PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 15294, 24 July 1923, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

EX-SOLDIER SETTLERS. BOARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS. GREAT INTEREST EVINCED. By Telegraph.—Special to Times. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Cabinet spent many hours discussing the reports of the Advisory Boards and the recommendations of the Department of Lands regarding soldier settlement. The matter has amused considerable interest in the lobbies—in fact, no other topic has been so much discussed since the State Advances Bill was disposed,of. It is understood the Government will circulate the report among members and give them the opportunity of absorbing its contents. If the discussion in Parliament takes proportionately as long to come to a head then the soldiers and their affairs will be the subject of a protracted debate.

Noxious Weeds. The House spent to-night discussing the Noxious Weeds Bill. Whenever such a new law is introduced Parliamentarians always recall the occasion when a private bill dealing with weeds was introduced, by Mr Roderick McKenzio, the member for Molueka. The flrst member who spoke said he would support the Bill if the mover would leave out his electorate, and by the time the Bill passed the second reading the only district left in the schedule attached to it was Motueka. i Liquor Traffic Reform. The flrst step towards liquor reform wasdaken to-night by Mr Massey, who moved' for the appointment of a Select Committee to advise the Government of amendments to the- existing liquor legislation which th'ey considered necessary in the public Interest, such committee to comprise Messrs J. Bifchener, W. S. Glenn, A. Harris, F. P. Hocklev, J. Horn, W. D. Lysnar, Sir J. P. Luke, L. M. Isitt, M. J. Savage,' G. Witty and the mover. A Pure Fabrication Seizing an opportunily afforded him by two questions on the subject the Minister of Education, Hon. C. J. Parr, cleared up a. misapprehension growing in the minds of people that new school books would be required this year, and that the cost will be excessive. "This is pure fabrication," said Mr Parr; "no new hooks will be brought into use until next year The Government had already standardised the secondary school books —there were no fewer than eighty in use for Latin alone—and was now grappling with the problem for primary schoo'ls! Insurance Companyjs Deposits. A small measure intended to give relief to insurance companies passed the second reading. Under the existing law, said the Hon. H. Downie Stewart, statutory deposits up to £50,000 which were lodged as trading security, were put in the public trust common fund, and interest was subject to income tax'. The Minister agreed with the companies that this was somewhat unfair, as they had no means of controlling the income from such deposits. The measure, which afforded the relief desired, passed the second reading without debate. Day. Anzac Day was the subject of a question by an Auckland Labour member, who urges that it should be commemorated on the nearest Sunday. The recent judgment of the Arbitration Court lays it down, he says, that the effect of the present law is that workers paid by the hour or day lose their wages for Anzac Day, except where the Factories Act or an award of the Court required - them to be paid in full, while workers paid by the week -would not. The difference Day to be a bone of contention among workers. Influenza. Influenza is exacting a toll of members. Two Ministers and several members arc suffering, and the 'Chamber resounds with frequent coughing. Mortgage Accident Indemnity.

On the second reading of the Stamp Duties Bill, Mr J. A. Young (Hamilton) raised the matter of charges made by way of premiums on mortgage accident indemnity insurance, which as far as ho knew were all profit''to the insurance companies, as one never hoard of a call being made upon the fund for. payment of compensation" to a mortgagor for accident. He thought the Government might consider making this class of insurance a State monopoly. It had been suggested to. him that such insurance could be effected througti tho Stamp Office by payment of a nominal fee along with the stamp duty on a mortgage, and subsequently paid annually during the currency of the mortgage. Chairman of Committee.

The appointment of the Chairman of Committee, for which office Mr .1. A. Young (Hamilton) will be nominated by the Government Party, did not come on last night. The reason probably was that many members of the House have .n.ot yet returned after the week-end. The matter is certain to bo dealt with at an early date.