PARLIAMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20868, 7 November 1929, Page 10

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (Abridged from Press Association Telegram.) WELLINGTON, November 6. The Legislative Council met at 10.30 this morning. RAILWAYS AUTHORISATION BILL. The Railways Authorisation Bill, as received from the House of Representatives, was road a first time. AFTERNOON SESSION. The Council resumed at 2.30 p.m. •'BILLS PASSED. The Sumner Borough Land Vesting Bill, the Gisborne Harbour Board Amendment Bill, and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland Empowering Bill were put through their final stages and passed without amendment.

RAILWAYS AUTHORISATION BILL. Speaking on the second reading of the Railways Authorisation Bill Mr V. H. Reed said it should be reasonably shown that the proposed lines would justify their construction. A large part of the South Island Main Trunk line would go through dead country and would not justify the enormous expenditure proposed. He advocated full inquiry into financial justification for the proposal. , Mr E. Newman said that while the section which remained to be finished might not pay, it would help the whole line to do so.

Mr T. S. Weston declared there was not the slightest chance of the Murchison line paying expenses, much less interest 1 on construction cost. It was very difficult railway country, but on the other hand it was ideal country for motors. Sir William Hall-Joncs supported the South Island line and the West Coast line.

Mr W. H. MTntyre and Mr W. W. Snodgraa3_ supported the proposal in connection with the Midland line. The Bill was .put through its final stages without discussion and passed. The Council adjourned at 5.33 until 10.30 a.m. to-morrow. ,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

The House of Representatives met at 11 a.m.

TRANSPORT BILL.

.Mr C. H. Clinkard (Rotorua) presented the report of the Transport Committee recommending that the Transport Bill be allowed to proceed subject to amendments, which he stated were of a minor character.

The Minister of Transport (Mr W. A. veitch) said he recognised that there was some opposition to some of the provisions of the Bill, which was almost entirely due to a misunderstanding of those provisions. However, at this stage of the session he would have to drop tho provisions to which there was an objection. The report was laid on the table. The House adjourned at 1.3 p.m. till 2.30 p.m;

AFTERNOON SESSION,

THE ESTIMATES.

The House resumed at 2.30 p.m, and went into committee of supply to deal with the General Estimates. The vote of £39,014 for the Treasury Department was passed. . .-Hi® 'vote of £13,090 fop the Prime Minister s Department was taken next. Replymg_ to the Leader of the Opposition J- G. Coates) the Acting-leader of the House (Mr G. W. Forbes) stated that no definite decision had yet been reached on the subject of the appointment of the representative of the Dominion to act in consultation with the High Commissioner and keep in touch with Imperial and Dominion affairs. The matter was still under consideration, .Replying to a further question by Mr Coates the Minister stated that a definite promise had been given by the Prime Minister that a delegation would be sent from New Zealand to the International Labour Conference. It had been too J ate when the Government had assumed office for arrangements to have been made 1° representation at the last conference, but an understanding had been reached that a delegation would bo sent to the ne wt. meet ‘ n ß; The vote was passed. J.he sum of £63,981 waa granted for the .band and Income Tax Department Replying to Mr D. Jone 9 (Mid-Canter-bnry), Mr Forbes said the Government would make & statement very shortly in regard to the appointment of a commission under the hardship clause of the Land and Income Tax Amendment Act. Ihe votes of £8304 for the Public Service Superannuation Fund Account and £41,318 for the Department of External Affairs were passed without debate. RURAL INTERMEDIATE CREDITS. . Moving the second reading of the Rural intermediate Credit Amendment Bill, Mr Forbes stated that the only important clause was the one permitting an increase m the maximum amount of advance to any one applicant from £IOOO to £2OOO. Mr Coates asked the Minister whether htlcould give any indication of the extent ter which the rural credits scheme was operating. Mr A. Hamilton (Wallace) said he appreciated the value of the State’s assist- - ance in this direction. He considered £2OOO waa quite enough to lend on stock security. Mr W. Lee Martin (Raglan) said the original Act had been largely experimental. He regarded the Bill introduced by the Minister as a forward step. Mr Jones stated that the increase in the grants which the board was permitted to make would be fully appreciated by the farmers, especially those who were growing wheat. Mr Forbes, in reply, declared that the increase to £2OOO was duo to a request from the board, backed up by the Farmers’ Union. The total sum that had been advanced under the scheme amounted to £215.142. The Bill was read a second time, TAUPIRI DRAINAGE BILL. The Taupiri Drainage and River District Bill (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle) was read a second time. UNIVERSITY AMENDMENT BILL. ■ The Minister of Education (Mr H. Atmore), moving -the second reading of the New Zealand University Amendment Bill, stated it was proposed to change the name of the governing body from “council” to “senate.” Another important clause proposed to restore the statutory grant which had been cancelled last year, Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) said the New Zealand University was a comparatively rich institution, and he considered there should be provision for needs of primary and secondary schools before £3845 should be paid to the university out of the Consolidated Fund. Mr J. A. Young (Hamilton) expressed the opinion that it was a wrong principle to make large sums available to the university without the need for an annual appropriation. The House would have no opnortunity of discussing the grants. Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) said he did not consider university finance should be subject to political controversy. The Minister, replying, said it was important that the university should have assured finance. There had been an increase in expenses last year, but no corresponding increase in revenue. The Bill was then road a second time. COUNTIES’ AMENDMENT BILL. . The Counties’ Amendment Bill (Mr P. A. do In Perrelle) was read a second time.

REST HOMES FOR DESTITUTE PERSONS. The interrupted debate on tbo second readinp of the Destitute Persona Rest Homes Bill was resumed. The Minister of Justice (Mr T. M. tV'ilfordl described the Bill as a great piece of humanitarian legislation. Ho referred particularly to the relief that would be afforded to old people at present brought before the court on charges of vagrancy and placed in prison because there was better course to follow. Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston) raised an objection to the inclusion of the word *’ destitute ’’ in the title of the Bill. Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) said it was the duty of any country to provide a home for old people who had grown old in the struggle and had given their best to the nation. lie added that he abhorred tho word "destitute.” The Minister of Health (Mr A. J. Stallworthy): Jti Committee I aliall ask leave

of the House to drop the word " destitute ” and simply call it “ The Rest Homes Bill.”

Mr J. S. Fletcher (Grey Lynn) expressed appreciation of the measure. Mr H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs) remarked that he thought the Government might have been able to do more for old people under the existing law than they had. However, he welcomed the Bill the Minister had introduced.

Mr J T.. Hogan (Rangitikei), Mr H. E. Holland ( Bul(er), and Mr A. Harris (Waitemata) also expressed appreciation of the measure.

Mr H. E. Holland (Bullet) said he hoped the Bill would provide not only for old people, but for everyone in unfortunate circumstances.

Mr W. E. Barnard (Napier) asked whether provision would be made for the infirm as well as for old people. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m.

EVENING SESSION.

The House, resumed at 7.30 p.m. Continuing the debate on the second reading of the Destitute Persons Rest Home Bill. Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) described the measure as a genuine attempt to deal with one of most difficult problems confronting civilisation.

Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) took exception to the terms employed in the Bill which, he said, savoured of prison legislation. People would be convicted and committed to homes which he declared would be prisons in every intent. Why should the author attach the name “ Rest Home ” to such an institution when in reality it was a gaol in disguise. Mr Howard contended that the Bill did not provide the kind of rest home for which the public had been asking. It constituted writing into our law that "poverty is a crime and here is the punishment for it.” Mr T. W. M‘Donald (Wairarapa) warmly applauded the Bill, but he urged that it should indicate that people transferred from mental hospitals to rest homes had recovered from their mental defection.

Mr C. H. Chapman (Wellington North) said the Bill would be considerably improved if the compulsory clauses were either greatly modified or eliminated altogether. After several others had spoken, Mr Stallworthy, replying, said a magistrate would be able to send people to homes without convicting them and even without hearing the charges laid against them. One thing that. it. had been particularly desired _to avoid was that the homes should in any way resemble gaols or asylums. The Bill had arisen out of the necessity for providing some better place for old people in poor circumstances who were very harshly treated to-day. The Bill was read a second time. LAND DRAINAGE AND RIVER PROTECTION. . The Land Drainage and River Protection Bill was introduced by GovernorGeneral’s Message. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle) stated that the measure aimed ,at the consolidation of legislation relating to river protection and drainage boards. It was not intended to put it through this session, but to have it circulated so that the bodies interested could consider it during the recess.

The Bill was read a first time. The House then went into committee on the Bills read a second time during the day. SECOND AND THIRD READINGS.

The Rural Intermediate Credit Amendment Bill and the Tanpiri Drainage and Kiver District Bill went through the committee stage unamended, ana were read a third time and passed. Progress waa reported on the New Zealand University Amendment Bill. Shipping and Seamen Amendment, Bill (Mr J. G. Cobbe). the Products Export Amendment Bill (Mr G. W. Forbes), and the Kinematograph Films Amendment Bill (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle) were each read a second time without debate. These three Bills, together with the Counties Amendment Bill, were then put through the committee stage unamended.

The Counties Amendment Bill, the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill, the Products Export Amendment Bill, and the Kinematograph Films Amendment read a third time and passed. The'Houee rose at 11.8 p.m. till 11 a.m. to-morrow.