PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 6, 23 August 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

house of representatives.

(Per Press Association.; Wellington, August 22. The House met at 2.110. A petition signed by J. L. Kelly Hid -Moo others, praying for the release of Lionel Terry Lena a mental asylum, was presented. Replying to a question, the Hon. G. Fowkis stated that in connection with the medical examination cf Territorials, any person may be examined at any place other than the place where the order was issued. Territorials could be examined at the near-

est place to where the examinations were taking place. On the motion of the Hon. J. A. Millar to lay the report on the Workers’ Dwellings Act on the table, Mr Millar, in reply to a query, said he was negotiating for land for workers’ dwellings in Christchurch, Invercargill, New Plymouth, and Napier. Ho would not buy laud which was too dear for workers to buy. The erection of buildings would, he stated, bo put in hand within a month. Mr Russell objected to the limited areas the Government was .allowing for dwellings. Ho advocated larger sections on suburban railway lines.

Messrs lianan, Field and Lang supported the policy pursued by the Hon. J. A. Millar. Mr Laurenson advocated a liberal area in connection with dwellings. He instanced a case of a man in Christchurch who cleared £IOO out of tomatoes grown in a glass house on one and a half acres in one year. Mr Poole said there were thousands and thousands of workers in cities who were compelled to live right in the cities, and these people were deserving of consideration. Mr Luke contended that the Minister should extend the operations of the Act to embrace individual sections of workers who ought not to bo put in on a particular settlement and marked off as a special class of people. He hoped the Minister would resist the temptation to allow himself to be exploited by syndicates desiring to unload a lot of land on the Government.

Mr Fisher thought Parliament would have to undertake duties which the municipalities ought to carry out put so far had shirked, namely, the destruction of slum areas in the cities.

The Hon. J. A. Millar, in reply, said tho House would be given an opportunity during the session to discuss the whole matter of workers’ dwellings. It was impossible to do anything of a comprehensive character without tho aid of a large loan. Half a million of money was necessary to carry out the scheme properly. The question of slum areas required drastic legislation to compel local authorities to abolish them. Local authorities commenced slums by giving permits for buildings, and should be made to boar the brunt of elimination thereof. Tho motion was carried.

Tho Mental Defectives Bill and the Friendly Societies’ Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed.

Tlie House v.;ent into corninittee on tho Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Bill, .and adjourned at 5.30.

EVENING SITTING. Tho House resumed at 7.30. The Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Bill was further considered in committee. In the clauses dealing with the term of patents it was agreed, on the Miniser’s motion, to strike out the proviso that an advertisement should be in tho Gazette. Notifications will appear in a special patent gazette. Clause 20, re revocation, drew from Mr Kerries a request that a reciprocal agreement should be entered into with tho Old Country and Canada with regard to patents. He submitted that a foreigner’s patent should not be accepted in preference to one from a Britisher. Tho Hon. J. A. Millar said lie would get a clause drafted to deal with the matter. Mr Massey approved of the principle of the clause, but suggested that there might be some arrangement between manufacturer and patentee whereby the public would suffer. The clause was passed.

The cluase providing that all appeals against the decision of the i< gistrar shall bo heard in Wellington was struck out, and the Bill reported. The Stone Quarries Amendment Bill was reported from committee unamended. Tho Hon. D. Buddo moved the second reading of tho Hauraki Plains Amendment Bill. He explained that tho purpose of the Bill was to increase the money already voted for tho drainage of the Piako Swamp by 50 per cent. Eighty thousand,pounds had already been voted for tho work, and ho thought an extra £40,000 would be sufficient to complete it. The tenants already in occupation of tho lands had entered into a contract, tp pay off he amount spout in drainage operations. Twenty thousand acres of swamp were now in occupation, and GSOO acres would be available for settlement by next summer. The large drains on tho area wore gradually choking through tho second growth of raupo, and extra money was necessary to deal with this matter amomrst others.

Mr Massey said the settlors affected by the provisions of the Bill should ho given an opportunity of expressing an opinion thereon before the Bill was carried.

The debate was arrested at this stage on a point of order being raised by Mr Herries that the Bill should be referred to tlie Lands Committee. The Speaker uphold Mr Herries’ contention, and the Bill was referred to the committee.

The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitrtaion Amendment Bill and Workers’ Compensation Amendment Bill w ore read a second time pro forma,

and referred to the Labour Bills Committee. The House rose at 10.10 p.m.