PARLIAMENT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18015, 2 November 1920, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 1. The Legislative Council met at 8 p.m. Nurses Registration Amendment and Land Drainage. Amendment Bills were received from the House and read a first time. The Mining Amendment Bill was committed. Sir William Fraser explained that the provision for increasing the area of special dredging areas from 400 to 1200 acres had been made to meet the case of companies importing ~ expensive dredges. The. extra acreage would make the extra expense on the dredge worth while. Two new clauses were added. One was to allow mineral prospecting warrants to be issued in respect of more than one mineral, and the other extended for a maximum of four years from January Ist, 1919, the period of protection over the Parapara iron ore leases. Sir Wm. Fraser explained that the lessees were negotiating with Vickers, Ltd., who it was thought might provide the necessary capital for development. The Bill was read a third time. Sir Francis Bell moved committal of the Workers’ Compensation Amendment. Hon. MacGregor said the 1911 Act provided for the limitation of £5OO for compensation, which was extended’by the present Bill to £750. It had been held that the limitation applied only to actions for compensation under the Workers’ Compensation Act. He in. tended in committee to move, therefore, to add after the words ‘'action brought under this Act” in Section 13 of the 1913 Act, the words “or in any other action,” so as to carry out the original intention. Hon. Barr said if the amendment was carried at this stage of the session it would mean the killing of the Bill for the point raised was one of the most debatable in the House of Representatives. He contended it would be unfair to limit all compensation to £750. Hon. Cohen said he had been asked by the Amalgamated Society of Engineers to bring before the Government a suggestion that all matters under the Bill should be referred to a board of three—somewlfat similar to the Californian charter. Sir Francis Bell said he could not accept the amendment. The Bill had been brought in simply for the purpose of Increasing the amount owing to the depreciation in the pound sterling, v The Bill was committed, when tne date of coming into force was altered from Ist April to Ist February next. The Hon. McGregor’s amendment was defeated by 23 to 3 and the Bill was read a third time and passed. The Iron and Steel Industries Amendment, received from the House, was put through its final states and passed. The Council adjourned at 10.55 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. Sir Wm. Herries gave notice to introduce an Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill (No. 2). Mr McCallum asked the Minister of Customs if, before preparing * Bill for revising the tariff next session, he would allow the advisory committee of the British Agents’ Association to place its views before him. Mr McCallum stated that the proposal would not involve a reduction in Customs duties.—Sir Wm. Herries said he would be very pleased to place the suggestion before Cabinet, and would promise it due consideration. Replying to Mr Hamilton (Wallace), the Hon. Nosworthy said that as fast as it was possible to get shipping the Government would bring phosphate rock fro mNauru Island, dividing the rock equally amongst the crushing plants in New Zealand. The Government had no intention of erecting a crushing plant at Nauru, but he declined to give any written guarantee as to what quantity of rock would be delivered, or when it would be delivered. All he could say was that the Government would do the best it could with the shipping available. The M to Z Petitions Committee recommended the Government to fafavourably consider the petition of a number of Syrians from Dunedin, asking that Syrians no longer be described as enemy aliens. The report was laid on the table. T.B. CASES. Mr Glenn, chairman of the Defence Committee, placed before the House the views of the Commissioner of Pensions and the heads of the Defence Department in regard to the treatment of tubercular cases. The report of the committee stated that Jhese men deserved every consideration and the best of treatment possible, because cure was made more difficult if patients were subject to worry. Both the Pensions and the Defence Departments were doing all in their power, and it was striking testimony to what the patients thought when It was found that they were perfectly terrified at the suggestion that they were to be handed over to the civil authorities, and they requested that they be kept under the care of the Defence Department. The committee had had the petition under consideration for the past two months, and had examined twenty witnesses, and he (Mr Glenn) thought they had been able to meet nineteen out of twenty of the petitioners’ requests.—Mr Malcolm expressed pleasure at the sympathetic Jone of the report. It must not be forgotten that the welfare of tubercular soldiers was a matter that concerned the whole community, and had a wider range than the individual affected. One difficulty presenting Itself was the fact that tubercular patients were not always amenable to discipline, but to show the sincerity of the tubercular patients, they actually recommended that such patients should be placed in detention camps. Mr Howard stressed the recuperative quality of the climate of Canterbury for the treatment of this class of patients, and urged that an additional instruction farm be purchased in the locality of the Cash-

mere Hills, so that men suffering a relapse might return and renew their treatment without delay. The Hon. Guthrie stated that an additional farm had just been purchased for that purpose.

Mr Mitchell commended the work done in the interests of T.B. men. Mr Seddon hoped the pension given to totally disabled men would be increased. Mr Veitch contended that some men contracted the disease while on service, but, being unable to prove this they were deprived of a pension.

Dr Newman supported the suggestion that the disease was often contracted on service, but the symptoms were not discernable at the time of discharge. When, however, a soldier became run down in health, then the disease made its appearance in virile form.

The Minister of Defence denied that medical boards were ever unsympathetic with T.B. cases and that in consequence pensions were not granted in every case. Where there was any doubt a pension was always granted. He was uuabi* to say at the moment how' many men had been discharged from the sanatorium cured, but he was confident the number was considerable. LEVIN-GREATFORD RAILWAY. The House also spent considerable time discussing the report of the cemmittee on the petition asking for a deviation at the Main Trunk Railway from a point near Levin to a point near Greatford. The committee recommended the Government to give the matter consideration, and in view of the extensive'alterations proposed at Palmerston North the matter should be given early consideration. Discussion was proceeding at the 5.30 adjournment, when the motion was talked out. ROTORUA TOWN LANDS BILL. The House resumed at 7.30. The Minister of 'Lands moved the second reading of the Rotorua Town Lands Bill. He explained that it was proposed to insert a new clause in committee to present an original lessee arbitrarily refusing to agree to a sub-lessee’s application for the freehold of a section. Mr Sidey said a protest had already been made against the extension of the freehold, so he would not waste time now, but would call for a division on the motion fqr a second reading. He would only add that it seemed to him the logical thing for the Government to do would be to bring down a comprehensive measure giving the freehold to everyone occupying leasehold lands.

Mr Holland said the Labour Party would maintain its opposition to granting the freehold. Now, more than ever, there was need that the Government should retain control of this national health resort. Thousands of returned soldiers, a.s Well as other people in broken health, would benefit by the health-giving properties of the springs there, but if the freehold was granted one result, would be that hea'th seekers would find a visit there more costly. Rotorua ought to be kept out of the hands of land speculators.

Mr Hockley believed the proposals in the Bill were for the benefit of the Dominion generally. He pointed out that there was no suggestion that the springs were to be parted with by the State. The people in the town had never had a voice in the management of its affairs.

Hon. Hanan said the people of Rotca rua were looking to gain something by the proposed change at the expense of the rest of the people of New Zealand. Mr Massey said there was no intention on the part of t'he State to part with the land. It only proposed to give the occupiers the right to charge them rental for the land. The Government retained the right to tax the land. The present tenure was not good enough to enable people to raise money on to develop the town as it should be developed. At present the Government was spending probably £40,000 yearly on Rotorua, and this amount was increasing. The residents asked to have tno rights of free people, and they would do their part in developing the town. He believed if this was done the time would come when the people there would be paying more land tax.

Mr Atmore said that for revenue purposes the leasehold did not much diffei from the freehold tenure, but Rotorua possessed special natural features which placed it on a. different footing from any other town in New Zealand. The Government would still have to spend money on the baths, and the people of the town would reap the benefit of the presence of health-seeking visitors attracted to the springs. Mr E. Newman said a change was urgently needed if Rotorua was to be saved from decay. It showed signs of decay already. He contrasted this state of things with what was to be seen in other towns in the district, all of which, under freehold or optional tenures, were prosperous and progressive. Mr Seddon said Rotorua was not the only town suffering under the present leasehold conditions. Ixiesees of native lands in Greymouth and Westport were labouring under even greater disadvantages than were the people in Rotorua. At 12.55 the Hon. Guthrie briefly replied, after which a division was taken, when the second reading was carried by 37 to 18. The House immediately went into committee on the Bill.

Clause 3, giving Crown lessees at Rotorua the right to acquire the freehold, was challenged by the Labour Party, but the clause was retained by 35 to 19. The Bill was then passed with minor amendments moved by the Minister. The House rose at 1.20 a m.