PARLIAMENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19360, 8 December 1932, Page 12

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraob Association WELLINGTON, December 7. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. Mining Claims. The Hon. M. Fagan asked the Government whether it would take into consideration the urgent need of amending the Mining Act, in order to prevent the present practice of persons holding gold-mining areas for purely speculative purposes, by making provision for the payment of substantial cash deposit by applicants for any gold-mining claim the area of which exceeded five acres. The Hon. R. Masters replied that it was recognised that the existing mining law was not satisfactory, and it was proposed, when the next Mining Bill was being prepared, to ensure that claims and other mining rights were worked more fully than they were at present. Local BUI. The Carterton and District Memorial Bill was passed through all its stages without amendment. Fire Brigade’s Bill. The Fire Brigade’s Act Amendment Bill was received from the House, put through all stages, and passed. Native Lands. The Native Lands Act Amendment Bill, which was received from the House, was read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Native Affairs Committee. Cook Islands. In moving the second reading of the Cook Islands Act Amendment Bill. Sir James Parr said the Bill provided for transfer of the administration of Niue Island from the minister in charge of the Cook Islands to the Minister of External Affairs. The Hon. K. McCallum said he had always been opposed to the control of Samoa by New Zealand. He asked for an assurance that the change of control of Niue would not create further trouble in Samoa. Sir James Parr said the Bill did not place Niue under the Samoan Administrator, but the island would be in the same position as it was before.

The Bill was put tnrougn ius remaining stages and passed. Hospitals Bill. The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act Amendment Bill, which was read a second time, yesterday, was put through its remaining stages and passed. The Council rose at 3.55 p.m. until 1.30 to-morrow. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Petrol Prices. Mr W. J. Poison asked whether the Government would follow' the lead of Australia, and institute exhaustive inquiry into the profits of oil and petrol companies. He said retail petrol prices were out of reasonable proportion to wholesale prices, and taxation was being avoided. Mr Forbes said extensive inquiries into the costs, importation and distribution of petrol had already been made, and a report on the investigations had been submitted to Parliament. The subject as a whole was receiving further consideration, and additional information was being sought from the Commonwealth. Bills Reported. The Hawke's Bay Rivers Act Amend - ment Bill, and the Whangarei Harbour Board Vesting Bill, were reported from the Local Bills Committee with amendments. The Waitangi National Trust Board Bill was reported from the Lands Committee with amendments. The Auckland City Empowering Bill was reported from the Lands Committee without amendments. Finance Bill. The Finance Bill was introduced by Governor-General's message, and read a first time. First Readings. The Taieri River Improvement Act Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor-General’s message and read a first time. Bills Passed. The New Zealand Loans Bill, the Property Law Act Amendment Bill, and the Reserved and Other Lands Disposal Bill, were put through the remaining stages and passed. In moving the second reading of the New Zealand Loans Bill, Mr Steward said the proposal to consolidate the law relating to loans had been undei consideration for some time, and hac more than once been recommended b; the Auditor-General as being advis able on the grounds of simplificatioi and economy. Referring to a clause providing for a change of domicile o securities, the Minister said this hac beer, necessary by reason of the fac that purchasers of securities had beei placed at a disadvantage, because the; had had to present coupons for pay ment at some place other than that ii

which they were domiciled. Supplementing Estimates. Urgency was accorded the passage of the Supplementary Estimates, which were introduced by Governor-General’s message. Reference was made to the vote of an additional £450 towards the expenses of the delegation to Ottawa. Mr J. A. Lee mentioned Mr E. F. Healy’s visit to Ottawa, and asked if the item included anv of the expense of the member for Wairau. Mr Coates said Mr Healy was not likely to indulge in back-door methods. He was surprised that a member of Parliament should indulge in such insinuations. The Rev. C. Carr said the newspapers had reported that night clubs had been very busy while the Conference was in progress. Had this had anything to do with the amount being voted. Mr Coates said the question was beneath contempt. Mr Carr: "I didn't say it was true, but it appeared in the papers.” Mr E. J. Howard asked for details as to what the amount had been expended upon. Mr Coates said it related to fares, etc., for the staff attending the delegation. Recovery of Stolen Money. Mr Stewart was asked whether any of the money involved in the defalcations in the High Sommissioner's Office had been recovered. He said that none had been recovered up to the present, but it was hoped that it would be possible to get something back in connection with superannuation payments due to the officers concerned He could not say whether legislation would be necessary to enable this course to be taken. The House ad.journed at 5.30 p.m.

On resuming at 7.30. the House continued to deal with the Supplementary Estimates. Discussing the vote of an additional fBOOO to meet expenses in connection

with Mortgagors Relief Commissions, Mr J. A. Lee asked how appointments to the Commissions were made, and alleged that from one end of the country to the other. Commissions were packed with supporters of the Government. The Hon. J. G. Cobbe said the appointments were not political appointments. The best men who could be procured had been asked to act. Mr P. Langstone alleged that the Government had shown favouritism in the appointments, and said there had been too much of this sort of thing going on for the good government and clean political life of the country. Mr Coates said he did not think Mr Langstone’s remarks needed be taken seriously. “He talks and talks in every possible way.” Mr Langstone: “You can’t even talk.” Mr Coates: “He just talks and talks and he talked his poor unfortunate candidate out at Motueka.” Continuing, Mr Coates said members of the Commissions were carefully selected. It was difficult to find supporters of the Labour Party who were farmers, and who were able to understand the farmers' difficulties. Mr W. E. Barnard expressed astonishment at Mr Coates’s statement th-il it was difficult to find men from | amongst the Labour Party who wei e suitable to serve on Commissions. He said he could name half a dozen farmers in the Kaipara electorate who. were in sympathy with the Labour Party, and who could do the job. Mr Fraser said they had heard something from the Minister of Public Works that was fortunately rare in the House—an attack on the personal ability of a member. Mr Coates: “Yes, very definitely.” Mr Fraser: “The only difficulty in the matter is the qualification of the Minister of Public Works to judge.” Mr Coates: “Now we shall get some Billingsgate.” Mr Fraser: “I am not going to follow the example of the Minister and reflect on his ability.” He added that as a friend and colleague had been attacked, he wanted to state that Mr Langstone would compare more than favourably with any Minister or any member in the House. Mr Cobbe said that when he had ■ appointed the Commissions he had been ignorant of the political leanings of any men, apart from two or three. . Political influences had not weighed t with him one iota. > After further discussions, Mr A. M. Samuel declared: “Of course all these 1 appointments are political. It is no . use playing blind man’s buff with two holes in the handkerchief. We know 5 that if the Labour Party were in n power the appointments would be f made in a similar manner.” j Labour members (emphatically): t “ No ” Mr Samuel: “Of course they would, ‘ and if they were not made in a similar " manner, the Labour Party would not " be playing the game with their supnorters.”

porters. Mr Barnard said he wanted to draw the Minister’s attention to the disparity. Farmers were appointed to Commissions because of their knowledge j of farm mortgagors’ difficulties, but in the cities people such as bankers, who would clearly appreciate a mortgagee’s position more fully, were appointed. He asked why the Government did not appoint somebody who would be able to appreciate the position of the householder, wage-earner, and the salaryearner. Wellington Riots. The supplementary vote for the Police Department occasioned numerous brisk exchanges, in reference to the disturbances in Wellington in May, and also to remarks stated to have been made by a police officer at Napier. Mr H. T. Armstrong asked Mr Cobbe whether he had taken any action 1 against Superintendent Cummings. who had made a speech at a meeting • of the Rotary Club at Napier, to the effect that the Christchurch tramway ’ strike had been suppressed, and that 1 so far as Christchurch concerned, there were not likely to be any more ’ strikes. A number of Labour members declared that officers of the Police Force should not be allowed to make partisan speeches. r Mr Cobbe said he was not aware that a speech of the kind had been j 5 made. He did not know whether any [ action could be taken in reference to ! a speech made at a Rotary Club. 1 Mr R. McKeen alleged that the lackadaisical manner in which Mr Coates had treated a deputation had precipi- “ tated the Wellington May disturbs ances. Other Labour members, together with Mr H. Atmore. declared that, lack . of tact had been displayed in keeping y the crowd waiting at Parliament gates so long. L 1 Mr Coates said the deputation had n left his room long before dark.

Mr R. Semple submitted that the crowd as citizens should have been admitted to Parliament Grounds, and the Minister shou' ' have heard their representations, he added that the window-breaking had not been done by the crowd as a whole, but only by a few irresponsible youths. Estimates Passed. The Supplementary Estimates, as well as additional appropriations of £59,347 for the Public Works Fund, were passed at 12.45, and the House rose at 12.50 till 10.30 a.m. to-morrow morning.