgagees' pension for all persons, in their own right, whose legally contracted rights and incomes are so disastrously affected by other legislation of the Government that they are left without income or means of livelihood.