A. AND P. SHOWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19623, 18 October 1933, Page 6

A. AND P. SHOWS

UNDESIRABLES TO BE EXCLUDED BILL PASSES HOUSE By Telegrapli—Press Association WELLINGTON. October 17. Speaking on the short title ol the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Amendment Bill when the measure was being considered in Committee in the House of Representatives to-day, Mr F. W. Schramm (Lab., Auckland 35ast> criticised the clause giving A. and P. Societies the power to prohibit certain classes of people from going on to showgrounds. He said that the societies might draw up 20 or 30 sets of regulations, all of which would be different, and urged that provision should be made for the issue of one set of regulations to apply to shows throughout New Zealand. He agreed that people who were allowed to run sideshows should be under control, and not allowed to swindle the public. Mr E. J. Howard (Lab., Christchurch South) said that the Bill would give power to people outside the Justice Department to class others as criminals. The Hon. J. G. Cobbe said that the Police Department favoured the Bill. Par from making criminals, it would have the efTect of keeping criminals away from shows. Mr H. S. S. Kyle (C., Riccarton) said the police wanted the Bill passed because under the present law there were difficulties in the way of keeping undesirables off showgrounds. It was often difficult for the police to obtain definite proof of the illegality of soma sideshows, because confederates warned the showmen when the police were approaching. There was an association of showmen, who, for their own protection, desired that the Bill should be passed. Mr J. A. Lee (Lab., Grey Lynn) said that the Minister could soothe all fears about the Bill if he would give an assurance that the drafting of the regulations would be in the hands of the Justice Department, but objection would be raised if the A. and P. Societies were to be allowed to be a law unto themselves, and every A. and P. Society was going to be turned into a legislative body. A Possible Injustice. Mr A. J. Stallworthy (Ind., Eden) said it was possible that some society might issue a regulation prohibiting all persons convicted of negligent driving from going on to a growgxound. This might gfve rise to grave injustice, because often people were convicted for offences which turned out to be very trivial when the full circumstances were known. The Hon. C. E. Macmillan said it was impossible to rely on the police to exercise full control of all shows, because it was often the case that insufficient police could be made available. It would be impossible to frame one set of regulations that could apply to all A. and P. Societies. He pointed out that all the regulations were in accordance with the terms of the Bill, subject to approval by the Government. Mr J. Hargest (C.. Invercargill) said that the Southland A. and P. Association had asked him to oppose the Bill because it considered that the Police Department should have the sole right to issue licenses to showmen. Mr Macmillan said that it the Southland or any other association did not want to make use of the powers given by the Bill, it would not need to do so. Mr J. A. Nash <C.. Palmerston) said that the A. and P. Federation, which embraced all the societies in the North Island, had been pressing for the Bill for years. Mr Schramm expressed the opinion that all applications for licenses should be made to a stipendiary magistrate. Mr S'.allworthy moved an amendment to provide that all the regulations should be advertised in the newspapers in the districts concerned. This was defeated on the voices, and the 8.1 l went though committee unamended. The third reading was agreed to, and the Bill passed.