LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11932, 12 September 1924, Page 8

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

WAR FUNDS BILL PASSED CONSTITUTION OF CAWTHRON TRUST BOARD. The Legislative Council sat at 2.30 p.mLOCAL BILLS. The New Plymouth Borough Council and New Plymouth Harbour Board Exchange Bill, the Wanganui-Rangi-tikei Electric Power Board Enabling Bill, and the Auckland CSty and Auckland Museum Empowering Bill were reported from committees without amendment. WAR FUNDS. Tho War Funds Amendmient Bill was put through committee without amendment, was read a third time, and passed. OAWTHRON TRUST. The Thomas Cawthron Trust Bill was committed, and discussion ensued on the altered constitution (reported yesterday) proposed by the committee to which the bill had been referred. Referring to the altered constitution of the board, the Hon. Sir Francis Bell said the ultimate position would be that the trustees would be the persons named in the will, together with three persons _ appointed by the GovernorGeneral .in-Council. The officials named in the trust would at once take their seats on the board, and, in order to preserve continuity, when the number fell below ten, the Governor-General might appoint persons to fill the vacancies, hut might not appoint more than three Sir Francis indicated that he could not accept an amendment of this provision. The Hon. W. Mclntyre said he was totally agaigst life appointments, especially when there was machinery for review, which would give oppoitunity for reappointment. The only man who* A was there for life, according to the intention of the late Mr Cawthron. was William Rout, the younger. To remove him would he an injustice, but had the others been public-spirited they would have relinquished their seats on the expiry of their terms of office. , There was such a thing as second childhood, and, though men could reach a stage of mental inefficiency, they could remain on the board. Therefore, he maintained that the Government should retain the right of reappointment. He was not going to call for a vote on the clause, hut he regarded-the life appointments (except that of Mr Rout) aa unjust and without legal right. He would like the Leader of the Council to accept an amendment that the appointments he referred to snould be for three years, with a right of Teappointment. The Hon. O. J. Garland thought the committee which had produced the amendments had earned the gratitude of the people of Nelson. He did not eee anything to cause any anxiety if the bill passed in its present form. He added that, had it not been ter the money clause" in the bill there would have been no figbt. The Hon. W. Snodgrass complimented the committee on the solution it had arrived at, and said-it would 'be illegal to remove the members of the board who had been referred to. The Hon. W. Earnshaw believed that what was in the late Mr Cawthron’e mind was the office and not thd individual. However, he thought the bill better than the original-- intention of Mr Cawthron. The amendments were agreed to, and the bill was passed. The Council rose at 3.35 till 2.30 p.m. to-day. .