HOUSE PASSES BILLS

Chronicle (Levin), 29 September 1949, Page 8

HOUSE PASSES BILLS

Press Association )

Forests, Liquor, Rabbits, And Fire Brigades *

(Per

WELLINGTON, ttept. zs, During eonsideration of the Forests Bill in the Ilouse of Represehitatives, Mr. ('. M. Bowdcn (Karori) renewod liis carlier oiijeetions to the fact that , ito nanie of the Btate Forest Serviee i i-lmnged by the Bill to Kew Zealand 'ore.it Serviee. Mr. Bowden contended that in fairness fo j> rivate forestry v'oni'erns the sorvice should be clearly • ideutified bv the nanie of tlie Kew Zealand State Forest Serviee. lle moved an amendinent to that effeet but it was defeated by 30 to 34. Mr. Bowden, with the support of Mr. Orjim and .Mr. Maekley, moved a further aiuendment which sought to introduce the setting up of a Timber Advis- ■> ry Council to replace the present Timber Production Council but tliis,' too, was defeated by 37 votes to 34. Still another arnendment was moved )y Mr. Algie, requesting that it be made obligatory for the serviee to produce a balance sheet and profit and loss aecount at the end of eaeh year's working. There was no desire on the part of the Grovernment or of the Forestry Department to cover uj> any item of expendituro on utilisation projects at •present being undei'taken, said Mr. C. F. Skinner, Atinister. of Forests. Lt would not be possible to present a lin-' ancial statement to cover the trading activities of the departmept. He woula, however, be prepared to have inserted elsewhere in the Bill, provision for the pre])aration in such fonn as the Atinister of Finance might direct, a statement of accounts showing income and expenditure, a proiit and loss aecount and balance sheet for eaeh year 's operations. Alr. Algie said that in view of the Minister 's offer he would withdraw the amendinent. That was dorie and the Bill was further amended to incorporate an additional hnancial provision agreed tc\ by the Atinister. Tlio Firo Services Bill containing a major amendinent — exempting volunteer firemen from the oliligation of joining the Kew Zealand FeU';ated Fire Brigades' Employees' Union anless they received more than £i)2 by way of romuneration in the preeeding iinancial year for their services to their respective brigades — was put through the comniittee stages after Mr. Ilarker, on behalf of the. Opposition, endorsed the provision. A The Cooperative Dairy Companies Bill, Forests Bill and Fire Services Bill were eaeh given 'a tliird readiag and passed. Licensing Problems. At the special licensing polls Iast March there was evidence of eonfusion over the issues involved because of the great proportion of anforinal votes returned, said Alr.. Mason when moving the second reading of the Licensing Amendinent Bill. Atr. Alason said that in Ashburton the percentage of informal votes on the restoration issue was 16.8 and at Geraldine 20.3 while in the TCirxr Crmntrv in the EuroDean t>olls the

percentage was 21.4. Those were very Liigh poreentages which couid be attributed largely to the fact that there were two issues on one bailot paper. The Bill now allowed for separate bailot papers for the restoration and trust 1 issues and the difficulty would be largely overcome by that change. There was also provision in the Bill for a reversion to the old form of voting and in the comniittee stage he would introduce ■ an amendinent to alter the form of the f voting papet on tluc trust issue. InI stead of the original "I vote for trust . control — I vote against trust control,' there would- be substituted,. " I vote for - trust control — I vote for licences under ! the Licensing Aet." That aiuendment would present the issue in a positive form and avoid the negative form of vote. The Minister said a further arnendment would also be made to the Bill to enable the Iieturned Seryices' Association and any of its -associated clubs to qualify for elub charters. Mr. Mason said that now there was a Maori roll, there were no administrative difficulties about Maori people voting at national licensing, polls but the Maori rolls, however, were not adapted to local polls. There were not so many no-licence districts and in most of them . there wefe not many Maori people. Alr. Algie said the Bill walked very eautiously over the slippery surface of a difficult subject. The individual clauses were satisfactory as far as they went. He was glad provision was beC. Goodson (Hawera); J. T. Gray Returned Borvices' Association. He doubted, however, if the Bill ivent far enough ' to satisfy fully the New Zealond Allianco.

Mr. Broadfoot said conditions in the King Country had changed over the past 40 years and that aroa was really a European electorate. Much was heard about the Maori having equality with the European but the stage was| being reached where Europeans would have to plead for equality with the Alaoris. • Alr. Alason, replying, said the King Country had not been entirely neglected and a previous Bill had modiiied the licensi'ng situation in the King Coun- . try. Afr. Broadfoot: It was very helpfuL The Bill was read a second tilne. Control of Rabbits. Alr. Cullen, moving the second reading of the Rabbit Kuisance Arnendment Bill, said past experience had shown that high prices for rabbit carcases and skins sometiroes meant that rabbits were farmed. There had been instances of rabbit destruction in somo ■j districts being limitod to a certain numbor of rabbits per day and if those policies wero pursued the cost of rabbit Control must' increase. It was better grow an additional earcase of beef | or lamb than more carcases of rabbit. j The Bill gav'e extra facilities for the - wofk of rabbit destruction and, had the I approval of Rabbit Boards and the | Rabbit Destruction Council which had ? reconimended some of the clauses in the [ Bill. £ Mr. Bodkin said- that if the Minister

imagined he was anywhere . near •> to s'olving the rabbit problem in New Zealand,, he would be sadly disillusion; ed. Rabbits were more plentiful in the Otago hills than in any Beptember fox . the past 40 years. , When a subsidy Was paid to rabbiters during the rabbit breeding soason, real progress Was made and the rabbit population' declined .'by 50 per cent. The best scheme that couid be operated now would be one of payment bjr results. . That would ihduce rabbiters to work the longest pos-1 sible hours and runholders would give every possible cooperation. If the Goyernment would spend on a subsidy during the breeding season the • satne amount of money as it was spehditig'on other systems of contrdl, it . would achieve better results. Mr. Bbdkin advocated separate rabbit destruction councils for Central Otago and other districts where the -pest was Wor.st; The fact- that some phenomenal kills had been achieved merely ihdicated that the rabbit population had grehtly inereased and not that control of the pest was becoming more effee^iv.e. Rabbitisig couid not be tackled by men vyorking a 40-hour week. Mr. R. Walls (North Dunedin) said payment by results had been tried for years and failed to eradicate the rab bits. Boards now operating were concentrating on destruction Of the rabbits iu their burrows and were gottihg rid of them by the thousands. He knew of a block cleaned out in three, days by blocking the burrow entrances and using gas whereas trapping and poisoning had been tried for years without success. After Mr. Cullen made a brief reply, the Bill was given a second reading.

Anzac Day BilL Mr. Parry, moving the second reading of the Anzac Day Bill, said the measure was a consolidating one which set aside ' Anzac Day as a day to commemorate the South Airican War,and both"WorlQ Wars. Mr. Gillespip, on behalf of the Opposition, said the Bill would give great satisfaction to all exservicemen apQ women in the country. The main pomt in the Bill was that no other day other than Anznc Day couid be claimed as a holiday. The Bill was given a second reading. The • Licensing Arnendment Bill, Rabbit Kuisance Arnendment Biii, Anzac Day Bill and Education Amemr ■ mont Bill were put through the commitee stages with a minimum of discussion, given a third reading and paSsod. The House spent the remainder of the evening discussing the Lyttelton Harbour Board Loan Bill, a numbor oi Opposition mqmbers renewing their earlier objections to the granting of a permit for the erectiou of a waterfront industry building at Lyttelton. The Bill authorises the board tb borrow £80,000 for the purpose of buying lahcl : and ere.cting a building. When the Bili was in comniittee Mr. Bhoat moved an arnendment seoking to liniit the board 'b borrowing authority for thls purpose to £50,000 but -tlie arnendment %Vas aefeated 36 to 31 and the Bill was pase-, ed, making eight Bills paSsed tdday(% 1 The House rose at midhight. te '