PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7928, 11 October 1911, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House of Representatives met at 2.30 o’clock yesterday afternoon. NEW BILLS The lion. I). Bnddo gave notice of intention to introduce the Rating Amendment Hill and the Christchurch Distinct Drainage Amendment Hill. Tiie J[on. .1. A. Millar intimated his intention to introduce (he Khngamitc Rehearing RillEIGHT NEW BILLS A LIST OF IMPORTANT PROPOSALS. Tho following Dills were introduced hy Governor's message, rend the first time and set down for second reading today New Zealand Notes Bill. New Zealand Slate Guaranteed Advances Amendment Bill. Old Age Pensions Amendment Bill. Widows' Pensions Bill. Public Works Amendment Bill. Tramways Amendment Bill. Dentil Duties Amendment Bill. Land-tax and Income-tax Amendment Bill.

EXPLANATIONS NEW ZEALAND NOTE A STATE MONOPOLY. In explaining tho New Zealand Note Bill to the House the Prime Minister said it was proposed to confine the- issue of Lank notes exclusively to tho Government of the country. After the coming into operation of the Act no bank could issue notes as at present. tt was proposed to bring the Bill into operation ou January Ist, 10K). It would take until then to get the requisite machinery into operation. It was also necessary that in u change of such an important nature tho banks should have sutliclcut time to pi o vide the gold that would be required to bo handed over to tho Treasury ioi notes.

In answer to an interjection Sir Joseph said that 25 per cent., of tho gold handed over would be retained in tuo Treasury against tho-notes. The notes would be issued on behalf of his Majesty tho King by the. Minister of Finance. Theycould be issued at any time, and to any amount They were to be a legal tender except in rc.spect to any claim for payment to his Majesty. Tho point of this provision was that it would prevent the possibility of having anything in tho shape ot a paper currency. Ulcer, hear.j The Government could not uso tho notes for their own purposes. Tho notes could not .bo issued io'r any claim or payment , against them. All the notes would be 'made payable in gold at the Treasury in Wellington. Bank notes now are all payable at ■Wellington. Tho Minister ot finance was to iix tho denomination of the notes from time to time. It was not intended to make any alteration in that respect to tho notes now in circulation. The proceeds of ull the notes were to go to tho Consolidated fund. Tho expenses incurred in the administration of the Note Department would bo appropriated by Parliament in the ordinary way. Tne Minister of finance must at all. times Hold as security for tho redemption of the notes a reserve of gold of the following amount Not less than one-fourth of tho amount of the notes up to throe million pounds; and over and above three million pounds an equivalent of pound for pound in gold. Tho custody and the administration of the reserve was to bo in the charge of the - Govornor-in-Council. This was a necessary provision and the only feasible one. Replying to Mr Wilford Sir Joseph Ward said that tho amount of notes in. circulation at the present time was, to the best of his memory, J21,6'J0,0C0. The Minister of Finance could pay into tho funds from time to time without further appropriations from 1 the Consolidated Fund such sums *a.s were necessary to keep it up to the required amount. A statement would bo issued in the

"Gazette’* on tho last Wednesday of every mouth, showing the number and amount of the notes in circulation and the amount of tho reserve. Mr Massey asked if the Bill could not go to.tho Public Accounts Committee, lie did not -suggest this with any intention to delay the Bill. It could bo returned to the House within a week.

Sir Joseph Ward said ho could not agree to this. The Bill could not be properly dealt with in that time and ho, for one, could not attend the committee every day of the week. He would take the second reading this session, and if there was anything in the form of ,‘a weakness in the Bill, the criticisms in the meanwhile would probably enable it to bo altered. Next session, if it was found advisable to refer it to the Public Accounts Committee this could be done. The fact that the Bill was not to bo put on tho_ statute book this session was no suggestion, as far as the Government was concerned, that the Bill was not intended to become law. Eeplying to Mr Allen Sir Joseph Ward said tho 75, per cent, of gold received for the notes would be held in tho Consolidated Bund, or invested in some way. Probably it ‘would be lent to farmers or workers. OLD-AGE PENSIONS ENLAEGBMBNT OP THE SCHEME. In explaining the Old Age Pensions Bill tho Primo Minister' said that it would enable a larger pension to be paid in certain cases where deductions were made in connection with real or personal property. Tho Bill also provided : that 1 a man of sixty years of ago or a woman of fifty-five with two .or more children under the age of fourteen years dependent on them should bo entitled to a pension in accordance with tho Act, and a further sum up to Xl3 per annum as the magistrate should determine. WIDOWS’ PENSIONS The Widows’ Pensions Bill was also briefly explained by the Prime Minister later in tho day. Ho said that it provided for the payment of a pension to widows resident in Now Zealand and who are loft with one or more clxildren. The pension allowed for was at the rate of Xl2 for one child, X’IS for two children. for three children, and ,S3O for more than ; three children. The widow would be entitled to the pension irrespective of any personal earnings. It would bo reducible by XI for every .£1 by which her estimated annual income from other than personal earnings exceeded X3O. The scheme would undoubtedly make the position of widows with children more easy and give them a fixed income of at least X3O under any circumstances. The pension would not be payable in respect of any child over fourteen years of age, any illegitimate child unless legi-

timat'-d by tho subsequent marriage of the parents, any adopted child, or any child born out of New Zealand, The scheme was estimated to cost £53,000 per annum.

STATE ADVANCES The State Guaranteed Advances Amendment Bill, said the Prime Minister, proposed amo rip, other things to extend the amount that could bo paid under the Act by .C&O.OOO per annum. This makes the annual limit *6750,000. This was for the purposes of the Advances to Workers Department in accordance v/ith tho Budget Statement. The following was also added: ‘That whenever the total amount authorised to bo raised in any one financial year is not raised within that year the balance nnraised may bo raised during the subsequent period in addition to the amount authorised to be raised during that subsequent period.” VARIOUS BILLS DEALT WITH The Kaikoura Hospital Site Bill (lion. D. Buddoj was read the third time and passed. Tiie Auckland University College Amendment Bill and the University of; Otago Council Bill (lion. T. Mackenzie) were read the second time after some discussion. The Tramways Amendment Bill (lion. K. 'McKenzie; was further discussed and lead the second time. The Prime Minister moved the second reading of the Methodist Church of .New Zealand BUI. the purpose of which is to give effect to the separation of the New Zealand from the Australian Church. He said that the full authority of all the parties concerned, both in Now Zealand and Australia, bad been secured, everything necessary to establishing an independent church for the Dominion having been attended to. The second reading was agreed to. The House rose at 0.40 p.m. NEW BILLS DEATH DUTIES. The Death Duties Amendment Bill, introduced ; yesterday to Parliament, among other things, provides for an exemption from duty of gifts not exceeding 'XIOOO in value. It proposes that no succession duty shall be payable in respect of any succession the value of which does not exceed .£2OO. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN. The Hon. J. A. Millar's Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill was circulated yesterday. Under it third-class engineers' certificates may bo grunted to men who have worked for at least three years in a workshop and completed a two years' course in mechanical engineeringThere is a provision that seamen loft on shore in the Dominion by reason of illness or accident shall be deemed to be discharged from their ships and entitled to tho regular certificate. In the case of foreign-going ships tho master must deposit with tiro Superintendent of Marine die full amount of wages due to the seaman and also .£SO to cover medical and other expenses. If this provision is not complied with no clearance will be granted to the ship. In the case of intercolonial or Home trade ships seaman left on shore will be entitled to the full amount of his wages for three months or until the end of his engagement. Tho shipowner will also be liable for the cost of maintenance of tho man during incapacity and for the cost of burial where death supervenes. If the master of a ship leaves a seamap on shore at any place in New Zealand without complying with those provisions, he will be liable to a tine of •6100.

It is provided that if the seaman’s illness or accident has been caused by his own wilfui act or default ho shall not be entitled to the benefits referred to. PUBLIC WORKS AMENDMENT,

The Public. Works Amendment Bill contains the provision that "No person shall lay, construct, put up, place, or use any electric line except under the authority of a license issued to him by the Governor-in-Couucil. • This shall not apply to any electric line which is used for telegraph, telephone, or wireless telegraphy purposes, nor to any electric line used for tho transmission of power for electric tramway purposes under the authority of an authorising order issued under the Tramways Act, nor to any electric line which is not laid or placed, or is not intended to be used, laid, or placed beyond the limits of the premises in which the electricity is gen crated'for the purpose of that line.," The Governor-in-Council can make regulations providing for the removal, of lines laid or erected in breach of the law, and of any line in the use of which any of the conditions of the license are not observed, and for, the removal or alteration of any dangerous line. > Regulations can also be made controlliug the use and management of any works or lines used for generating, transforming, converting, or conveying electricity so os to secure the safety of the consumers or employees and of tho public from personal i njury by reason of such use. There are also lengthy provisions relating to irrigation, it being set out that irrigation agreements under the Public Works Act shall run .with the land.