N.Z. PARLIAMENT

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 9435, 6 October 1939, Page 2

N.Z. PARLIAMENT

FAIR RENTS AMENDMENT BILL LANDLORDS OF SHOPS RIGHTS TO INCREASE RENTALS i (By Telegraph —Special Reporter) WELLINGTON, This Day. When the House of Representatives met yesterday afternoon urgency was granted the Fair Rents Amendment Bill, the Legal Aid Bill and the Marketing Amendment Bill. Committal of the Fair Rents Bill was moved by the Attorney-General, the Hon. H. G. It. Mason, who said that perhaps the most important amendment (he Statutes Revision Committee had made to the Bill was the deletion of the clause bringing shops under the provisions of the Fair Rents Act. The Minister stressed i lie cliHicu 1 ties in the way of regulating shop rental, and said the committee had been of the opinion that the difficulties created by such a regulation might he far greater than the evils it was designed to prevent.

MEMBERS ADVOCATE CONTROL

Mr J. A. Lee (Government —Grey Lynn) criticised the deletion of shops from the Bill. He could not see that a landlord owning a shop had the right to increase his rent at will. Mr F. W. Schramm (Government Auckland East) said a suggestion had been made to the Government, that in the event of it being found necessary to restrict raising shop rents it should be done under the war regulations.

Mr C. W. Boswell (Government — Bay of Islands) hoped the House would insist on the clause concerning shops being restored. The Minister of Housing, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, also expressed regret that provision to control shop rentals was being eliminated from the Bill.

The debate was interrupted by an adjournment at 5.30 o’clock. The Legislative Council passed the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill, the Finance Bill No. 2, the Visiting Forces Bill, and the Indus—;rial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill.

M OTION WITHDRAWN

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m., and after the Attorney-General had briefly replied to the debate when the Fair Rents Bill was being considered in committee, the Rev. C. L. Carr (Government —Timaru) moved that a clause be added to the Bill stating that authority might be taken to fix' shop rentals, but he withdrew the motion at Mr Mason’s request, the Minister promising that the position would be investigated and that the Minister of Industries and Commerce would bring down regulations dealing with it.

The Bill was (hen passed through all stages, and the Legal Aid Bill was also put through all stages and passed. MARKETING BILL PASSED In moving the second reading of die Marketing Amendment Bill, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. AV. Nash, said the measure was designed to secure the orderly marketing of our produce, and he added that if arrangements which were at present in progress with the United Kingdom Government were finalised, Britain would purchase the whole of New Zealand’s wool clip. The producer would get a fair price for his produce, the Minister said, and he contended that the Bill was of great importance, lie hoped it would go through without undue debate.

The lit. Hon. J. G. Coates (Opposition—Kaipara) contended that the emergency through which we were passing was being seized upon by the Government to implement its policy of socialisation.

Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition— Stratford) said New Zealand farmers would make every sacrifice possible during the war, but when it was over they wanted their freedom back so that they would have a chance to make good.

The debate on the second reading continued until close on 4 o’clock this morning. In the committee stages the Opposition moved an amendment the effect of which would limit the operation of the Bill to the duration of the war or twelve months thereafter. This was defeated by 37 votes to 21, and the Bill was put through all stages and passed, the House rising at 4.50 a.m. until 2.25 o’clock this afternoon.