GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17084, 16 August 1917, Page 5

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (Abridged from Press Association * WELLINGTON, August 15. - 5 The Council met this afternoon. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Tho Hon. Sir Charles Bowen was granted 'J leave of absence for the remainder of the session, on account of ill-health. MOTION OF SYMPATHY. The Hon. Air SAMUEL moved a motion. of sympathy with the Speaker in connection with the death of his eldest son (Brigadier-general Johnston), who was killed in France. Mr Samuel referred the fact that another son (Captain Ociawus 4 Johnston) had been killed in the Somme ' battle, Major Levin (son-in-law) had been ''Ai killed in Gallipoli, and had been survived ■' 1 only a short while by his wife, and now Speaker's eldest son had been killed. The motion was carried. ( TRADE AND COMMERCE ACT. , , "The Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act, 1917," preventing increased charges on""" - -- tea imported prior to tho imposition of the extra duty was put through all stages and passed. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. SUPPLIES OF KEROSENE. to 111 Field (Otaki), The PRIME MINISTER said he had not heard 0 . shortage of kerosene in the dominion. Ho would make inquiries into the matter. " INSCRIBED STOCK BILL. Sir JOSEPH WARD moved the second ' r -\' reading of tho New Zealand Inscribed btock Bill, which he explained established a complete register of war loan stock, thereby preventing the loss or the improper use of ' v -- such stock m the event of it being lost or stolen. Tho Bill was treated as a matter of urgency, and was put through all stages unamended. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. ?? replying to questions, MINISTERS said: That persons arriving from SchleswinHolstem would bo regarded as Germans; .that, in view of the difficulties of trans- "" port, it was impracticable to forward to each man at the front a Christmas gift in ' i{?Vhap e °/, a t' ll New Zealand butter; thai it would be an everlasting disgrace to i\ew Zealand if recreation grounds, passed into the hands of mortgagees during the absence of our soldiers, and tho Government would join with the public to prevent anything of the sort from taking place; that local camps were not considered neces-" ' s ? r y, /or the training of the Second Dm- •> sion if it was callea up; that the police - v had instructions to take all possible eteps ' to suppress dlegal betting in the dominion; considerable difficulty, however, existed in • obtaining evidence sufficient to prosecute those persons who were believed to -be ' operating as bookmakers, as the bulk of their betting transactions was done under assumed names by correspondence.' Tho Police Department had drawn the attention ot the post and telegraph authorities to the )ise made by the bookmakers of the post 5 i te ' G E ra Ph services, and regulations to deal more effectivelv with suspected persons ' wfere under consideration. That initial ' eteps towards a weeds survey and special weed control investigations had already been taken, and these matters would, in view of their undoubted importance, be ™ prosecuted 1 as rapidly as circumstances per- 'u; mitted.