PARLIAMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17756, 17 September 1927, Page 17

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Bx Tcloirrai»)i —Press Association. WELLINGTON, September 16. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. Six days’ leave of absence was granted tv the Hon. H. L. Michel on account of illness. SUMMER TIME BILL. The Summer Time Bill was received from the House, read a first time, ami set down for its second reading next Wednesday.

MARRIAGE AMENDMENT BILL. In the course of tho second reading of tho Marriage Amendment Bill, objection was raised by the Hon. A. S. Malcolm to the proposal that any ten persons belonging to any congregation should be entitled to nominate one of their number to perform marriages. The Bill was a cheap one,, and might bring marriage into contempt. The’Hon. L. M. Isifct saw danger in a Bill which permitted “any ten scallywags” to. nominate one m heir number to perform marriages. Other members supported the objections) raised. The Leader of the Council (Sir'F. Bell) pointed out that the precedent conceded in the case of'tne Society ot Friends and said it was desired to extend it to oilier bodies in which there were no officiating ministers. The Bill required that the body should be a religious body, and so satisfy the Minister of Internal Affairs. The provision was exactly the same ns in the Marriage Act. He said he would be willing to accept an amendment in committee to ensure that tho nominees wero of good character. . The second reading was carried by 21 to S. -

The Council adjourned at 3.48 until Tuesday.

THE HOUSE. : The House met at 2.30 p.m. CHURCH PROPERTY AMENDMENT BILL. The Church Property Trust (Canterbury) Amendment Bill (Mr H. T. Armstrong) which originated 'in the Legislative Council, w T as read a third time and passed. SELECT COMMITTEES. The Prime Minister gave notice to move that a select committee be appointed to consider the jxurai and intermediate Credits Bill. ! The Committee comprises Messrs J. G. Elliott, G. W. Forbes, A. Hamilton, H. E. Holland, D. Jones, D. S. Reid, M. J. Savage, E. Walton, Sir Joseph Ward and the Prime Minister. The, Prime Minister gave notice Of the setting up of a committee of ten members to consider the Intermediate Rural Credits Bill. SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL. 7 Sir John. Luke (chairman of the Labour Bills Committee) submitted the report-of the committee regarding the Shops and Offices Bill. Mr E. P. Lee (Oamaru), asked what the committee had done in regard to chemists? There wore three' or four clauses in the Bill to which chemists took exception. Mr A. Harris asked what the committee had. done in connection with the petitions presented by small shopkeepers of the Dominion? . Sir Joseph Ward also expressed concern for cnemists, who would'bo very seriously affected by some of the clauses in the Bill. Sir John Luke said that chemists did] not tender evidence, but wrote letters which wero accepted as evidence. The , petitions would...bo reporrod on later. I Every;' consideration was given to the representations of tho chemists. Tho Bill had been amended in many places, and members -would see this When they received fresh copies of it. CHRISTCHURCH DRAINAGE BILL. The Christchurch District Drainage Bill was reported from the Local Bills Committee, with amendments, by Governor’s message. RURAL CREDITS. The Rural Intermediate Credits Bill was introduced. In explaining the measure the Prime Minister said it dealt with two points — first the constitution of tho Board of Control, and secondly, finance. The Bill provided that £250,000 was the amount to be advanced by the Government to the Board, for lending out, on chattle security, stock equipment and fertilisers, which was the principal class of mortgage dealt with. Mr Forbes asked if separate bonds were to be issued different from rural credits? In reply, Mr Coates said they would be issued later on, and would be the same as under the rural credits, and v/ould be limited to a term of five years. The Bill was read a first) time.

THE ESTIMATES; The House then -wont into committee of supply to further consider the estimates. The first vote taken was £2,393,627 for the Post and Tglegranh Deuaitnieut which Mr Lee (Auckland East), moved to'reduce'by £15)000, •as a protest against the loan to the Broadcasting Company, in connection with the Wellington station. The Hon. D. Buddo wanted, a faster mail service to Britain. He;said the present mail services were neither so fast nor so good as in years past. :: The ; Prime Minister said:-, they were faster and better:- ... Sir Joseph Ward condemned the lending of departmental funds to ae private

company. If this company was to become a lending institution, then everyone should be advised of the fact. He thought broadcasting should have been retained in the hands of the Post and Telegraph Department. AJr. Forbes asked if the Government haying handed broadcasting over to a private company, what power had tho Government to keep the Broadcasting Company’s programmes up to the requisite standard? If the public could be assured that the quality of the programmes would be maintained he thought a good deal of opposition to the loan to the company -would disappear. The Loader of the Opposition said while the Post and Telegraph Department could not increase the salaries of its officers, £15.000 coukl be taken out of the funds of the department and lent to a. private company to carry on business which, the department should have carried on itself. In Queensland it was a good source of revenue to tbe State, and could be so in New Zealand. Air Savage complained of the quality of the radio programmes. Not sufficient daily information was given to residonts in . country districts. Air Lee’s amendment was, on a division, lost by 45 to 21. Tho House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m., discussion on the Post and Telegraph estimates was continued, Alessrs P: Fraser, E. A. Ransom and W. A. Veilcli urging greater eons atn i-tion' for the staff in the matter of salary and promotion. The committee proceeded to discuss the vote of £76,235 for the Tourist Department. The vote was agreed to, after a brief discussion, in which members urged the claims of their districts for more ex- ' tensive development of their tourist resorts.' i The Justice Department (£180,110) the Prisons Department (£82,383) the Crown Law Office (£5904) were agreed to after, a very brief debate. On the Police Department vote of £422,113, Mr Howard raised the ques-’ tion of Members of Parliament being allowed to visit prisoners in the cells, and asked that constables should have every other Sunday off duty.: Air Fraser congi'atulated the Commissioner upon the high standard of duty he had set before his men, and also upon the splendid manner in which they had responded to hial appeal. The vote was passed. The Main Highways Account (£700.000) the Pub ic Service Superannuation Fund Account (£7850) were botlrpassad without discussion, and the House rose at 11.22 till 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. ■ >