YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1538, 6 September 1912, Page 6

YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT

SOME LOCAL BELLS. STATE FIRE INSURANCE OFFICE. • • ( AMENDING BILL DISCUSSED. PROTECTING THE INFIRM:. DEBATE IN THE COUNCIL.

The House of Representatives spent the greater part of yesterday in debate upon miiior Bills.' ,Mr. Herdman's Public Service Bill stood .high upon the Order Paper,' and a second reading discussion upon this measure had been looked for, but matters took another turn.

Soon after 'the. House met,' the Hon. Jas. Allen directed attention to a paragraph in the report of tho Public Service Commission, stating that an officer in the Defence Department had furnished misleading information to the Audit Office and to the Treasury. The Minister read letters from the Auditor-General and the Secretary to the Treasury, giving this statement an, emphatic contradiction.

The. East Coast -.Native Trust Lands Amendment Bill.(Mr. Herries), and the Cbristchnreh District Tramways Amendment Bill-(Mr. : Davey), were read a first time. _'- » The Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Acts Amendment Bill w ; as considered in Committee and passed.

The Mokau Harbour B6ard Empowering BilJ/ in charge of Mr. Wilson, also . got safely through Committee, and -passed, but only after a discussion which lasted for about three and a half..hours, and assumed for a time something 'of the jispeot of a stonewall. The.bone of contention was a clause authorising plural voting, on a property qualification, in the harbour district to which the Bill applies. This Was warmly "opposed by a number of Opposition members, but eventually the contested' clause was allowed to go to a division. It was retained as drafted by 35 "votes ;to'26;.

The Wellington and Karori .Sanitation and' Water-Supply Bill (Mr. Herdman) was.read a second time; ..

The Waitemata County Empowering Bill'(Mir. Harris)'was discharged from the Order Paper; ■' ■'•': '■'-.

The public'Service'Bill (second reading) was .cfilledoh' just before, the supper adjournment.- -Mi;.- Herdman consulted.with the -Prime Minister', and it was decided to postpone the debate. The Bill was, therefore, moved down the Order Paper. Four small Government.Bills.were then, in quick succession, read.a second time.These wore:' Gold Duty..'Amendment Bill "(Mr. Fisher); Wanganiii Bridge- Amendment 1 Bill' (Mr. Frnser); AVaihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Amendment Bill (Mr. Traser); State Fire Insurance Amendment Bill (Mr. Fisher). In the debate on tho last-named measure some criticism was directed at the practice of the Gotemment in demauding that mortgagor's" .' to.Vthe.; State-lending institutions should', insure with the State Insurance Office. The practice found defenders as well as assailants. The Minister had little more to say on the subject than that tho State in this matter worked on the same lines as private lending institutions. Answering, questions'.that had been put, the Minister, formally denied that the State Insurance Office had any.agreement with private companies in regard to rates. •

The House rose at 11.5 p.m

In the Legislative Council the Hon. H. D. Bell gave notice 'to introduce a Registration Amendment Bill and a Marriage Amendment Bill. Tho Deputy Governor's Powers Bill was put through its final stages. The University Amendment Bill was read a third time. Tho only other measure dealt with was the Aged and Infirm Persons Protection Bill, which was read a second time. The Council rase at 4.20 p.m.