PARLIAMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18953, 29 August 1923, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS from Press Association Telegram.) ... LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL . WELLINGTON, August 28. The Legislative Council met at 10 a.m. BILLS PASSED. The New Zealand Universities Bill was passed. In moving the second reading of the Electric Power Boards Bill, Sir FRANCIS BELL said the object of the Bill was to enable the boards to levy what was known as an electric rate. The Bill was passed. When the Hospital Bill was under consideration, some .members expressed regret that the time for looking into the Bill was so limited, but they approved of the Bill and congratulated the Government on bringing it in. The Bill was passed. The Justices of the Peace and Harbours Bills were passed. AMENDMENTS AGREED TO. Th© amendments made by the House of Representatives in the War Pensions Bill and the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Bill were agreed to. The Council rose until 7 p.m. APPRENTICES’ BILL. When the Council resumed, the Apprentices’ Bill was introduced from the House of Representatives, and was described by Sir FRANCIS BELL as an experimental measure designed to deal with a serious problem. There were urgent requests for the passage of the Bill. The Hon. W. EARNSHAW announced that he was an opponent of thp Bill, but he would not obstruct it at this stage of the session. The Government had evaded its responsibilities and placed them on the Arbitration Court. The Hon. J. BARR said the Bill was the first attempt to raise the status of tradesmen. The Bill was passed. LAND DRAINAGE AND MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. The Land Drainage Amendment Bill and the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill were passed. As no new Bills were transmitted from the House, the Council rose at 11.15 p.m till 10 a.m. to-day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. . When the “Washing-up” Bill got into committee at an early hour this morning, the PRIME MINISTER announced that, in consequence of criticism during the second reading, if any member objected to any clause, it would be dropped, but no member availed himself of tire privilege. — Clause 136 (Dargaville clause) was struck out, on the motion of the Minister, and an amendment was made in clause 77 giving the Minister greater freedom in dealing -with the cutting up of th© Mount Pisa runs in Central Otago.—After the Bill had been read a third time and passed, the House rose at 3.35 a.m. until 11.30 a.m. '' 'The House met at 11.30 a.m. EXPORT OF TIMBER. Replying to Mr Isitt, Sir R. H. RHODES said that certain members of Cabinet considered the question of the export of timber ns part of the State Forestry policy, and it had been decided to permit an increase in the export licenses, but it was not intended to ’permit unlimited export, and there was no chance of the price of timber being increased to the people. FRUIT EXPORT BILL. , The Hon. W. NOSWORTHY, in the course of a statement, said _it was impossible to introduce the Fruit Export Bill . this session, but he gave an undertaking that the Bill would be brought down next session, and, so far as the Government was concerned, it would bo passed. ■ Mr HUDSON said that such a promise wag some comfort, but immediate legislation was a matter of life and death to many fruit-growers. Mr ATMORE protested against what he termed a breach of faith on the part of the ■ Government, which, he said, . repeatedly promised that the Bill would be introduced this session. Mr NOSWORTHY replied that the Gov- ' ernment had done a great deal for the fruit industry, and was prepared to do more, but he was not going to introduce a Bill before he had seen it or understood it. The PRIME MINISTER said the real difficulty was that fruit-growers were not unanimous as to what the Bill should contain. The House resumed at 2 p.m. BIIXS PASSED. '■ At the conclusion of the formal business, which continued until 3.5 p.m., the Land Drainage Amendment Bill (the Hon. R. F. BOLLARD), and the Apprentices Bill (tho ■Hon. G. J. ANDERSON), were read a • second time, put through committee, reported with minor amendments, read a third time and passed. WAR PENSIONS. Tho amendments to the War Pensions Amendment Bill, introduced by GovernorGeneral’s message, were agreed to. Tho MINISTER OF DEFENCE explained the amendment to clause three eliminating the limitation of the amount to be received by a pensioner (which under the original pro- ■ visions might be limited to £3 10s weekly). Clause 10 was amended to permit appeals to be lodged against any decision of tho Appeal Board. Clause 15 was amended to provide for an increase in the percentage of disability, making an injury to the left arm count on an equality with an injury to tho right; also increasing the percentage for leg amputation from 85 per cent, to 90 per cent. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. The Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor-General’s message, and put through all its stages and passed. SOLDIERS’ SETTLEMENT ACT. An amendment to the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act was introduced by GovernorGeneral’s message, providing for the modification of the procedure in connection with forced sales ot soldiers’ farms; also placing South African veterans on the same footing as the men who took part in the Great War in matter of obtaining settlement lands. The amendment was agreed to. WATER. POWER PLANTS. An amendment to tho Public Works Act was introduced by Governor-General’s message, permitting the owners of water power plants under 25 horse-power to obtain compensation in the event of the Public Works Department interfering with their source of supply. This was agreed to. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. Supplementary estimates amounting to £204,434, were brought clown by GovernorGeneral’a message. On tho railways estimates the Minister of Railways, said the question of payment of compensation to the victims of the Ongaruo disaster would be dealt with after the report of the Commission of Inquiry had been received. Mr SULLIV AN moved a reduction of £3 in the Health Department vote as an indication that the Government should reinstate the vote of £75 to the societies for the Health of Women and Children in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. ■■ The Hon, W. NOSWORTHY, in reply, said it was not possible for tho Government to do more in this direction than it was doing, and it could not in the absence of tho Prime Minister indulge in further commitments. It was of no use his getting up and making further promises in that direction. As an instance he pointed out that the Pluniket nurses were now costing tire country some £16,000 annually, whereas ‘when tiro present Government took them over they were only costing between £7OOO and £BOOO. The Hon. J. A. HANAN said the Government should do everything in its power to encourage these voluntary agencies which were doing good work, and saving the country huge sums of money. After further debate, in which several members advocated the claims of kindred societies, a division was called for, when the reduction of th© vote wa© -rejected by 34 votes to 29. The Housie adjourned at 6 p.m. till 7.30 p.m ' Tho House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr MTCEEN strongly urged the establishment of two dental clinics in e uch island to cope with the progress of dental disease amongst school children. Tho vote was passed. , On the Marine Departments vote, tho Hon. G. J. ANDERSON said h© had not yet: paid an official visit to tho vessels in port to examine the living quarters of the sailors. Ho was waiting for a report from tho medical officer, when he would go into the whole matter. When the Valuation Department s vote was under consideration, Mr SAVAGE complained of the perfunctory manner in which the valuers did their work.

Mr GLENN agreed with Mr Savage, but said there were plenty of competent valuers in the dominion if the Government only oared to employ them. Mr VEITCH said it looked as if the Valuation Department was to be kept as a bar which was to stop the flow of money from the Advances Department to the people. Mr M'LEOD said that unless this phase of the subject was looked into it would cost discredit on the Government’s efforts to make the Advances Department a success. The Hon. W. NOSWORTHY said the staff of the Department had been recently increased, and was still being strengthened. Mr HOCKLY urged that the fault was not with the valuers but. in fact, the districts rvere too large. What was wanted was smaller districts and more men. Mr MASSEY said since April 1 to the present date the amount of loans granted by the Advances Department totalled £3,460,875, which was a very fair indication of the great amount of work the department was doing. The vote was passed. On the Agriculture vote Mr FORBES urged the need for a systematic soil survey of the dominion. When considering the Tourist Department vote, Mr ATMORB said there was a. rumour that the Government proposed to lease the Rotorua Sanatorium, as was done in the case of the Mount Cook Hostel. This the Hon. Mr NOSWORTHY denied. There was no such intention, but such monov as was required to make the Rotorua Sanatorium efficient would bo found by the Government. On the Education Department’s vote Mr ATMORE moved that the vote bo reduced by £1 as nn indication that the salary of the editor of the School Journal should bo increased. The House adjourned at 9.30 until 10.30 to enable members to say good-bye at the steamer’s side to the Prime Minister, who passed out of the Chamber amidst well wishes from all sides and hearty hand shakes from all parties. When the Committee resumed at 10.30 p.m. Mr ATMORE’S amendment was lost on the voices. Mr ATMORE moved that the Forestry Department vote ho reduced bv £2 as an indication that reafforestation should be prosecuted more vigorously.—This was lost ny 36 votes to 27. ' AN EMPOWERING BILL. At 0.20 a.m. the final clause in the Estimates 'was passed and the House went into Committee on the Wellington City Empowering and Special Rates Consolidation Bill, which was passed. The House then went into Committee on the Auckland City and Auckland Harbour Board Empowering Bill. Mr HARRIS, who had opposed the second reading, raised a point of order that the Standing Orders had not been complied with. The SPEAKER was called in, and decided that the Bill was in order. Immediately upon the Chairman resuming the chair, Mr HARRIS moved that he do leave the chair. This was lost by 41 votes to 17. Mr Harris then began to criticise the Bill in such a manner as to indicate that the opposition was likely to bo strenuous and continuous. (Left sitting.)