PARLIAMENT

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 96, 28 August 1923, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

BOARD OF TRADE.

Per Press Assi elation.

Wellington, August 27

The Hon. W. Downio Stewart moved the second reading of the Board of Trade Amendment Bill. He explained the necessity for the Bill was that there wore complaints regarding profiteering still coming in, and as there'wore several vacancies on the hoard no quorum was possible, and so nothing could he done. The Bill proposed to vest the powers of the board in the Minister, who would be aided by a permanent advisory board and experts, who would be called in from time to time as the business required. That was the system in Britain, and h© tinderstood it worked very well. Mr T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) said he bad no faith in the proposal at all. Everything depended on the Minister and his Government in selecting the personnel of the board. They wanted young, smart men, not elderly gentlemen. Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labor Party) regarded the proposals as a temporary expedient, and as such he was prepared to let it go on if a Labor representative was appointed to the advisory board. He hoped it would be one who was genuinely a representative of Labor views and interest.

Th© Bill was passed. SUPREME COURT JUDGE,

The Hon. 0. J. Parr moved the second reading of the Judicature Amendment Bill, the principal clause of -which provided for the appointment of an additional judge on the Supreme Court bench. The Bill was passed. SUBSIDIES FOR HOSPITALS.

Tlie Hon. Sir M. Poluare moved the second reading of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill.

He said it embraced the results of investigations by the Government, th© hospital authorities a Parliamentary Committee, the principal of which was the- allocation of the Government grant to hospitals and allied institutions. Briefly, the solution arrived at whs as follows: The Government to pay 10s in the £1 on bequests and legacies the old limit of £SOO being abolished; 24s in the £1 on 'voluntary contributions payable in money or porperty; 20s in the> £1 on capital expenditure, and a sliding scale for maintenance expenditure. Under former. legislation the Government liad to find hall‘the amount required for hospital and charitable aid purposes, but* this system was found complex and a later Act brought the .administration under a single authority;, the Government paying a half share of the expenditure, the amount being determined by the population of districts. This, however, had not been found satisfactory. Under the B :, .l now under consideration the Government had adopted a subsidy minimum of 14s and a maximum of 2Cs, which was in accordance with the recommendations of tHe Royal Commission wliioh inquired into vuo subject. The Bdl was intended to lighten tne burden on the ratepayers. It was something which hud been wanwu for years, and when ail interests were considered—town and country, capital and labor—he thought it would give elfect to the desued purpose, it wa s for tlie House to say whether or not the Bill became law.

The Minister, in liis reply to the debate, admitted the time had arrived when more must be done for the backbiock settlers in the matter of medical facilities, and go far as lie was concerned he would do oveiyting in his power to give them to such settlers. The Mill would relieve the taxpayers to the extent of £58,000 annually. The Bill wa s passed.

EARuY MORNING SITTING.

Wellington, August 28

, When the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Bill was passing tlu-ough Committee during the early hours of this morning, Mr Fraser moved an amendment providing that a British woman marrying an alien should retain her nationality mdess she expressly desired otherwise. On a division, the amendment was lost by 50 to 16. On the “Washing Up” Bill in committee. the Premier announced that in consequence of criticism during the second reading, if any member objected to any clause, it would be dropped, but no member availed himself of the privilege. Clause 156 (Uargaville clause) was struck out, and on the motion of the Minister a« amendment wag made in clause 77, giving the Minister greater freedom in dealing with cutting up Mt. Pisa run in Central Otago. After the Bill was read a third time and passed, the House rose at 3.85 until 11.30.

TO-DAY'S BUSINESS.

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Wellington, August 28

The House met at 11.30

Replying to Mr Isitt, Sir Heaton Rhodes said certain members of the Cabinet considered the question of the export of timber as part of tho State Forestry policy, and .. it had been decided to permit an increase

in export licenses, but it was not intended to permit unlimited export, and there was no chance of the price of timber being increased to ,th(s people.

The Hon. W. Nosworthy, in the course a statement, said it was impossible to introduce a Fruit Export Bill this session, but he gave an undertaking that a bill would be brought down next’ session, and so far as the Government was concerned, it would be passed. Mi- Hudson said' such a promise was some comfort, but immediate legislation was a matter of life and death to many fruitgrowers. Mr Atmore protested against what be termed a breach on the part of the Government. What he said and repeateedly promised vr&n that a bill would be introduced this session.

The Hon. W. Nbaworthy replied that the Government had done , a great deal for the fruit industry, and were prepared to do more, but he was not going to introduce a bill before ho had aeon it or understood it. The Premier said the real difficulty was that the fruitgrowers were hot unanimous as to what the Bill should contain.