HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13507, 29 August 1912, Page 6

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House mat at 2. 3U

Ministers in answer to questions said a Bill providing i:or the accommodation of"flaxinill employees would lx> introduced shortly, ah amending Act is being prepared in whieii nirtiier safeguards will bs provided to. prevent speculation ia lands dealt with under the' .Land-isettlomc-nt i'liuinco Act. The Commissioner h-:ut issued a notice in Jujy suspending the export' of ■ cattle, sheep, and pigs to tho .Dominion, from tliek; United .Kingdom, until further notice!. The owners of the Ivaiwaka estate, through which the East Coast Trunk Railway will run, are being communicated with with a view to purchase. It is not considered advisable to extend the functions of the: State Gtiaranteed Advances Office by empowering it to prepare transfers as well as mortgages. The powers of court-mar-tials will be definitely sot forth in the Defence Amendment Bill now being prepared. The suggestion of sending a New Zealand regimental band to Britain in order to advertise the Dominion is worthy of consideration, but?a£tion might advantageously be^Hpostporced for. s.Qme great Imperial event. The .Government may have- to take into con-! sideration the advisability of allowing' private capital to oenstruct branch -railways where tho Government, through shortness of funds/ is finable to do so. It is not proposed to alter the system of payment of tho old age pensions.

Tho remain-dor of the sitting was occupied in the discussion of the answers to the questions.

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Bell (Wellington Suburbs) moved the second reading of the Licensing Amendment Bill No 2. He said it was designed to remove anomalies such as would occur by the alteration of electoral boundaries . and placing of . areas which had voted for liquor or prohibition, as the case might be, in either a district which had voted for liquor or prohibition. The Bill aimed at equality for everyone under the law..

Mr Malcolm said the Bill would lead to other anomalies. The effect of the measure would bo that in a no-licenso district, licenses would exist. The electoral districts would be torn into shreds.

Mr Isitt said ho did not see why the House should do anything to ..rectify anomalies for a trade, which could well afford to look after ifeolf. If the Bill waß necessary it should be brought down as a Government measure and not by a private member.

Mr Payne said he was in fcvour of- a b&ro- majority, but .object oil to licensed liou?. ?■?. being wiped out '•jh-'V-ougi'i 'tlie reraT&ngemeut?. of ei'octtjrnl ivjnndark'G. -..Mr F. Smith supi>ort?d the leading, as an injustice had been doiio to certain places.

-Mr'Hana:i obj-acted and r: id fh:it re-Tj-op-^^ctiv" lo:-is'"v;^:""i.;"" uiiwJK;*, :'.:id ivc'ilj l^r.d to a-br-i:i-d rpsults.

Mr Hrjrrifj took similar giv-unis. .-nd he moved thr.t tho iiill be v?i\d th-.ii (h.y six montlis.

Dr. Zve-ivmcn seconded t]-o rji!:i;ulnient. Tho Bill contained many bad t>oints. c"A ,he covsiden"! retro: lr.'-etivi-lcgH>l-it:»:i v,--,3 dan:2?-'tis. Messrs. Eecott and El opposed ,tlirv Bill.

Mr. Nf/"\ta moved t^o i-.di'-.un'MU'nt oi' + hci debate at 11.'""' ".m. He -vr.a convinced tliat tho j)ill had n-j eh?-.:ee of

-psfcing. Dr Eaigihiroa r?ron'le'l .tho motion, ■\»-'h'ic« war. carried by ?-*2 vi>t:«-, hj> 30, rud tho. (lebcte was adjourned till this <l;iv wc-^k.

Tho Hou^p rose at ll.co p.in