WORK OF PARLIAMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 279, 26 November 1945, Page 4

WORK OF PARLIAMENT

TWO BILLS PASSED; FOUR MORE INTRODUCED

(P.A.) Parliament Bldgs., Nov. 23. Two Bills were passed and four new ones were introduced in the House of Representatives this afternoon. These included the Wool Disposal Bill, the Diplomatic Privilege Extension Bill, the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill and the Local Legislation Bill. All four were read la first time. I Bills passed during the afternoon were the Bush Workers’ Bill and the N»w Zealand Council for Educational Research Bill. The Minister of Lands, Mr. Skinner, speaking to the second reading of the Valuation of Land Amendment Bill, said it corrected a rating anomaly whereby land used in connection with State housing must legally have an unimproved value assessed on a lower value than privately-owned land. This concession applied not only to State rental houses, but to private individuals when the land was subdivided, improved and sold. There were adjacent sections in various parts of New Zealand where rates were dif--1 erent, though the values were the same, and this position had ]ed to much dispute. The Act. ironed out that anomaly. The most important of the Bill’s amendments was the change in the Assessment Court in an effort to achieve more uniformity hi the establishment of rating values. The debate was interrupted at 5.30 p.m , when lhe House rose until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.