PROGRESS OF BILLS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18218, 31 October 1924, Page 13

PROGRESS OF BILLS.

LAST NIGHT'S WORK IN THE HOUSE. CUSTOMS DUTIES. (•Ui.llErir.D rP.ES3 ASSOCIATION BErO«T.) WHLLLMJTOX. O.'tol-ipr ;;o. In the House of toliight the Hon. W. Dounie. Stewart moved tho second reading of the. Customs Act Amendment, Bill, vhich confirms the recent red mi ion of >Sd per lb mi pipe toba<-< o. Mr MoCor.ibs urg'-d that the, time was ripe tor the readjustment of the duty on bonis to assist tho boot making industry, which v. as languishing. Mr 'I. K. Sidoy contended that sonic eun.-idcratinn should be given to encouraging bodv-making for motor-cars in New Zealand by admitting Britishmade chassis free of duty. Ibis system had been very sueccssiul in Australia.

This view was- supported by Mr W. D. Lyanar and tho Hon. D. Buddo. Mr W. A. Veitch suggested several directions in which the Customs tariff might he amended. Ho contended that Australia had derived more benefit from the- reciprocal tariff than New Zealand had. Tho Hon. W. Downio Stewart said tho Question of the duty on boots was one of tho most controversial his Department had to deal with, and nothing could bo done this session. He agreed that motor-car l>ody-making should be encouraged in the Dominion, hut ho was not prepared' to say at the moment what, was the best way of doing it. He understood that Australia was considering abandoning its svstcm of admitting chassis. His information concerning the Australian treaty was that, wo were doing better than Australia. He certainly had no complaints alx>ut it. The Bill was read a second time.

Public Works Act Amendment Bill. The Hon. J. G. Coatcs moved the second reading of the Public Works Act Amendment Bill. He said every local body in New Zealand had asked for the Bill, in order that there might lie some effective control of heavy traffic ou public roads. Ho therefore could not delay tho Bill by sending it to a Committee, but ho proposed that before the regulations were" adopted they should be submitted: to the carriers who would subseoueutlv meet the Departmental officials? and the Government when, he hoped, an agreement would bo armed at.

The Minister explained in detail the provisions of the Bill, which, he said, were very comprehensive in so far as they affected motor-lorries. This class of vchiclo included every commercial vehicle carrying passengers and goods which, -with its maximum load, exceeded two tons in weight.. Power was given to make regulations by Order-iu-Council for the following purposes: — The classification of motordorrics according to their weight and carrying capacity; tho classification of all roads and streets in New Zealand with reference to their suitability for use by different classes of motor lorries; the issue of heavy traffic licenses for such vehicles by the authority controlling the roads;'fixing the license fees payable for heavy traffic vehicles by reference to -weight, carrying capacity, and tyres, the minimum fee to be £5 and the maximum fee £75; the definition of areas within which licenses should operate, and providing for the apportionment of fees among the local authorities concerned; providing for the application by local authorities of the revenues derived from license fees for road or street maintenance; fixing the limits of speed for motor-lorries with reference to weight, carrying capacity, and tvrcs; prescribing the minimum width*and thickness of tyres to be used on any class of motor-lorry; authorising local authorities to prohibit the use of motor-lorries, or any class of motor•lorries, on any road or street they control during any specified period; providing for the appointment of officials empowered to stop any motor-lorry, inspect its load, require its load to be weighed or measured, or require the removal of any load exceeding tho prescribed maximum; providing fines, not exceeding £2O, for a breach of any such regulations. | The regulations so made could not bo \ held to bo invalid merely . on the ground that the fees imposed were unreasonably high, or that any condition , contained* in them was unduly restrictive. These regulations would be given I a fair trial, and if they were successful ' he thought they should be embodied in the Statutes next year. The clause limiting the weight of motor-lorries did not affect any lorry at present in us* in New Zealand, on tho water, or on order, but in future no lorry could be imported into New Zealand weighing more than six tons, or when loaded ten tons. That was tho limit now imposed in ail the State> cf America. Mr Wilford said that on behalf of a largo number of carriers he protested agiTinst tho measure being rushed through before they had any chance of making representations on tho subject. Ho repeated his request to have the Bill referred to a Special Committee. Mr Young said that as the regulatiens were to be submitted to the carriers before they were jyloptecl, his objections hail been largely overcome. The Hon. D. Buddo, Mr M. J. Savage and Mr Sullivan all regretted the Minister's decision not to refer the I Bill to a committee.

The Minister, in reply, said lie toilc j the responsibility fox pressing tho B.U j through, because tit* pre€ Bur«, on -<iiJ I roads owing to tho heavy traffic was I such that it must bo controlled, other- j wise the roads would ccntinu© to carry loads far in excess of what they woro built, to carry. The Pill was rear! a second time. The Native Land Rating "Rui \v.-,s brought down by Governor-General's message, read a second time, rsro forma, i and referred to the Native Affairs Ccto- I mittec. { Shipping and Seamen. | Ihe lion. G. J. Anderson moved tho \ second reading ot tho shipping and : Damon's Act Amendment, fsul which, i ho said, gavo the Government power to insist that ships trading to .New Zealand must carry wireless apparatus tor sending ami receiving wireless message?. .vlr Frascr welcomed the Hill as a real step forward in t/ie matter of saving human life. This, however, did not exhaust tho necessity for legislation amending tho .Shipping and Seamen's Ace. One thing they should guard i against was that the crews of oil-burn-j mg ships wore not reduced below the j safety )»ne. Mr Wilford stressed the noeessitv for i seeing that sending sets installed in I ships wero of sufficient power to j.ond | messages beyond a few miles. Sending | was q:iitu a different matter to receiving. The Minister, in reply, said ho had looked into the question of the running of oil-burning steamers, and he was advised by bis experts that they wore carrying sufficient crews. Care would l>c taken to see- that ships carried sending installations of suiheieut power. The Bill was read a second time. Public Works Bill. The House then went into Committee on the Public- Works Act Amendment Mill. (Continued at foot of nert column.)