LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 974, 15 November 1910, Page 8

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL The legislative Council held its first Monday sitting yesterday afternoon. When the Council met, The Hon. J. E. SINCLAIR presented the report of tho Education Committee on the Education Amendment Bill. The committee recommended that the Bill be allowed' to proceed with amendments.

BILLS FROM THE HOUSE. The Ndiv Zealand Loans Amendment Bill and the Old Age Pensions Amendment Bill were received from the House of Representatives and were read a first time. The batch of local Bills passed % the House on. Satnrday were received and read a first time. The Bills were referred to various Local Bills Committees. AMENDMENTS AGREED TO. A message was received from the House of Representatives intimating that it did not insist on the amendments it had made in the Destitute Persons Bill and to which the Council had disagreed. The House also agreed to the amendments made by the Council in the Kelson City Drainage Empowering Bill and in the Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill.

LOCAL BODIES' LOANS. The Local Bodies' Loans Amendment Bill was put through its Committee stage and was reported with one formal amendment. Tho Bill was read a third time and passed. TARANAKI SCHOLARSHIPS ENDOWMENT. In Committee on the Taranaki Scholarships Endowment Bill, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in order to meet a point raised by the Hon. J. Anstey, moved an amendment providing that the term of any renewable lease or any renewal thereof shall no.t exceed 33 years. The amendment was agreed to. On the motion' of the Hon. Mr. Samuel a new sub-elause was added ta Clause 3 which dealt with the provisions for existing leases as under:—The reserve may be leased under the provisions of the Public Bodies' Leasing Powers Act, 1908, if, in the opinion of tho board, it is desirable to do so, in the same manner as if the board were a leasing authority under the Act. A slight alteration was also made to Clause 4 which deals with the application of revenue. The moneys received by the Public Trustee are to be invested by him as part of the common fund of the Public Trust Office or otherwise, instead of on mortgage of freehold lands and other security at the best rate of interest obtainable as before.

The Bill was reported with these amendments. The third reading was set down for next sitting day. NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND. In Committee on the National Provi- • dent Fund BUI, an amendment was made in the clause dealing with the Provident Fund Board providing that the board to administer the Fund shall consist of the Minister for Finance, and four others, instead of as before, the Minister of the Crown charged with the administration of the Act and four others. The, Hon. J. E. JENKINSON asked the Attorney-Genera! if it was intended that contributors must be persons receiving an income, or might young men or girls be made contributors by their parents paying the contributions. He was against making any provision whereby persons of ample means could take a pension from the State as above. The Hon. J. R. SINCLAIR (Otago) eaid he took it that anyone at sixteen years .of age could join the fund. : The .ATTOHNEY-GENEEAL said the main burden 6n the fund would be the ultimate burden for maternity cases and sickness. If at the time-of application for sickness or maternity assistance the applicant was drawing an income of more than .£2OO he would not gej;. the allowance., This being so, the position was safeguarded. It would be possible to have a workable scheme which would exclude men whose incomes subsequent to joining; the fund exceeded the limit laid down in the Bill. Hon. J. E. Jenkinson moved an -addition to Sub-clause 2 of Clause 12, which covers contribution and pension, to provide that pension should be paid to a pensioner 'when his income exceeds .£2OO a year. The Attorney-General said that if such an amendment was made the Bill would be killed. . The Hon. Sir G. MIEAN (Otago) asked if the actuaries were satisfied with the scheme. In his opinion the country would .bo staggering under tnese pensions before very long. Mr. Jenkinson's motion was lost. On the morion, of the Attorney-General, it was decided to limit the benefits in maternity cases to births in New Zealand. The original clause simply said births generally. ' . The Bill was reported with amendments, and the third reading was set down for next, sitting day. . '■ \ : LAW PRACTITIONERS BILL. Dr. Findlay asked leave to have the Law Bill discharged from the Order Paper.' Ho said this was purely a lawyers Bill, and as there was disagreement it had better be discharged. If unanimity was reached, the Bill could bo reintroduced next session. The Bill was discharged accordingly. The Council rose at 10.10 p.m.