GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18047, 22 September 1920, Page 6

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

(Abridged from Press Assooiatiou Telegram.) WELLINGTON, September 21. J. no House mot ac 2.30 p.m. The Painters' Health Protection Bill was introduced and read a iirst time.

Hie interrupted ue-lxtto on the. question that the report ot the JL.ii.iids Committee on tiio le Arolia. down Looses JJill do lie on the table, and an amonumejit by Mr PAllKy that tlfc report be relerrea bade to the committee ior further cousideration, was called on, the amendment being negatived and the original motion agreeu to on the voices.

•J-ho interrupted debate on tho question thai tho report of the Labour Bills Committee on we Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill do lie on the table was resumed by the Labour Party, who attacked the amendment made by tho committee, which they claimed rendered nugatory the purpose oi the Bill.

Mr HOWARD- moved as a protest that tho Bill be referred back to tho committee Ihe Hon. Sir WILLIAM HERRIES said iie had no objection to it going back to the committee.

Mr P. FRASER: Wo want you to kill it altogether.

Mr LUKE, chairman of the Labour Bills Committee, contended that the purpose- of the original Bill was to legalise "one big union,' unci that it was not in accordance with the wishes of tho majority of tho people of tho dominion.

Mr, M'COMBS contended that the Bill, as introduced, did not nrovidc for one bi" union covering all the industries in tho dominion, but merely provided for tho settlement of disputes within a given industry on n. dominion basis. That was not the one big union" idea, and ho could not understand the crass stupidity of the comlniltec that.could so misunderstand the position.

Ihe debate was continued by Messrs Sullivan, Parry, Holland, Lysnar, Veitch, Hanan, Frasor, and Jones. Jhe amendment that the renort bo referred back to the committee "was agreed to on the voices.

The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30, and went into committee on the Municipal Corporations

.i M L. W , ILI 'ORD said ho proposed to support the. Bui m ,t s entirety, but ho thought the House should take advantage of the opportunity to enable the main cities to take in outside boroughs, though not actually contiguous and thus do away with a number ot small local bodies. They should endeavour to create "renter cities wherever they could, so as to greatly reduce the coh of municipal government. The Hen. Sir WILLIAM HERRIES said that was provided for. Mr LUKE said that Mr Martin solicitor to the Municipal Association, had written to him stating that he had been through tho amendments made by the committee and had approved of I hem all. There were certain other amendments which hnd been drafted since the Bill was printed. Of these Mr Martin also apnroved AIW ♦ SUL Pft N ' ""tested 'hat t-hc Prime Minister should insert in the Bill n proshoulrl h ?. PeOpl u Of mu » ic 'f> a l districts should have the right to determine bv a poll whether or not their municipal elections should bo held on the bass of proportional XTrt" lle also »°SI thai "hen the Government was making subdiiXl" ? l ' an , d ] . n *p^ lß il should be com?nthn V • BUbmit - ltS Plans tO the Io «ll authority just as private individuals have to. Mr NASH objected to the power given wl^iri 0001 author 't.v: to increase the rates, which power would liavo a tendency to bmvlnn C Tl7 ls t0 ?° on leasing the ttl« f° S lie ° ple without fck'ns tho D.« B r ) ovalua I ti ? n of boroughs, tonrlrl t i m , wclc onied legislation which but S B retted £ *r< 0 m,mbor ° f local bodif * t>ut regietted the Government's proposals to ax n.un.o.pal commercial enterpHses which on for the -benefit of the poorer

Mr STATHAM asked if the Prime Minis ter would accept m,. amendment ° mp ing .trustees to invest trust funds wfth iy.-n n ,' C rLT nCiIS - • OftCn *™t &we lying in banks earning no interest. On the other hand, municipalities wanted tle n°thV ind w r willin - to w £■\ o mutuai C beT e fi n t dment ™ ,ted mi * ht b ° ° f dirf '„ NAR -"o'pted out that the Bill did not give imnmcinalities power to purchase land on which workers' dwelnWs could be bu.lt. He strongly opnosed proportional representation as applied to municipal elections. ■ w j " La to -ind llG th ! " rS R-n a f S9 wa , 9 vasiQd at B '3o p.m., m™ i? ,U bel >'' Roly a consolidating CkUSeS We »P»-a

At clause 17, Mr FRASER moved an amendment giving the optional ri-ht to mumc.pal.tioe to hold elections on the Lie of proportional representation Mr MASSEY said he could not accept the ™nt n law. * ™ K ° im P'~t on Mr WILFORD said that while he would gad y vote for the Bill to elect members oi the House on the basis of proportional representation, he did not favour an amendment being inserted in this Bill An amendment should be inserted in tho Local Elections and Polls Act. He asked the Chairman of Committees to rule on tho point.

Mr MALCOLM ruled that the amendment was out of order, it bein 2 foreign to the 13111.

At clause 42, Mr SYKES moved that in boroughs of not more than 2000 inhabitants entry into a contract with the council should not disqualify a person from sitting Srn 00 ?? r unless tho contr act exceeds £50. He contended that in small boroughs many estimable men were shut out of municipal life because they were the only men in the town capable of supplying the borough with the necessary work or material.

Other members thought the amendment would open the door to corruption, and it v/as lost on the voices.

At clause 78, Mr NASH moved to delete the increased rating powers given to councils, which provoked discussion as to whether the- additional power to rate would not be abused, and whether it. would not be better to get additional revenue by means of more frequent revaluations. On a division the amendment was lost by 46 votes to 9. A few minutes after midnight the' 374 th clause and the 13 schedules were passed through committee.

On the House resuming the Bill was read a third tiniu. and tho House rose at 0 5 a.m.