PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, 11 October 1922, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY. | (“The Age” Special.) , ROLL-STUFFING. Wellington, October 9. —The Min s- ■ ter of Justice (the Hon. K. D Loe) ■ informed the. House to-night (follow- H fug a question from Mr Malcolm, who H called his attention to the imposi- m tion of a £1 fine for double enrol- 9 ment in Auckland) that he had n- H vestigated the position with the Com- & missioner of Police, and * future g action would be taken under the Crimes Act so as to make t’ae of roll-stuffing indictable. Lre declared that the offence disclosed in Auckland amounted to forgery, and he looked on it a>; an offence of such a serious character that it must be stopped. He therefore took that cpI ertunity of drawing publi • attention to what would be done if future cases arose. The full penalty wa only £26, but under the Crimes Act the pun sl.ment is imprisonment. He added that persons! aiding ..and abetting douile enroment were equally liahb l w’th the person who signed the enrolment peper.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS. • Since 1920 it has been possible for leaseholders of national endowment lend to convert to the freehold, but the process has not been rapid, the? 1 annual report of these reserves showing that the only areas excluded lufve been one lot of national endowment land in the North Auckland land district (32 acres), four lots In the Auckland land district (3364 acre.-'), and three small grazing runs in the Hawkes Bay land district (8335 acres). No doubt the present financial position is responsible for the small number of lessees who desire to acquire the fee simple, adds the report, which shows that the total area comprised in national endowment on Marbh 31 was approximately 9,064,694 acres. RENT RESTRICTION LAW. The Government does not intend io extend the rent restriction law as it finds that it has restricted the building of houses., and consequently it intends to let it lapse, stated the Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister of Labour) to-night, in reply to a question by Sir John Luke, who said the* present law expires at the end of the year. Mr Anderson said that during the pa-ft fortnight he had had a return of the number of buildings erected in the Domii/on for the year ended

March 31. and this showed that the number of new houses was not, as had been suggested, fewer than the proportion required in accordance with the increase, in po illation. Mr W. E. Parry drew the Minisattention to the fact that a house of 12 rooms was to be demolished in Auckland for the purpose of erecting a factory. and he urged him to prevent this while the housing shortage continued to exist. Mr Anderson promised to look into the matter. SAMOA. The Samoan administrate: on wan discussed by the House to-night, Labour members making the main feature of their attack on the indentured labour system. Mr Holland’s motion that the system be abolished wa.s| negatived by 27 votes to 9. the minority including Messrs Sidey, Masters, Veitch, and Edie. MAGISTRATE COURTS.

A number of improvements in Magistrate Court’s procedure are embodied in an amending Bill introduced by the Minister of Justice. Therp is also power to appoint a>> sistant clerks of Court. The Bill authorised the appointment of temporary Magistrates in cases of need, but stipulate.; that no person shall be so appointed unless he is eligible for appointment as Magistrate, save that a person otherwise qualified who has attained the age of 65 (including a Magistrate who ha-7 retired after attaining that age) may be appointed for a period not exceeding 12 mouths or for two periods not exceeding 12 months in the aggicgate. COMPANY LAW.

A, consolidation of the Company Law has been introduced but will not be proceeded with this session. Its main object is to bring the New Zealand company law into general conformity wiith the law of England, the retaining the Dominion provisions relating to private companies.