HISTORIC PLACES BILL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27397, 9 July 1954, Page 12

HISTORIC PLACES BILL

REPORT BY RECESS COMMITTEE SEVERAL AMENDMENTS RECOMMENDED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 8. The principles of the Historic Places Bill, introduced last year, have been approved by the special recess committee that was appointed to examine the measure and take evidence on it during the recess. The committee’s report, presented in the House of Representatives today, recommended that the bill, with amendments suggested by the committee, be reintroduced this session of Parliament. The chairman of the committee (Mr D. M. Rae) said the committee had heard submissions from organisations and individuals throughout New Zealand. The interest shown indicated that the proposed National Historic Places Trust would have wide support The purpose of the bill is to provide for the maintenance and general preservation of places and objects of national and local historic importance and the keeping of permanent records of them. The amendments do not interfere in any way with the principles of the bill. The main one recommended by the committee deals with the membership of the proposed trust and provides that most of its members shall be appointed on the nomination of various organisations, instead of being appointed by the Minister of Internal Affairs on the recommendation of these organisations. The original bill said that the Secretary of Internal Affairs was to be chairman of the trust but the committee has recommended that the appointment of a chairman be left to the trust itself. The representative of the Maori race on the trust is to be a Maori. This was not specifically stated in the original bill. The committee’s report was tabled.

LINCOLN COLLEGE BOARD PROCEDURE FOR ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 8. The Canterbury Agricultural College Amendment Bill, introduced in the House of Representatives today, provides that the person to preside at the annual meeting of the college board fpr the election of a chairman shall be the registrar, instead of a person specially appointed by the Minister of Education, as at present. The bill also provides that, in the event of votes being equal, the election of a chairman shall be determined by the registrar bv lot