PARLIAMENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18412, 2 November 1929, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. j By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, November 1. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 to-day. _ Amendments Agreed 10. Amendments submitted by the Gov-ernor-General to the Land Laws Amendment Bill were agreed to. The Council agreed also to amendments made by the House in the LawPractitioners Amendment (Solicitors Fidelity Guarantee Fund) Bill. Bills Passed. The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill, and the Pacific Cable Sale Authorisation Bill, were received from the House, and put through all their stages and passed without amendment. Arms Act. * The Arms Amendment Bill was read a first time, and a second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Hon. V. Reed moved that in the administration of the Railways, special consideration should be given to providing facilities for development of land, thereby assisting increased production. He defended the construction of the North Auckland line, pointing to the great resultant improvement that had been effected in the quality of land in the district. He felt strongly that the Railways were the backbone of the country. The Hon. V. Mander differed with Mr Reed in respect to the North Auckland Railway, remarking that the line, which had cost between £70,000 and' £BO,OOO per mile, had very little chance of ever paying. It was railways of that kind that made the system as a whole a non-paying proposition. The Hon. J. B. Gow said it was monstrous to indulge in extravagant expenditure on railways largely by political means, and then to judge the Railway Department by the dividend results it produced on the capital volved. The Hon. O. J. Garland said the railways would continue to lose financially unless they were further written down. Nearly every line in the Dominion had been more or less a “political stunt.” He advocated the adoption of the zone system of charges, as a means of enabling the railways to compete with motors. The Hon. J. Barr said a stage had been reached when no further expenditure should be incurred on new lines, without very careful consideration. The motion was carried. The Council adjourned at 4.15. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Telegrapli—Pi'ess Association. WELLINGTON, November 1. The House of Representatives met at 10.30 this morning. Notice of New Bill. Mr J- McCombs gave notice of his intention to introduce a Local Elections Proportional Representation Bill. New Bills. The Nurses and Midwives Registration Amendment Bill (Hon. A. J. Stalworthy), and the Products Export Amendment Bill (Hon. G. W. Forbes), were introduced and read a first time. Licensing Bill. The Industries and Commerce Committee. report.'ng on the Licensing Amendment Bill (Mr H. G. R. Mason), recommended that it should not be allowed to proceed on the ground that it should be reserved for consideration when the next amendments to the Licens ng Law are dealt with. Mr Mason said he realised that little progress could have been made this session, but he regretted that the Bill was not to be advanced a further stage. He considered that if the law were altered to take some of the artificial obstacles out of the way of wine growing, there would be a great advance in the industry in New Zealand. Mr McCombs said the Bill was not as innocent a measure as would appear from Mr Mason’s remarks. It would greatly increase the number of wine shops, and would have mischievous results. The report was laid on the table. Local Legislation Bill. The Local Bills Committee recommended that the Local Legislation Bill should be allowed to proceed with .amendments. The report was tabled. The House at 1 p.m. After a lengthy debate on a division on the report of the Wheat Duties Committee, urgency was accorded consideration of four bills. The Hon. G. W. Forbes agreed to a suggestion by the Hon. J. G. Coates that, instead of adjourning till 7.30, the House should endeavour to put the Bills through at once, members indicating that there was likely to be little delay. Speeding Up. The Native Trustee Amendment Bill was committed, read a third time, and passed. The Local Legislation Bill, and the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal (Washing Up) Bill were read a second time, and these Bills, with the Native Washing Up Bill, were then considered in Committee, after which progress was reported. The House rose at 6.35 p.m., till 10.30 a.m. to-morrow.