legislative Council.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 6, 2 October 1907, Page 6

legislative Council.

impostam'T MEASUB-ES.

Alter agreeing without discussion ( to tho second reading of the Dunedrn . and-Suburban Gaa Company Empowering 831 and tbo Otaki 1 and Porirua ... Empowering BiH, both'of which were, moved by tho-Hon/'J. R; Skolair,-the : : i ' ...-Legislative \Goimcir proceeded to'deal with other measures at some length. • PURE FOOD BILL. , LEGISLATION BY ORDER-IN-COUNCIL. , - ,;Tho third reading of the Pure Food;Bill was moved by the AttorneyGeneral (Hon; Di'. Findlay). Tho Hon. T. Kelly said, lie hoped .• : ••• the Order-in-Council, which would be • necessary itoder Qio Bill for the niak- . ing- of -reflations, would be framed . in a. judicial spirit:. Such orders'were, . ■ ho/believed; usually formulated by an official, head of a department, and sub- >•' mitted by him to theMinistcr, who ; - r. placed thorn' bofore the Governor, ,-. .. . :■ ami tlies; became- virtually kw. -- The /rGtornoy-Gencrsl: "A copy is '. first sent to each of tlte.Ministers. i The Hon. T. Kelly,' continuing; said''; wthis was not enough. Ministers should' .■discuss the together./ Under the present, Bill some important iif.-matters were. left to be determined; : .by regulations, .including the "ameunt qr fines .for . certain . offences. He ■ thought this; was'an undesirable ex- : tension of the executive power. In ; .J> .. American lcgisfetitSn- on the same sub- « y'. ject as the presents-Bill, almost"every- i . 'thing was expressed'and determined • in tho words of the statute. . Hie Hygiene-of ftloat ' ; i > , .The-Hon. J. E. Jenkinson said.it . bad been generally thougjjt that'patent .medicines would llot'come «unuer the conisidered that.they 1 ■were included .in Qie defißitifln. of "drug." His lreped the Government [ • . wcifldsmako rcpilations fer fetM34Sng--1 • ■. the use of certain preservatives, and y : :-\ of the walls oi butchers' shops,-insteafli,of covering, them with . ;1 . tiles. . Every .lrato.hfir should hare on : his premises means for. keeping the- ' temperature of meat within ascertain : ' limit,land meat should not be exposed, fi;*v. "v'v.to the dust and contamination of tho ,Vv; ."'4':.streets; .' .These 'were: matters for tho " regulfctipus," ami he believed the Gov.s fernment would use proper care in this .• ' • respect. /' , '■ . , ■ , • Making the Regulations. / ( v. " The Attorney-General said the Gov- , /■ eminent; would.tako the utmost caro .in- tl«s administration.of this. im'pprtant measure. Tliero was a certain amount ; of _ regulation making on some such lines as indicated by Mr. : K-eHy, .'but in matters of snch moment ;>'• asitbose under discussion, the SJinisters 'v.'-. .'.";Vgavo , tho 'nt#st carefulconsideration ,to;. ! sify-.pr«josea regnlittioHs, and he ' cdiitd prcaiis'e that this would bo done in tho present instance, so far, at least, as.lre was concerned. . *' . !; / '. " Tho third reading,of the Bill was 1 . agreed to on ihe;voices. MARINE INSURANCE BILL. The Council " went into Committee on the Marine Insurance Bill(Hon. . Dr. Fmdlay). 1 . ' Tho Bill. was rapidly put through, s' ./ - ' reported ivith slight amendments, read a third timo, and passed. METHYLATED SPIRITS BILL. The j\[ethylated Spirits Bill was next considered in Committed. ! Tho Hon. S. T. George moved an nniendment to section's, so as to , : allow manufacturers having, purified i:_;. spirit- irrstock, six months, instead of ' three, to clear it. He had received a:letter from ono of the. parties interested. \ ;'/■ ■' It was .pointed out that such manufsjefcarers nrust.have acted in evasion of the existing law. The amendment was not seconded. ■ . The Bill was reported without amendments,read a third time, and . passed ;—- ■ ' ; y F!RE BRICADES BfLL. ' , A ' 'PATCHING" MEASURE. . The' Attornoy-General (Hon. Dr. ' Findlay) moved the second reading of I* the Fito Brigades Act Amendment |-, Bill, which'has already been summarI ised in The Dominion., Ho said tlfe ;■ JSSI was unfortunately necessary as a i. "patching measure" to remedy defects | ■ wtrieh had becomo manifest in tho ! ■ Act of last year when it came into , ferae. Last year's Act provided that '. 45» election of 'a Firo Board must take placo jn May, and made no pro- , vision for the constitution of new firo ; districts, in other months. This was remedied by section 2 of tho new Bill, i'; anil section 3; dealing with tho annoal estamato, was consequently S-- nooessary. Tlie clauso providing that 1. bo Besw . firo .district shall contain less 1 thsa 5000 inhabitants would not be

retrospective. There had been no provision for electing a chairman at any Other time than at- tho annual meeting in Juno, and this was remedied in section G. Fire Boards' Finances. : With regard 'to section 7, which fixes tho Government's contribution to tho revenuo of the boards,. the Attorney-General said the Government was giving more than Id. in the £ on tho annual rateable value of its buildings,, although it was not expected that tho municipalities would require to levy a higher rato than, that to pay their contributions. The Government proposed to pay £250 a year iu Wellington, although Id. in the £ on the annual'.'value'of its buildings would amount only: to £210. The Hon. S. T. George: "It wouid be £410." " 'i '• Later in his speech, the Minister said ho. had since learnt that Id. in the £ on the buildings owned by the Government in Wellington would amount to. a greater sum than' he had previously stated., - > Continuing, tho Attorney-General said that in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedtn, as weß as in Welling- ' ton,'the Government was giving more than its' share. But why should the Government undertake ■ to. contribute' at all ? The whole burden of fire prevention had hitherto res-ted on- the municipalities, but the Government had' how. voluntarily assumed a pirk of it. - Hon. J. E. Jenldnsoii: Has not the Government a duty to protect its' j own'buildings ? The Attorney-General: I don't | think the fire brigades ever have bad, or ever win have, to' turn out to extinguish a fire at a Government; building, because such great-care is taken to prevent any outbreak. He did itotvisuppose that cither the local' .authorities, or • the fire v.insurance companies, would bo satisfied with the proposed Government contribujytiotts, for they, had a good deal of that Kind of human, naturo which is always .dissatisfied. Tho clause giving power to, brigades to sell or exchange property might be slightly modified in committee. An Officer Without Duties. - The Minister went oh to say that Section 12 repaired ah oroispjon in' the .principal Act, which, while ap,pointing: an inspector, gave him no ■powers and no duties. Hon.; (i. Jones: It seems to be rather a good Act. V , It was impossible to. saj,; continued Dr. Findlay, what .was. the position of land ' ami buildings: as affected by the original Act/ and. hence - the. necessity', of ; tho : detailed proposals of Section 13. :- Transfer of property. 1 ; In regard' to the ch-rase.: directing that the fire boards should pay 4 per cent, interest for four yoars. On the land and buildings: taken . 'over by them from the iriunicipaljties, but should _ not', repay - the capital sum,, tho Minister pointed out that the' Act reduced' the 'cost of fire prevention to : municipalities ' by one-half. Moreover, the insurance companies, would be required to contribute considerable sums. In Wellington, they would have to pay £3000 a year out of the Board's total • revenue of £7000. , Hon. J. Jenisinson: The insuring public will ;have to 4>ay it. Government and Insurance Companies

' The Attoniey-Goneral rejoined that this could not be _so to any . extent because of the policy of tho Government to keep insurance rates.within reasona-ble Ijraits throttgh ,the; opera-'. : tions *.«f tho Sta,te Fire IhsuraaceDepartment. They should therefore beware of placing too heavy a burden on'. the companies.; It was not. the policy of this Government, and' it ought not to be the policy of any government, to exijerminate any. biisi-. ncss which was being conducted 'on' preper fines. Considering this aspect of -the matter, and the reduction' ■by one-half of the fire prevention ex- ' penses of ; the municipalities, he .thought that,if he.were approaching tho Bill for first time/ he would •question whother the-Board should be required to. pay anything at all —on,the buikKngs and land. He intended to move, at tho, conclusion of' the debate,, that tho Bill should be spnt, after the second, reading, to the Joint, Statutes i jßevision Committee, and ho thought-the Council should riot proceed l to the-further stages of the measure until tho , firo boards, local authorities, and insurance companies -had had..timo to discuss it and convoy their views to the Government. ; . : 1

Tho.debate was adjourned, and tho Council rose at 4.50 p;m.