PARLIAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 16844, 21 September 1911, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

IPer United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 20. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2,30. The Attorney-General welcomed back Speaker Bowen, who has just returned from a visit to England. The Hoe. J. Cal lan moved the second reading of the Guardian Trust and Executors Company Amendment Bill, passed by the House and intended to remove certain doubts as to whether the Company was empowered to act as trustee under any deed or will, and also certain other doubts in connection with ' the operation of the Property Law -Vet, 1903. The Bill was road a second time after tu icf discussion, in which the Hon. O. Samuel and others pointed to the necospl .y of the Go: eminent taking steps to t. sure the solvency of such companies. Ul’-O Hon. J. Higg moved to disagree tgilh the Library Committee’s report forbidding the issue of any works of fiction to non-members during the Parliamentary recess. The* motion was lost by I t to 9. The Friendly Societies Amendment Bill and tiie Stone Quarries Amendment Bill were read a second time, # and the Council rose. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. The Family Home Protection Bill (Air Massey) was read a first time. An Imprest Supply Bill was introdr iced by Governor’s message and cortBideration was deferred until the evening. Questions. Ministers, replying to questions, *;ated: — That steps had been taken and other ■teps were being taken to prevent persons suffering from disease from immigrating to New Zealand from England. That all youths who are desirous of proving claims to exemption under Clause d! of the Defence Act. 1909, are offordeS the fullest opportunity of doing bo tnrough non-commissioned officers of the permanent staff in charge of the areas in which they reside. , That of the sum of £2OO voted last year for the renovation of military graveyards and headstones, only £lO had been expended. No applications had beer, received by the Defence Department from local bodies in this connection The House here adjourned for dinner. A. Variety of Subjects. Ii the evening Mr Massey enquired whether the Government intended to proceed witli the Town Planning Bill. Sir Joseph Ward replied that it was not intended to go on with a Bill which tool away the power of control of the Goveraor-in-Councll.

On the motion to go into Committee of Supply on the Imprest Bill, Air Alaseey referred to the neglect of the Government to lay on the table returns ordered, some as far back as last session. This he characterised as little Bho-t of contempt of Parliament. Air Herries asked for some information regarding the five million loan. There was,- ho said, no information in the Budget. Very little of the loan had been converted, as far as lie could see. Air Buick expressed pleasure that the Government had decided on pasteurisation of milk and was pushing on the policy of experimental farms. He complained of the Premier’s promise to erect a dairy school for Palmerston North not being fulfilled. ’ Air Allen referred to the unrest at Tonga, and said that Tongans were looking to New Zealand to set things right.' They had asked to be placed under the control of New Zealand, and If New Zealand did not move in the matter Australia would. * Air Buchanan pointed to the fact that railway freight charges for sheep were dearer in New Zealand than in Victoria. Air Wright, in introducing the ciuestion of the Chief Justice’s report on the Cook Islands, maintained that the charges levelled against the Government had been proved. Replying to an interjection by Air Glover, he stated that Glover knew more about bookmakers than about the matter under discussion.

Mr Glover pleaded guilty to having once been a bookmaker, and challenged Mr Wright’s ability to rise from the base to the apex as he had done. Sir Joseph Ward, in replying on the subject of Tonga, said that nothing that had occurred had to do with New Zealand, and New Zealand could not interfere. He declared that the financial affairs of the Dominion compared favourably with those of other countries. As to the five million loan, he held that even the Fort of London loan of £2,000,000 had not done as well as ours. , The House went into Committee on the Bill.

(Left Sitting)