OFFICIAL ASSIGNEES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1533, 31 August 1912, Page 6

OFFICIAL ASSIGNEES.

THEIR ABOLITION SUGGESTED. THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE. Mr. T. M. WILFORD (Ilutt) said, that the Public Trust Oilico might be well described as the cemetery of the legal pi-o-fession. The ramifications of the office and the work which it was doing were getting so widespread that it had to be realised that it was becoming one oi the biggest concerns in the country. The placing of such a large estato as that of the late Mr. T. G. Maearthy in the hands of tho Public Trust Office was an evidenco of the confidence in which the Department was hold. In England he observed, that there had been a marvellous growth in the Public Trust operations If the Government decided to wipe away the official assignees' Department, and place, the business under the Public Trustee isOOO a year could be saved the country, and the "affairs would be better administered than they were now. There was much to bo done in the improvement of the conduct of the Bankruptcy Department of New Zealand, and ho urged upon the Government the necessity oi' placing tlie whole of the. bankruptcy work, instead of part of the work, as at present, under the charge of the Public Trust Department. The Public Trust Department was peculiarly suited to carry out the work, and he would like to see the change made. The Hon. A. L. HERDMAN eaid that . thq suggution mado by. the hon. gentle.',

man that the work now done by official ns-sijOioete -should lie dono l>y tho Public Trust Office was ridiculous. Ho agreed that Hii Public .Trust Office was an excellent institution, doing excellent work, and that tho work it did had grown extensively during tho last five years, but lie was convinced that it would not he in the interests of the Public Trust OHico or of tho Public Sorvicß that the work done by ollieinl assignees should be transferred as suggested. lie believed that the lion, gentleman had suggested the other night that tho Justice Department should ho abolished, and its work should bo done by the Public Trust Offico. This proposal too was ridiculous and absolutely absurd. Its adoption would mean that Dr. Pitched would have to administer the prisons and control 850 odd prisoners. In addition ho would have to superintend the conduct of the whole of the Courts of the Dominion.. Mr. Wilford: That was not suggested. Mr. Herdnian said that he did not know what else the lion, gentleman had . suggested. As to tho abolition of official assignees, he did not think that was desirable. A custom bad grown up in recent years under which sonio people who became insolvent had their estates administered privately- without going through tho Bankruptcy Court. This could not be prevented, but he thought it desirable that there should be somo official, responsible to the State, to make independent investigations into these matters. Tho interests of the public and of the State had to be considered. While-ho believed that it was the case that in Wellington recently, the business 'of tho Assignee's office had not been in a flourishing condition, still he thought it necessary that this office should bo retained. As showing the growth of Public Trust business during tho last four years, Mr. Herdnian mentioned that in 1908 the valuo of es- ■ tates being administered by the Public Trust Offico was .£5,531,000, whereas in i 1912 tho amount had risen to ,£0,493,000. At . present the Public Trust Offico was man- . aged by a board consisting of the Public Trustee, tho Native Minister, the Minister for Finance, and a number of heads of . Departments. It might become necessary ' to add to this ' board shortly a number of reputable citizens of mercantile and business experience to assist the Public Trustee in the management of this colossal concern. H.o did not express any definite opinion, but it might be his duty, when lie became more familiar with the details of the business, to make a suggestion to the Government on the lines he had indicated. IMMIGRANTS. THEIR CHARACTER AND HEALTH. Mr. Ti. M. ISITT (Christchurch North) referred to tho matter of immigration. He admitted that this country needed population above all things, "but," ' ho added, "I have been told by two different peoplo that two captains of ships that are in the habit of bringing over immigrants to this country liavo- stated their surprise at tho character of some of the men and women wo are importing.. They have declared that in some cases tho character of these people was so bad that they could only explain their presence as immigrants by supposing that impersonation had been practised." ' Mr. Isitt said the Government could not exercise .too mucin care to see that undesirables were not imported, and ho suggested that some good might bo done if the officers of tho Department would receivo reports-from the captains of immigrant vessels, and act upon them, as to tho character of the people coining hero as immigrants. Mr. A. E. GLOVER (Auckland) objected to immigrants coming hero, and getting preference from tho "Labour Bureau Department" over our own people. Ho also thought tho Government should insist that all tho- immigrants coming should have a clean bill of health. . Ho declared .that -too many of them'were afflicted with consumption, nnd that they were becoming a charge upon tho State. Mr, T. H. DAVEY (Christchurch East) referred to tho case of a woman who had recently landed in Christchurch from England, and was now found to be suffering from consumption. Ho would like to know wlmt the position was in respect to preventing such occurrence as the unfortunate plight of this woman.: It was very unfair to the people of New Zealand to'haw allowed tlio woman to,.land,, and a'hardship on tlio woman to permit her to leave England. Her position, now was that slio could not enter a sana- ' torium, and if she stayed at her homo she might infect her.family; Apparently stricter laws were needed here and in tho i placo of departure. DEFENCE. THE CADETS FOR CANADA. Mr. A. M. MYERS (Auckland East) said that ho had been looking forward to tho Ministry carrying out many of the promises which it had made, especially in regard to economy. But be found tliat tho Estimates were .£512,000 greater th'nn tlio amount expended last year. Notwithstanding that lie (Mr. Myers) had practically settled that only 13 cadets should go | to Canada—because that was the actual [ 'number invited—ono of the first acts of ■ administration of Mr; Allen (Minister for . Defence) was to authorise five or six more : cadets to go to Canada and elsewhere, at i o. cost of .£OOO. Mr. Myers could not help thinking that that .£GOO could have been i morn advantageously spent on tho back- , blocks of Taumaruinii. . Mr. C. K. WILSON (Taumarunui): i Hear, hear. I Now for those Reformers, continued Mr. Myers. Tho time might, soon arrive when ; a new Reform party would have to bo > formed. (Oppositionists: Hear, hear.) • The Hon. James Allen (Minister for [ Defence and Finance) replied that ho was l reallv very much amused by tho speech of . Mr. 'Myers. Mr. Myers had been having i a little' fun. i Mr. Myers: I am very serious. > Mr. Allen, proceeding, said that the . position was that, in response to an in- . vitation from Canada, 20 cadets had been i assembled for training in view of the trip, . and it had been a matter of very great • disappointment when Canada had backed , down and only invited 14. However, the ; 20 boys had had.the trip held out to them, and extra bpys would probably liavo f been needed, so he had authorised. tho expenditure of XfiOO to send the additional cadets. He did not regret that action, and ho would do tlio salne again. (Hear, hear.) Mr. G. W. Russell (Avon) asked "who was going to pay." Mr. Allen: The Defence Department is not going to pay. Mr. Russell: Not for any of them? Mr. Allen: Not for any of them. Mr. Russell: That is a nice gapie! . Mr. Allen said that he, too, thought that it was a very nice gome, a very excellent thing. He remarked that he wondered why tho previous Minister for Defence had asked the boys to assemble for training if thev were not to go to Canada. As to Mr. Myers's allegation about an increase in the Estimates, ho (Mr. Allen) had really saved on Mr. Myers's compilation. Mr. Myers: .£650. Mr. Allen: I cut down one item alone | by .£lo,ooo—gave'.instruction as to how it i could bo saved. Cost of Defence. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) said that he (lid not wish to raise any party question on the subject of Defence. At tho same time ho thought,that a very strong feeling would be raised outside the llouso if the expenditure in connection with Defence went on mounting up at the present rate. It had been slated the other evening that Defence now cost the whole of the income taxation which was received. He hnd noticed that Defence was now costing .£456,000 (voted for this year), wliilo the amount expended last year was .£401,000. If this continued, public opinion from outside would have a very big say in future years in regard to our Defence scheme. Ho said that ho wished to protest against the unloading of tho cost of the cadets' trip on to the Internal Affairs Department. The. question of Defence lad to bo faced from its financial and practical side, as well as from its Imperialistic and patriotic side. There was a tendency on (he part of the Defence authorities towards undue extravagance and ostentation. He hoped that the system would be kept a siniplo civilian force, and'that the military customs and gold braids would not be allowed to creep into it. PRIME MINISTER REPLIES. A DOMINION" OIL EXPERT. The Hon. W. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister) replied to several of the points which had been raised. He said that it. was intended to push forward the survey of bush lends as soon as possible. At pro- . s<mt tliore ivas a shortage. of .surveyors,

but the position was improving consider, ably. As to Hie laving off of roads, tboTe had recently been an improvement in tlio system. Dr. Is'ewman had made n valuable suggestion regarding tho obtaining of an oil expert., ill'. Mnssey said. Lh.it he would recommend to Cabinet that an oil expert should be procured and attnchod to (lie Geological Department. The possibilities of the oil industry warranted that. The matter of the safety of (x----hibits in the museum bad been attended to. An to a point raised by Mr. Colvin, tho amount voted for prospecting this ytar would not be less than in previous years; probably it would be .a little mow. Regarding tho references of >lr. Davuy to the landing of immigrants, one of tho conditions was that the applicant must l>e in sound health mentally unci physically, and that a medical certificate to that oil'ect must bo produced. In spite of this and other safeguards, men and women \vlio had no right to land ill this country sometimes got hero. An arrangement was being made by which a medical moil would be attached to tho High Commissioner's Department for tho nurpoae of examining every person who proposed to come to New Zcwland. Mr. T. W. RHODES (Thames) contended that while. it was necessary to break up large estates it was even more necessary to bring into productivity ilio waste lands of tho Crown. Mr. G. W. RIiKSULL (Avon) criticised tho conduct of private hospitals in _ tho Dominion, lie said that while Minister in charge of Hospitals ho learned that in one district in the South Island tho medical superintendent of tho public hospital was also conducting a private hospital of his own in tho same town, Ho found that patients in (ho public hospital paid an average of only Is. per day. It. was anomalous lliat the superintendent of a public hospital should lie allowed to conduct a private, hospital of his own in tho same town. Such .a. condition laid the hospital open to criticism. Ho thought t hat a close examination into the conduct of privato hospitals was advisable. Tho first item was then passed. Progress was reported, and the Houso rose at 11 p.m. A typographical error appeared, in tho report of a speech by. Mr. J. A. Hanan in tho Land and Income Assessment Amendment' Bill, which appeared in The Dominion yesterday. Ho was made to say that lie was "annoyed" at tho Government for introducing such a measure. .What ho did say was that ho was "amazed." Dr. Harry A. de Lautour, of Wellington, petitioned Parliament last year for consideration for services rendered as principal medical officer in tho volunteer service. Tho Petitions H to L Committee reported yesterdayi that it had no recommendation to make. Report was mado yesterday l>v the A to L Committee 011 the petition of Oliphant Hughes, of Wellington, for redress for wrongful imprisonment. On the recommendation of tho committee, tho petition was referred to. tho'Government for immediate and favourable consideration.