THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 323, 9 October 1908, Page 9

THE COUNCIL.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION BILL. IWv,Workers':. Compensation Bill was re--.tliejjjLower.' House. and read a first jiimc. ' -; ' PUBLIC BODIES' LEASES BILL. The ATTORiW-GENEIttL (Hon. Dr. Findlay), in moying the second reading of the; Publics-Bodies'" t'eases»*Bill, emphasised theVfact-'-'thatv-the ;iifeaSiire; : ;haa'--'Been.;'-inade. adoptive'.''^He-gave.''-' weight ' to tho criticisms.'of; the Hon. 0.; Samuel, and recognised rthe- desirability-'of passing:'a more comprehensive - measure on ■ the subject, it would ;be a difficult'task'to reduce the chaos of -leasing authorities' powers'to' order,' but if leisure was. available during the recess to the t officers : chiefly concerned, ho would ask them to undertake .the work.. , Tho'."Hori. : . J. ANSTEY (Canterbury) said that in regard, .to the, larger, measure foreshadowed . something- more, than -a draftsman's;.ißill was - required; . The interests' -'of. theileasing. authorities, tho tenantsj and-the public all-had to be considered. Those of the'tenants should be given precedence, and thoso. of the; landlords should:; come last, as they iwere only concerned with, the amount of rent, while' the public wanted to know that"the land was being used instead of lying.nyaste, as- in many instances at present,and ..the tenants miist. have security in'regard to the expenditure' of'. their money. The Bill should bo refcired -to a -. on . wiich... all .thesft... interests were , represented; ■ ."Th'b Hon. 0. (Taranaki) thanked the 'Attorney-General, for the statement lid. had "juStf made/ He' would strongly advise local bodies not! to'adopt the present Bill. Any/lease which failed ,to properly protect tho tenant; in his improvements coula never be; satisfactory. The; Bill; must have been preparbd by' spmciono.with no .practical know-' ledge; of. subjecf. 'Moreover, it. was 'bristling'.with " ambiguities,; .'which would cause much trouble aiid expenditure to interpret. Ono of-the isaying. .clauses at-the-end of the Bill was equivalent t-o-.newrlogiislatinn giving ]easing i not : nowposses#.; and •hp not: understand whiit ,had. been- effecteff by ; this clause. , ' . .. Tho;,L;iAJTpR.NEy:GINE.R:AI,, replying, after 'further discussion, -.defofided the '•drafting oLtho-.'Bilb ,;'V ; ' :cv •. . Tho. third' reading .was then -carried, '.and the Bill passed-.y • , • V FARRIERS BILL. .' The Farriers Bill : was further considered in ■ Committee. . Bofore anything had been effected a motion by the Hon.. 0. Samuel to report' . progress - was •: defeated by 18 to 9. Al ."little : later : the ; ' same, member moved that the' chairman- leave tho chair, 'but this also , was lost. ' -■' Further opposition was shown by the H0n..;,0. Samuel'and; the' Hon. J. Anstey, especially, ,tho; : - foritier,:'and the discussion was' very, protracted.. The-minor amendments' made jby, the - Stock Qommitteo up •to Clause 4, and; 'including.' ; tho change ■of title to "Shoeing Smiths- ,Bill," we're< adopted, ahd : the Council:then adjourned until'the evening., ' LOCAL BILLS. During the evening;the Council received the, local Bills, which lia'd been passed earlier in the day' by tho", other House, and -read them a, first-time.'. ' On the-.proposal' to''refer the ■'Thames Boiv ough 'Gas Bill 'to ono of the Local Bills Committees; the Hon'.' J. Bi- Callan quoted the ( Standing' Orders to •. show that tho. Bill was hot.;,a , local Bill. He asked for the Speaker's , : ruling -on ; the'point.' The matter 1 was postponed. 1 -, The other local Bills wero referred to tho appropriate committees. ; •'