BUDGET OF BILLS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 973, 14 November 1910, Page 6

BUDGET OF BILLS.

NINE NEW MEASURES.

THE TAKING OF THE CENSUS,

WHITE OCEAN POLICY

A notable feature of the Parliamentary week-end lias been the number of new Government Bills brought down. Before (he House rose ou Saturday morning, six new measures were brought down. This budget was followed by two others during the forenoon. In addition the Public Service Superannuation Bill cauio down at the end of the sitting on Saturday. According to a promise made by tho Prime Minister, all the other Bills which it is intended to deal with this session will be available on or before tomorrow.

WORKERS' DWELLINGS

MODES OP ACQUISITION. The Workers' Dwellings Bill provides that the Government may erect buildings suitable for workers' dwellings or may convert any buildings into workers' dwellings, the value not to exceed ,£6OO. A superintendent of workers' dwellings is to be appointed to administer the Act. For every land district there shall be a special board consisting of three members, including the superintendent. An application for a worker's dwelling shall be accompanied by a deposit of .€lO. The purchaser shall pay the capital value (after deducting the deposit), together with interest at the rate of 5 per ■ cent, per annum by weekly, fortnightly, or monthly instalments for a period of 25} years, the instalments being calculated at the rate of 7 per cent, of the capital value, less the deposit. Every weekly or other instalment made in reduction of the capital value and interest of any dwelling shall consist partly of capital and interest. Irrespective of the prescribed weekly or other instalment, the purchaser may at auy time pay to the board the sum of £7 or any multiple of £7 in reduction 'of the purchase money and interest. A tenant, lessee, or purchaser shall reside in the dwelling,- but absence up to a period of 12 months may be allowed. No disposition shall be valid except with the consent of the board.

The modes of disposal will be: (1) Weekly or monthly tenancy: By. agreement for a weekly or monthly tenancy at a rental of six per centum of the capital value (being five per centum for interest and the balance for depreciation), in addition to the cost of insuring the dwelling from fire at its full value, and the estimated amount of rates to be levied.

(2) Eenewable lease: By lease for a term of twenty-one years with right of renewal, payments under the lease to be the same as' for weekly or monthly tenancy. (3) Agreement to purchase: By agreement to purchase on the instalment system prescribed by the Act. ASIATIC CREWS. PROPOSED EXTRA' DUTY. X The Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill provides that seamen employed in ships trading between New Zealand and any port within the Commonwealth of Australia, or between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, shall be paid and may recover the current rate of wages for the time being ruling in New Zealand. In the case of ships trading between New Zealand and any port within tho Commonwealth of Australia, or between New Zealand and the Gook Islands, which are manned wholly or in part by Asiatics, passenger-tickets issued for passages from New Zealand, and bills' of lading or shipping documents for cargo shipped in New Zealand, shall be liable, in addition to any duty imposed under the Stamp Duties Act, 1908, to a stamp duty equal to twenty-five per centum of the amount of the passage-money Or the amount charged for freight. - "■_

The Governor may from time to time make regulations as to the mode of payment and collection of tho duty imposed by this section. ~~v- ' An amendment is made in regard to the load-line, making it optional for it to bo shown by a white line- on a dark ground or a dark line on a white ground. CENSUS AND STATISTICS. GOVERNMENT STATIST TO BE APPOINTED. According to. the Census and Statistics Bill, the Government may appoint an officer, to be called the Government Statistician, who shall be a member of the Eegistrar-General's office. A general census shall be taken in the year 1911," and in every fifth year thereafter of the number, and condition of persons, and of the live stock, and of the land in cultivation within New Zealand. For the taking of the census, enumerators and sub-enumerators are to be appointed. The sub-enumerators must distribute the forms fourteen days before the date of the census. It will be part of their duty to collect the forms and to satisfy themselves as to the correctness of the information supplied. The penalty for refusing to supply information or for supplying incorrect information is fixed at up to .£2O. Breach of duty. on the part of a sub-enumerator or enumerator may be met by a fine up to ,£SO. During the year of She census, statistics as to industries, social institutions, etc., shall be taken.

The statistician shall collect annually statistics as under: Population, vital, social, and industrial matters, employment and non-employment, imports and exports, postal and telegraphic matters, factories, manufactures and productive industries, agricultural and horticultural, dairying and pastoral industries, banking, insurance, and ' finance, railways, tramways, shipping and transport, land tenure, and occupancy, etc.

For the purpose of making inquiries, the statistician is to have power to enter factories, etc. An account shall be taken by the statistician in the month of February in every year, as to the agricultural and pastoral industries. No prosecution for contravention of the Act shall be instituted without the consent of the Minister.

STAMP DUTIES. SHARE TRANSACTIONS. An amendment to the Stamp Duties Act provides that where a sale of shares in a mining company is effected through the agency of ono or more intermediate shareholders the sellers' contract note shall be transmitted to the intermediate sharebroker and the buyers' contract note shall bo transmitted by that intermediate sharebroker to the vendor or his sharebroker. . It * shall not bo necessary for any contract note to be transmitted by or to any of the other persons concerned in tho sale.

Section 135 of the principal Act, which provides that a. sharebroker has not claim for brokerage unless a contract note is given, is amplified by a provision that default in compliance in its provisions with respect of any contract for the sale of shares shall render that contract unenforceable by any party who has mado such default; but the contract shall be onforcablo by any party who has complied with all the provisions of that section. The provision in the principal Act that on unstamped bill or note shall not bo available for any purpose whatever is repealed. On the sale of any land or tenements of whatever tenure, together with any live stock, stock-in-trade, fixtures, plant, machinery, or goodwill situated thereon a conveyance on sale of the land shall be chargeable with the samo ad valorem duty as if the whole of the consideration was appropriated to the land itself. For the purposes of this section land shall bo deemed to be held together with "live stock, stock-in-trade; fixtures, plant, machinery, or goodwill.