PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 12, 6 September 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

(Per Press Association.)

Wellington, Septembeiij. The Legislative Council met at --dU p.m. 1 Bills Passea. The Deputy Governor’s Powers and Now Zealand University Amendment Bills wore read a third nme and pAged Persons Protection. Mr Bell moved the second reading of the Aged and Infirm Persons lioSct on Bill. This measure, ne said, wis a child of his own. U was «no of the matters he had advocated toi some time. Us object was, i t ol lined, to protect the estates of menial defectives from persons who in - tended to hold the power, to au,. 1 ro vision was made to appoint the ! uh lie Trustee as manager of such es tales but where other managers wet© they would he “ report as required to the 1 uhlu, tee The Council would have the opnortuuity of considering whether it Ss desirable that habitual, drunkards and persons who had acquired habits which affected their capacity included in its provisions. An appuca tlon for a prohibition order musi ne made by petition, not by a busyhociy, bit by a. member of the family or tne 1 The Bill" met with general suppoU from Messrs. Samuel, Jones, Kelly, Jonkinson, and others. Mr. 801 l said lie would make p vision for the inclusion of natucs within the scope of the BUIThe Bill was road a second tune, and referred to the Statutes Revision f The Council then adjourned until Wednesday week. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.J0 p.m. The Public Service. Mr. Allen read two letters from tne Audit Department and the Secretaiv of the Treasury, which he said bad been forwarded to him unsolicited The writers.were the Secretary of too Treasury (Mr. J. W. Poynton) and tue Auditor-General (Mr. R. G. Collin..). They submitted that statements mucus bv the Civil Service Commission in connection with the allegation of fnctioh between the civil and military authorities were entirely wrong. Mr. Allen pointed out that no evidence vas available to justify what the Commissions! s had stated. . •, Mr. R. McKenzie said that it evidence wore not available the report was of little value. N ~ , , L . , t Sir Joseph Ward said that the Commission’s report boro out what he had always contended: that promotions m the public service were made Irom within and not from without, as had been alleged.

Tha Public Revenue. Mr. Allen laid on the table the following statement of finances:— Statement of Receipts of the Consolidated Fund for the live months ended August 31, 1912.—The ordinary revenue amounted to £3,729,583 3s 3d, territorial revenue £82,870 ss, national endowment revenue £59,413 19s 7d, other receipts £92 4s ; total £3,871,959 Us lOd. Added to the balance on April 1, 1912, this made a total of £4,679,235 3s Gd. The expenditure amounted to £1,603,378 16s 9d, and annual appropriations to £2,241,575 11s 4d, making a total expenditure of £3,844,949 8s Id, leaving a balance of £834,285 15s sd. The receipts for the month of August totalled £783,394 12s lid, and the expenditure £898,138 6s 3d. The SVlokau Bill. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Mokau Bill was further considered in Committee. Mr. Ell moved an amendment providing for one vote only for every elector, instead of one vote per thousand pounds, two votes for two thousand pounds, and three votes for over two thousand pounds capital value of the property, as provided in the Bill. After lengthy discussion, the House divided on the amendment, which was defeated by 35 to 26. The Bill then passed through the Committee stages and was read a third time and passed. State Firo Insurance. Mr. Fisher moved the second reading of the State Fire Insurance Amendment Bill, which ho explained provided for the building up of a reserve fund out of the profits of the business.

Mr. llnssoll asked the Minister to inform the House what the exact relation was between the State Fire Insurance Office and other companies’ operations in a similar direction. Mr. Harris urged that the Government should continue the policy that mortgagors under the State Guaranteed Advances Act should insure with the State Fire Office. Mr. Pearce contended that mortgagors should have a free hand. If they had that they could insure with the Farmers’ Union insurance companies, which insured at lower rates than the State Office.

Mr. Bell thought that the object of the Department was to keep rates down to a reasonable rate. Any mortgagor should have the right to insure in any office ho chose. Otherwise they would create a monopoly, which would drive private companies out of the market.

Mr. Hindmarsh thought it was only right that borrowers from the State should insure with the State. Mr. Buchanan hold that mortgagors should bo allowed to insure where •'bey pleased. The rate offered by the Farmers’ Union insurance companies was lower than that of any other company. . . Mr Ell said that be had a suspicion that the State Insurance Department would he run more in the interests of private companies in future. Mr. Fisher, in reply, said that the State Fire Insurance Department had no arrangement with any private company. The State Department would not he run at a loss, nor would it take any hazardous risks. If forced to do so it would fight. They would not allow private companies to squeeze them when they wanted to. The object of establishing a State Fire hisumace Department was to regulate the insurance. rate. There wore rumours, he said, that there was going to he a drastic alteration in the policy cf Dio Denartmeht. Those rumours had ended in smoke. The Bid was read a second time, and the House rose at 11.5 p.m.