PARLIAMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11302, 30 August 1922, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOMEN JUSTICES MEASURES POSTPONED. Tlio Legislative Council sat at 2.30 p.m. Tho Hon. M. C-ohcn gave notice tc* move that in the opinion of the Council tho time ha a arrived for the Co\eminent to appoint v. omen justices ol the peace. The committal of the Hutt Road Amendment Bill and the Animals Protection and Game Amendment Bill wore postponed till to-day, the second reading of tho Juries Amendment Bill was set down for Wednesday next, the Imprest Bill (No. 3) was read a first time and passed. References were made to the death of the Hon. C. A. C. Hardy (reported elsewhere), and the Council adjourned till 11 a.m. to-day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IMPREST BILL £2,280,815 APPROPRIATED. The House of Representatives sat at 2.30 p.m. Tho monthly Imprest Bill (£2,280,815, was introduced by Governor’s Message. The Financial Debate was interrupted to allow the bill to be considered, and the Prime Minister suggested that it sho.uld be allowed to go through before 5.30. During the session, he added, members had discussed almost every subject under the sun, and there had been five no-cohfidence .motions. Speaking of free of income debentures, Mr Sidey said we should do nothing that might be a breach of faith; when the war was on wo were glad to get the money. He commended to the Prime Minister a suggestion that if he had any information to give regarding the finances of the country this was a time to give it. Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the. Labour Party, said that what New Zealand was up against to-day was that one year’s revenue in three had to go to pay interest on the national debt. We had to find £25,000 a day to pay this interest charge, and then the people who complained of the high taxation were the people who got that interest. What we ought to do was alter the incidence. The Prime Minister said that the Government was not asking for .so; muoh money as in the previous Imprest Bills this session, nor as in last year’s bills. Under the first schedule he was asking for £2,194,415 only, as against some £2,989,000 in No. 2 bill, or a reduction of over £750,000. That was, he claimed, an indication that expenditure was going down. It was considered that £1,500,000 would be sufficient for the Ordinary Revenue Account, or £650.000 less than last time, and the public works expenditure was also reduced by £200,000. In the second schedule, also, the total amount, £86,400, was £24,000 less than in the previous bill. The hill was put through all its stages, and read a third time. Several other matters were discussed. These will he found under special headings on page 5 of this morning's “Times.” Later on the Prime Minister rose and announced the sudden death of the Hon. Mr O. A. O. Hardy. References (reported elsewhere) were made in both Houses to the many splendid qualities of the deceased legislator, and both Houses adjourned as a mark of esteem and regret.