NOTES FROM PARLIAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 16844, 21 September 1911, Page 5

NOTES FROM PARLIAMENT

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, September 20.

Purging 1 the Bolls. In the House this afternoon Sir Joseph Ward, in answer to Air Massey, said that he had given instructions to registrars of electors to cease purging the rolls under the operation of taking the census. Thousands of people had been .struck off the rolls because they had not sent In their claims within the seven days specified in the census paper. In Wellington South there were about 3000 of such cases, and there were about 35,000 in the whole of the Dominion. In a great many of these cases the persons struck off were not to blame, simply because they were absent when the census paper was received or had changed their places of abode. He thought it would be necessary to amend ttie Electoral Act so as to provide that no one should be oft; the roll who ought to be on and that no one should be on who ought to be off. Dead men and absentees were going off and the chief trouble was with regard to those who were entitled to be on the roll, but who through temporary absence had not received the census notice. If necessary he would ask the House to pass an Act authorising anyone over 21 years of age who had resided in New Zealand for twelve months and one month in a district to be placed on tho roll, and he would put sufficient men on to ensure that all the names were collected. ■ The Legislative Council.

It Is understood that the difficult position in which the Government found Itself last night > when the Opposition’s motion for the reform of the Legislative Council was under discussion will be changed by Friday, when the estimates again come up for consideration. It Is generally admitted that If a vote had been taken last night the Government would have suffered defeat; but the rank and file are now being stiffened up, and by Friday a majority against the proposal will be assured. Aggregation of Land.' ' '

Speaking in the House in reply to Mr Poole, the Priipe Minister said that the Government dealt with the question of undue aggregation of freehold lands in the Land Laws Amendment Act 1907, when it provided that no Crown land thereafter sold should be held in areas exceeding 5000 acres. That legislation was still In force, and each district land registrar was given powers to enable him to prevent undue aggregation ’of such lands. More than this could not be undertaken during the present session. Sexual Offences.

Replying to a question by Mr J. P. Luke, the Prime Minister said that the Government did not consider it necessary to introduce further legislation dealing with sexual offences against young children. The Co-operative System.

The Government, the Hon. R. McKenzie informed Mr Okey this afternoon, does not at present consider it necessary to appoint a royal commission to enquire into the co-operative system of constructing public works. “ Doubtless,” lie added, ‘‘complaints will be made from time to time by interested parties of waste and extravagance on the one hand and on the other hand that the men on such works are Insufficiently paid, no matter whether the system be co-oper-ative, day labour, or contract.”