PARLIAMENT

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 11 July 1923, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

| THE COUNCIL. ' PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Legislative Council sat to-day at 2.30 p.m. > ' The Acts . Interpreted Bill was received from the Statutes Revision Committee without amendment, and was read a second time. The Hon. W. J. Geddis gave notice ; to ask whether' the Government might not utilise the unemployed to cut back overhanging banks cm the route of the Main Trunk Railway. i The Animals Protection and Game Amendment Bill, which purposes that instead of the Government deciding what birds shall bo protected, decision will be with the Legislature, was read a second time. At 3.45 p.m. the Council adjourned till 3.30 p.m. on Thursday. ;

THE HOUSE.

By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The House met at 2.30 p.m.

BILLS INTRODUCED

The following Bills were introduced and read a first time: —Local Legislation Bill (Hon. W. D. Stewart), Immigration Restriction Amendment Bill (Hon. W. D. Stewart), Native Lands Claims Adjustment Bill (Hon. J. G. Coates), Noxious Weeds Amendment Bill (Hon. W. Nosworthy), Companies Special Empowering Bill (Hon. W. Nosworthy), Justice of the Peace Amendment Bill (No. 2) (Hon. C. J. Parr) and the Industrial and Provident Societies Amendment Bill (Hon. R. F. Bollard).

STATE ADVANCES. The adjourned debate on the State Advances Amendment Bill was resumed by Mr P. A. de la Perrelie (Awarua), who supported the Bill, and hoped that the Government would not neglect to have ample money available l'or farmers when the moratorium expired. Mr W. H. Field (Ofcaki) drew attention to the fact that a number of the largest lending firms in the Dominion were controlled from Australia, and sometimes Australian directors, without very much notice, called in as much money as possible from investments in New Zealand for investment in Australia. This was calculated to place many New Zealand aettle'rs in difficulties, and he thought that the Government should consider whether somO steps could bo taken to stop that sort of thing. Mr L. Mcllvride (Napier) said that the first stop in solving the housing problem was to house that section of society who by its smallness of wages are not able to pay down a deposit or pay a high rent. To those people 95* per cent, was of no use, and the Government ought to advance them 100 per cent, of the cost of a home. Mr F. J. Rolleston (Timaru? said that the solution of the housing problem rested with the State. Private enterprise was hopeless, and the loca; bodies had not boon able to provide houses on the scale anticipated, because the funds had not been available to* them. The Bill woujd bo a success in cases where tho State is the only mortgagee, but in cases whoro a sfeconc? mortgage came into the transaction he anticipated trouble, because tho occupant would enter into engagements with the second mortgagee which they could nevor carry out. He wanted to see tho Act of 1919 continued, with, liberal grants to local bodies tor housing purposes, as they could administer tho scheme more efficiently than a centra! authority in Wellington. Mr it! Masters (Stratford) said that flic Liberals would welcome anythin;;, done to assist tho farming community. The Advances Department, though well managed, could never meet all the demands of tho farmers, and an Agricultural Bank was hound to coiuo. All the same, ho wanted to see this Bill got a good run, and ho wanted to see tho Government put more “ginger”. into its administration than they did into the Act of 1919. Mi- J. A. Nash (Palmerston) supported tho Bill, but he thought Ilia! the Government should not build houses, as private enterprise could boat the Government every Lime. Ho reeomniondcd the Government to look into wimv, \rii.s being done in the Old Country regarding bousing. He thought that. a subsidy to private builders, with a fix lure of rent on twenty years, would be the best solution of the housing problem. ~,, The Hon J. A. !■Lilian (Invercargill' id i bat the Bill might do somethin.: Id relieve die bousing difficulty. I would ccrl ninly create a boom in lan : buying and building, and in so doinp mijdifpessiblv create a crop of new m il winch would ‘take the place of the ex; ; ino ones. Nothing would si a bin: - IhTugs so much as a complete revision oi our system of land valuat inn. _ On Hie mol.ion oi the lion. \\ . Nog vorihv 1 be debnie was adjourned un.n nexi silling dav, the Premier ilitmiai lllg ibat be wc-hed in pm-s-d Aitb in Kina neinl Debate at 7..‘(0 JP-hi-