PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 128, 17 October 1912, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER IG, 1012. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. VARIOUS BILLS. By Telegraph—Press Association. j Wellington, Last Night. In the Council this afternoon the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill, Valuation of Land Amendment Bill, Auckland University College Bill, and Public Trust Ollice Amendment Bill passed. The Public Service Bill was reported with amendments. The Hauraki Plains Bill passed, and the Council rose. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE WAIHI STRIKE. i Mr. Witty asked the Government: (1) Whether they do not consider the sentences passed on the Waihi strikers out of all comparison to the breach of the law committed; (2) whether they will consider the advisableness of having the sentences mitigated, and also amend the law so that in future the punishment inflicted should be more in accordance with the alleged offence.

The Prime Minister replied that no.s sentence was passed in the cases referred | ( to. An application for sureties of the ' peace is made by complaint, not by in- i formation, and an order to find sureties i is not a conviction or a sentence. No fine or penalty is inflicted, but section 18 of the Justices of the Peace Act empow- [ ers a Magistrate who makes such an . order to issue his warrant for the detention or custody of a defendant who refused to find sureties. The law cannot be amended as proposed. Whenever sureties of the peace are required, the order must name the period during ' which the defendant is required to keep the peace, and that period must necessarily be determined by the discretion of the magistrate who makes the order. It is obvious it can never be a merely | nominal period. These men are detained in custody only so long as they refused to find sureties. Their detention is due solely to their own decision, and their release can be obtained by themselves at any moment. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Replying to other questions, the Minister said that the Military Pensions would be aavailable to all who are able to produce New Zealand war medals. Parliament will be given an op- ■" portunity prior to the next general elec--1 tion of reconsidering and amending the L " Electoral Act. The Government will next 6 session introduce legislation regulating s the use on public highways not only of [} motor cars, but of all vehicles propelled by motive "power; meanwhile k :re- ■ vision of the regulations under the existing Act is being considered. It is not considered advisable that the scope ' of the State-Guaranteed Advances Act ,_ should be widened in the direction of, advancing money to workers for the purpose of paying off existing cortgages:. the granting or declining of advances to any individual or in any particular locality or district is a matter , entirely for the Advanees Board, and one with which the Minister cannot interfere. KAIAPOI RESERVE BILL, The Kaiapoi Reserve Bill (Mr. Herrics) was read a second time pro forma. LOCAL AUTHORITIES' SUPERANNUArf TION. *■' The amendment to the Local Auth6rin" ties' Superannuation Amendment Bill were agreed to. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. I DEFENCE BILL. in On the motion for the third reading of ;y the Defence Bill, Mr. Russell and Mr. Haiian and Mr. Myers urged the Minister for Defence to keep down expense. Mr. Myers said that the cost should be kept down to Lord Kitchener's estimate of £400,000 a year. Sir Joseph Ward thought that the Bill tended to make the system stronger and better. Mr. Allen, in reply, said that there was no reason why, when the scheme was in working order, it should cost more • than £400,000 a year. During the first t years there was necessarily a heavy extra expenditure for equipment. One le battery of guns had cost £BO,OOO. He ls did not believe in saving money at the ls cost of efficiency. 1 . The Bill was read a third time and ;Cr passed. I