PARLIAMENTARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8985, 19 July 1907, Page 1

PARLIAMENTARY.

♦ .(Abridged from Press Association.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thtjbsdat, July 18. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Council met at 2.30 p.m., and adjourned for the . presentation of the Address-in-Reply to the Governor. Upon resuming, the Council immediately adjourned until Friday week. < house of Representatives. < Thuksday, July 18. < AFTERNOON SITTING. ' The House met at 2.30 p.m. * LAND BILL. < Replying to Mr Massey, tho Hon R. M'ttab said that the Land Bill would be brought down this week. i MUSICIANS. 6 Mr Sidey moved the seoond reading of the Musicians Bill to provide for c the registration of musicians and for E the regulation of instruction in music in New Zealand, and of admissions of musicians to the' society to be incor- £ pc-rated under the provisions of the r Act. Members of the various register- n ed musical societies, he explained, were a to be admitted, and all persons over " twenty-one years of age who had been * habitually engaged in composing, teach- ' mg, performing or writing upon music for three years prior to the coming into operation of the Act should be entitled to have their names registered, together with all persons holding diplomas, degrees or certificates showing qualifications. The remainder of the I Bill was composed mainly of machinery ! clauses, including power to deal "with J offences against tL« provisions of the Act. o*7__,g to the opposition exhibited to the Bill in certain quarters, he did. not intend to proceed further with the measure this session than having it read a second time and referred to a Select Committee. Such a Bill was in the interest of the standing of the musical orofession of the colony. Mr T. 'Mackenzie moved that the Bill should be read a second time that day six months. He scathingly criticised . the provisions of the measure, especially the penal clauses. I Mr Barbe. supporter' the amendment, j § He considered the Bill prematare. [ i There were sufficient examining bodies I without establishing another one. 1 Mr Fisher opposed the Bill, and | pointed out that it proposed to set up 1 a monopoly.' As to the age of persons £ to be admitted, he said there were a i great many persons under twenty-one §f who had the faculty of teaching music, 1 and they were debarred from member- ■ ship. n Mr Barclay said! he thought the Bill

should be allowed to go so far as to be considered by the committee proposed to be set up. Mr Buddo 6aid that, while the musicians of the colony deserved sympathy, he objected to making a close corporation of them. There were, however, 6ome good features in the Bill, and he would not like to see it killed outright. Mr Aitken said that the Wellington musicians opposed the Bill on the ground that it was unsuitably drafted, and they wished to obtain a general conference of musicians of the colony during the year to decide what was the best step to take. Mr Hanan favoured the second reading of the Bill. Mr Izard 6tated that he had received information from musicians from all parts of the colony that they 'did not want the Bill. The amendment was negatived by 38 to 22, and the Bill was read a second time. Mr Sidey moved that the Bill should be referred to a select committee. Carried by 35 to 32. ACCOUNTANTS. Mr A. L. D. Fraser moved the second reading of the Accountants Bill. Ho said it was a measure which ought to have been introduced by a Minister of the Crown. Lengthy as the Bill was, its object could be explained in a few words. It was that the accountants and actuaries of the colony should be registered, and that the five hundred or six hundred accountants and actuaries in the colony should be embodied into one solid body. He had the approval of the majority of those interested in the measure in asking for this Bill, and he hoped that the House would assist in making the Bill a workable measure. He desired to 6ee none excluded who should be included, and that none should be admitted to registration who ought not to be admitted. Mr Wilford agreed that th© Bill was necessary, and that these men should be given a proper 6tatus. Referring to the penal clause, he urged that it should be modified so as to prevent the harshness which would bear upon certain persons earning a livelihood as accountants. Mr Aitken contended that a Bill containing such an important principe as this one ought to bear the imprimatur of the Government. He criticised the machinery- clauses, and expressed the opinion- that the door was opened too wide for safety. On the other hand, he objected to the clause providing that no one should be permitted to audit the accounts of companies unle&s he was a public accountant, as it jyould be found embarrassing in country districts where there were no / public accountants. He approved of the principle of the Bill, but as framed it would be unworkable. He hoped the principle would be affirmed, and that then the Government would take the matter in hand. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. TRUSTEES. The Trustees Act Amendment Bill passed through committee without amendment. . FARRIERS. The Farriers Bill was committed. The discussion was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Farriers' Bill was further considered in committee, and reported with verbal amendments. PURE FOOD. The Pure Foods Bill was further con. sidered in committee. Clause 13, providing that reliance or a writ-en warrant is a good defence for sale of goods. Mr Aitken pointed out that this wa. right enough as far as it went, but it did not meet the case of a retailer who. afcer putting his goods on a shelf, could not say afterwards which of the goodwere warranted. The Hon G. Fowlds said that tht same remarks had been made when a similar provision was before the Victorian Parliament, but they had not been verified in practice. Unless there was some such provision they might just as well say they did not want a Pure Foods Bill. Mr T. Mackenzie 6aid that the trouble would be for a retailer to prove thai any particular goods were bought from any particular merchant. The Hon G. Fowlds said that the retailer wanted something to go back on, and that was the manufacturer. That was what this clause provided for. Subsection 2 of Clause 14 (no warrant shall be any defence unless given in New Zealand by or on behalf of a resident or incorporated company carrying on business there) was, on the motion of the Hon G. Fowlds?, struck out, and the following substituted : — " No warrant or other written statement given or made by a person resident outside New Zealand shall b« any defence under this section unless the defendant proves that he hae taken reasonable steps to ascertain, and did in fact believe in the truth oi the matters set forth in such warrant or statement." The clause as amended was agreed to. At Clause 15 (what constitutes adulteration) considerable discussion en. sued, but it was passed unamended. At Clause 23 (sources of information >r reports) the Minister moved to nake reports confidential. The clause passed. At Clause 26 (Governor to make regulations) the Hon G. Fowlds moved a lew sub-section : " The Governor may nake regulations making it lawful for my person at any time, within twelve nonths of the gazetting of regulations, :o sell any food or drug, the sale of

which is otherwise lawful, if he proves that at the said date such food or ] drug wa6 par£ of the existing stock-in-trade in New Zealand of a person carrying on business there, and that since the gazetting no act has been done by which such food or drug fails to comply with the regulation." Agreed to. The Hon G. Fowlds also moved a new clause to replace Clause 13, which | had been struck out at a previous sitting, providing that in any prosecution for selling any food or drug contrary to the provisions of Act it shall be no defence that defendant did not act wilfully, unless he also proves that he took all reasonable steps to ascertain the nature, quality, quantity, composi- I tion or weight, as the case may be' t of j the articles sold by him. Carried. A new clause also was added, provid- | ing that copies of the regulations ph-*!! be laid before Parliament within twenty-one days of the commencement of the next ensuing session. Mr Barclay moved a new clause, making it compulsory for any const" ble to purchase a sample of food or drug for analysis when required to do so. Agrpod to. The Bill was reported ?6 amended. PUBLIC TRUST. I The Public Trust Office Bill was further considered in committes. j A new clause was added at tho su<*-- J gestion of Mr Massey, providing thnt where the Public Trustee proposes to ' take over the property of «n al*s""t " under the powers conferred by the Bill, I notice to do so is to be published in the "Gazette" and a paper circulating m the district where the property is situated or where the absentee owner last resided. Th" Bill w?s reported a? amended. -The House rose at 11.20 p.m.