PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20499, 29 August 1928, Page 10

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM PRESS GALLERY. (Special to Daily Times./ WELLINGTON, August 28. HOSPITAL BOARD LEVIES. Legislation this session dealing with the incidence of levies made by hospital boards on local authorities is not contemplated, said the Minister of Health (Mr J. A. Young) in the House of Representatives to-day when replying to a question by Mr ,T. M. Wilford (Hutt). Mr Wilford stated that during recent years the contributions paid by the Lower Hutt Borough Council had increased by 100 per cent., and now were represented by £4BOO per annum. He asked the Minister whether he had any scheme whereby every contributing authority would have more direct representation on .hospital boards, and whether he proposed this session to introduce legislation to relieve the local bodies from the heavy burdens they had to bear through the payment of hospital levies. ■The Minister of Health replied that it was not intended to bring down a Bill on the subject this session. If the local authorities did not like the work of collecting the levies the obvious reply would be to make the hospital boards rating authorities, but that suggestion appeared to him to be undesirable, as its adoption would make for a multiplicity of the machinery for rating. The Minister pointed out that if there were any complaints, the local people had themselves to blame, as the hospital board representatives were returned by the same electors who elected the local authorities. He had asked the Municipal Association and the Counties Association to confer and agree upon some basis of levies, and if that agreement was reached he would be glad to ask Cabinet’s approval for the necessary legislation. LICENSING AMENDMENT BILL. The eagerly-awaited Licensing Amendment Bill will probably be introduced into the House of Representatives next week, according to a statement made by the Prime Minister (Mr J. G. Coates) to-day. in reply to a question by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr H. E. Holland). Mentioning that the House was now well past the middle of the session, Mr Holland asked the Prime Minister to give an assurance that the Bill would be brought down on a date which would not involve delay in the printing of ballot and other papers, should the Bill, as passed, require alterations to be made in them for the coming polls. “ I can assure the . House that the Bill will be brought down and that Parliament will have an opportunity of dealing with it in ample time to allow of any such alterations being made should the measure be passed,” replied the Prime Minister. “It is possible the Bill will be introduced next week. That is as near a date as I can give the Leader of the Opposition.” • PUBLIC WORKS ACT. , Several amendments to the Public Works Act which it is desired to make before consolidating the whole of the Public Works Acts later on are contained in a Bill which was read a first Jme in the House of Representatives tonight. The requirements in respect of the dedication of portions of subdivisions for street purposes are eased to the. extent that any local authority other than a borough council may agree to the dedication of not less than 40 feet for road purposes instead >f 66 feel. This amendment, the Minister of Public Works (Mr K. S. Williams) explained, will bring county councils into line with other authorities. Agreemen to accept the lesser dedication is to be subject to the approval of the Governor-General-in Council. The Bill seeks to alter the steps to be taken by road boards in order stop roads in their districts. The boards concerned, if th Bill passes, will be required to give public notice twice >f their intention, and meetings of ratepayers to agree to or reject the proposals will be called only if objections arc received. If the ratepayers approve at their meetings the decision 1 is to be forwarded to the county council affected for confirmation or rejection. The council s decision will be final, and in he case of rejection binding for a full year from the date it is made. Another amendment relating to access declares that any land that is separated from a. river, lake, or seashore only by a reserve to which the public has unrestricted use, may be ..eemeo to abut on the river, lake, or shore. FOUR AND A-HALF PER CENT. BONDS. Air H E. Holland (Duller) to-day oave notice to ask the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Downie Stewart) whether he had seen a cabled statement in to-day’s press to the effect that the £5 000,000 4i per cent, bonds issued at £94 10 s in May had appreciated in price to £97 10s, representing ah increase of £150,000 on the . price of issue,, pnd whether he did not consider this fact.to constitute proof that the price of issue was altogether too low ? SUBSIDIES TO AEROPLANE CLUBS. Mr T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) is to ask the Minister of Defence whether, having regard to the fact that the aerodromes at Auckland and ’ Christchurch are. available for the use of aeroplane clubs in these centres, he will grant subsidies to clubs in other centies for the purpose of the acquisition of suitable sites for aerodromes, subject to such conditions as he may think fit to impose as to the availability . of such sites for the purposes .of the Defence