N.Z. PARLIAMENT, I

Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 36

N.Z. PARLIAMENT, I

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. and im« mediately went into committee on the Old Age Pensions Act Amendment Bill. The proviso to clause six wrg deleted, and a new proviso was inserted making it permissible for a magistrate to estimate the income which an applicant for a pension would probably earn in the following year, instead of as at present, estimating the income of the preceding j year when considering an application for I a pension. - PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS SITE. On the motion that the report of the Joint Committee of both Houses on the ! Parliament Buildings site be agreed to, the I Hon. Mr JENKINSON urged-, that-' a ■ piece of. land on Lambton quay, about two j chains long, be^pnrchaeed by the Government in order give "jP better frontage* to Lambton <juay for Parliament Build- . ings. He thought the Wellington GSiy Council would be prepared 1 to meet the - Government " favourably in the matter,. and it would, be possible to close Sydney. j street, thus making one large section from. 1 the old Houses of Parliament to Lambton ' quay. He added that the east wou^d be [ spread- over a long 'term of years. ■ — After ' discussion the report was agfrced to by : 20 votes to 2.

'< In the House of Representatives, I The Hon. Mr MILLAR moved the j. second reading of the Monopoly Preven- • tion Act Amendment Bill, which extends the operation of part 1 of the principal act by providing tihat in cases of alleged unfair competition in a local market by. outside agricultural implement manufacturers a board of inquiry shall be set tip, and if necessary grant such relief as may be expedient until the end of the year 1910. Th® bill also provided for the repeal of a clause ' inconsistent with this ' extension. In reply to questions, the I Minister said the act prevented unfair ! competition on the part of the Interna- • tional Harvester Trust, or other foreign, companies. There had been no call of late for a meeting of the board. No alteration was made in the schedule of implements to whioh the act/ applied. .There was jaothingin the measure to pre> vent prices hexng raited. The bill was read a 'second time on: the voices.