LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11292, 18 August 1922, Page 6

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

TARIFF TREATY THE BILL PASSED. The Legislative Council sat at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. LAND DRAINAGE. The Land Drainage Amendment Bill was put through committee without amendment, read a third time and passed. THE HUTT ROAD. The Hutt Road Amendment Bill was received from the House of Representatives and read a first time. NAVAL DEFENCE. The Naval Defence Amendment Bill was put through all remaining stages and passed. The discussion on the bill is reported under another heading. ROTORUA BOROUGH BILL. The Rotorua Borough Bill was reported from the Statutes Revision Committee with several small amendments. One amendment provides that section 80 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1909, and the sixth schedule to that Act (making special provisions relating to the town of Rotorua for the purposes of that Act) shall be repealed. THE TARIFF. RATIFICATION BILL PASSES. The Hon. Sir William Fraser moved the second reading of the Tariff Agreement Ratification BilL He said the bill had passed the Lower Houses of both New Zealand and Australia, but had not come before the second chamber of the Commonwealth. He did not see , any reason why the bill should not be passed here, as it would not come into force until such time as the GovernorGenerals of New Zealand and the Commonwealth had given their assent to it. The Hon. R. Moore observed that a tariff bill probably was the most difficult measure a Minister could have to pilot through Parliament, and he thought the bill which was passed last session had been particularly well received. However, lie thought a reciprocity treaty more difficult to handle than even a tariff hill. For a number of years the tariff between Australia and New had been against us, but the bill of last year gave our Minister for Customs a weapon he could nee in our interests. He hoped the alteration of the tariff would enable us to do more business with Australia than we had done in the past. Tho Hon. Colonel Smith said he considered that the Hon. Mr Downie Stewart deserved the thanks of tho country for his work respecting the treaty. One of the most pleasing features of the treaty was that it showed that the Minister had looked to tho interests not only of the primary industries but also of the secondary industries. The second reading was agreed to, and the bill was put through its remaining stages and passed. The Council rose at 4.47 p.m.