PARLIAMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18653, 23 August 1930, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph— Aif*cUtin» WELLINGTON. August 22. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. to-dny. Taxation Bills. The Land and Income Tax (Annual) Bill, and the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill were received from the House of Representatives. The measures were accorded urgency, and passed without amendment. Defence System. The debate was continued on the Defence (temporary) Amendment Bill. The Hon. G. S. Thomson said he felt that economy w r ould be a retrograde step so far as the defence was concerned, and he supported Sir James Allen’s amendment that the Bill should be read in six months’ time. He wanted to see young people brought up to a sense of their responsibilities. The Hon. W. W. Snodgrass supported the amendment. His Imperial sentiments were sufficiently strong to lead him to support the present system rather than to effect economies. The' Hon. G. Witty supported the Bill. A standing army was of no use in New Zealand. The cause of the last war was that every male German was a trained soldier. The Hon. L. M. Isitt supported the Bill, and said he was committed to oppose the territorial system so long as there was no conscience clause. The Council adjourned at 5 p.m. till 8 p.m. The debate on the second reading of the Defence (temporary) Amendment Bill was continued when the Council resumed at 8 o’clock. The Hon. W. Eamshaw declared that the Bill was of a pacifist character. He had great sympathy with the Government, which was faced with the necessity of finding large sums of money, but the question they had to ask themselves was whether the country should be left defenceless or not. The proposal of the Government was a wretched one. The Government was being carried along at the chariotwheel of the Labour Party. The Hon. D. Buddo supported the Bill as a temporary measure. He said he would have voted against a permanent measure. The Hon. A. S. Malcolm gave his support to the Bill. There was a tremendous feeling against compulsory military service in Britain. Mr Malcolm added that there was “not the same danger of war to-day as there was in 1914.’’ The Hon. W. H. Fagan said the Bill represented only one of many necessary economies that the Government had had to undertake. It had certainly not been due to the domination of the Labour Party. The Hon. J. B. Gow said the Bill went further than mere suspension for one year of compulsory military training. It enunciated the principle of voluntary training, and he considered it a preposterous proposal. Sir W. Hall-Jones reminded the Council that it -was not an electivechamber. It should hesitate to reverse a vote of the House of Representatives, which was elected by the people. Replying to the debate, the Leader of the Council (Hon. R. A. Masters), said he was disappointed that members had not given close attention to the provisions of the Bill. Nothing could be clearer than that permanent abandonment of compulsory traihing was not embodied in it. If it had not been for the need of economy, the Bill would never have appeared before the Council. Bill Defeated. A division was taken, and the Bill was defeated, the amendment being carried by 17 to 9. The Council adjourned at 10.36 till 2.30 on Wednesday next. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. First Readings. The Crimes Act Amendment Bill was received from the Legislative Council and read a first time. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time: Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill (Minister of Labour>; Destitute Persons Act Amendment Bill (Mr W. E. Barnard). In introducing the latter Bill, Mr Barnard said it was designed to enable needy people to proceed in the Magistrate’s Court for orders with respect to maintenance and alimony. He pointed out that at present enforcement of such orders of the Supreme Court was in the hands of the Magistrate’s Court. He believed it had originally been intended that Magistrates should also have power to make orders, but the phrasing of the statute was such that this could not be done. He added that by reason of their experience, Magistrates were .{“specially fitted to deal with cases ofHhe kind.

The Estimates. The House went into Committee-of-Supply to deal with the estimates. The vote of £13,900 for the Prime Minister’s Department was considered first. Replying to questions, the Hon. G. W. Forbes stated that different countries associated in the League of Nations were assessed at a certain proportion of the Secretariat expenses. The total number of units was 986, of which New r Zealand constituted ten, Australia 27, the United Kingdom 140, Japan 60, Italy 60, etc. The total Budget for the Secretariat expenses amounted roughly to a million sterling a year, and £IO,IBO was estimated as New Zealand’s share. It might be more next year, as he understood the expenses were slightly larger. Possibly a further vote would have to be made in the Supplementary Estimates to make up the Dominion’s quota. The Prime Minister said that in regard to the whaling industry, the threatened extermination of whales had been the subject of a conference, and it would be considered at the Imperial Conference. The necessity for some international agreement relating to the discharge of oil refuse from oilburners would also be mentioned. The vote was passed. The estimate of £30,900 was passed for the Treasury Department, £25,000 for the National Provident and Friendly Societies Department, and £81,291 for the State Advances Department. While the State Advances vote was under discussion, questions were raised as to the extent to which the Government was prepared to grant loans on properties. The Minister stated that the policy of advancing to the extent of 95 per cent .on valuation had not been discontinued. The difficulty was that some applicants confused price with valuation, and in some instances the valuer was not satisfied with the price that had been paid for a section on which a house was built. Replying to the Hon. J. G. Coates, Mr Forbes said it was not the policy of the Government to stipulate that advances must he repaid it the property

was sold. So far as he knew, there had been no instances of such stipulations having been made. Invercargill Seat. The Speaker reported the result of the Invercargill by-election, and the new member, Mr Vincent A. Ward, W'as thereupon sworn in, Messrs G. C. Black and C. H. Clinkard acting as sponsors.

Farewell to Mr Forbe*. Speaking on a motion to adjourn the House, the Leader of the Opposition took the opportunity to extend to the Prime Minister the best wishes of the Reform Party for a pleasant trip. They trusted that he would meet with every success, and felt that he would represent New Zealand with credit to himself and to the Dominion at the Imperial Conference. They knew that in the last two weeks they had not made the path easy for the Prime Minister, but they knew he would realise that strong criticism made for better legislation. . .. The Leader of the Labour Party said his party joined with Mr Coates rn ® x_ tending best wishes to Mr Forbes. They hoped the Imperial Conference would be a success, and that those views which made for progress of the nations and the peace of the world, would receive front rank consideration. Mr Forbes, in replying, expressed his thanks for the good wishes and for the co-operation and goodwill shown by members of the House during a particularly strenuous period. He thought he was right in saying that never before in the history of a New Zealand Parliament, had so much contentious legislation been put through In so short a time. This would not have been possible had he not had the cooperation of members. He recognised the importance of his mission in attending the Imperial Conference. He knew that the sentiment in New Zealand towards the Old Land was very strong and very deep, and it was his wish that he might be of some eervice in maintaining the very close relationship of the past, and in maintaining that unity of the British Empire that would be of benefit to the peace of the world. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. till 3.30 oa Tuesday,