PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1928, Page 9

PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

FINANCING OF HOSPITALS

REPORT ON PRISON REFORM

NATURALISATION OF ALIENS By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Replying to Mr. T. M. Wilford in the Jlouse of Representatives to-day, the Hon. J., A. Young said it was not intended to introduce any legislation this session dealing with the incidence of levies made by hospital boards on local authorities. Expenditure on hospitals was primarily in the hands of hospital boards. Expenditure had increased in recent years for various reasons, but the boards had to make levies on the local authorities at present. Hospital boards were elected by precisely the same electors who voted for the local bodies.

It seemed to the Minister that the work of collecting the levies could best be done by the local bodies who had the necessary machinery for the work. If tho local bodies did not like that work the obvious reply seemed to him to be that the hospital boards should be made rating authorities. That was undesirable because it would multiply the methods of levying of rates. If there were any complaint about levies the people who were responsible for local representation were to blame, because they elected the hospital represntatives. He had asked for a conference between the municipal and county authorities on tho question and had stated that when they agreed on a basis for the levies he would be pleased to consider fresh legislation.

Replying to the Leader of the Opposition, the Prime Minister said a Licensing Bill would probably be introduced next week, and if Parliament passed it there would be ample time to have all the necessary ballot papers printed. The Prime Minister laid on the table the report of the recent national industrial conference, after which it was agreed the discussion should be taken on Thursday. IMPROVEMENT IN PRISONS. The Hon. F. J. Rolleston laid on the table the annual report of the Prisons Department, tho discussion on which occupied the whole of the afternoon, the speakers generally eulogising the improvement that had taken place in prison reform during recent years. In reply tho Minister said the mam purpose of prisons was reformation, but they could not ba administered without a certain amount of discipline and authority. Ho paid a tribute to the prison officers and to the voluntary workers who had laboured for the benefit of the prisoners. The Minister also laid on the table tho report of the Probation Department.

The Leader of the Opposition drew attention to a report on the operation of the probation system in Victoria where, he said, out of 162 prisoners released on probation only seven had been returned to gaol, and ho asked if the Minister could give similar information as to the operation of the system in New Zealand. He thought more prisoners might be released on probation.

In reply, the Minister said the question of probation was entirely for the magistrates. The number released in New Zealand had not been quite so great as quoted bp Mr. Holland, but tho position was quite satisfactory. During the past five years 957 prisoners had been released, of which only 120, or 12.5 per cent., had been returned to prison.

The report of the Prisons Board was id on the table without discussion.

The report of the Education Department was laid on the table by the Hon. R. A. Wright. By Governor-General’s message the Public Works Act Amendment Bill was introduced. In reply to the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister- of Public Works explained it was intended to introduce a Consolidation of the Public Works Act before tho end of tho session, and there were some amendments they desired to get into that consolidation. They referred principally to the dedication of lands and streets, etc. The Bill was read a first time.

STATUS OF ALIENS IN DOMINION.

The Minister of Justice, the Hon. F. J. Rolleston, moved the second reading of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens (in New Zealand) Bill, which originated in the Legislative Council. He said all tho Bills introduced throughout the British commonwealth of nations were on similar lines, and were designed to secure uniformity throughout the Empire in the matter of the naturalisation of aliens. In 1923 New Zealand had not gone so far as other portions of tho Empire and had not accepted the principle of Empire citizenship; that was, a person who was a British citizen in one part of the Empire was a citizen in all parts of the Empire. On the contrary, we had adopted local citizenship which was good only so far as New Zealand was concerned. New Zealand was the only country in the Empire standing out of the generally accepted standard of naturalisation, and this had created anomalies. It was now proposed to adopt Part 11. of the British Act and so adopt the British standard of naturalisation which was rather higher than our present one. Mr. P. Fraser said that so far as the Bill sought to unify and simplify the system of naturalisation, unless New Zealand was prepared to take up the attitude that she would ignore the recommendations of the Imperial Conferences and legislate only for ourselves, there could be no particular objection to the present Bill. He, however, regretted that the Government had not taken the opportunity to do justice to British women who had married aliens and thereby lost their British nationality. He had never heard a single argument that would hold water whj- this should not be done. Mr. E. P. Lee (Oamaru) said the cardinal principle of the Bill was uniformity in the system of naturalisation. This was a change of front on New Zealand’s part, but he denied that she had been invited by the Imperial Conference to make this change. On the other hand Britain had looked sympathetically on the position taken up in 1923; that was that we had the right to naturalise whom we pleased. The second reading was carried. (Left Silting.)