PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1827, 13 August 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY. Unremitting industry obtained in the House of Representatives yesterday and a fairly heavy programme ot wort was put through. . ~ The first business of the day was the second reading, which went through without debate, of two private Bills-tho Commercial Bank of Australia (Limited) Bill, and the M'Dougall 'J rust Estate amendments made in Committee on the Local Bodies' Loans Bill wore agreed to, but there was a brief debate on the third reading. Members interested in the settlement of ;Native lands asked that Maori lands in the occupation of Europeans holding secure tenure lenses should be accepted as rateable lor the purposes of securing Stato loans to local bodies. Tile question was pressed as one of some importance to districts where there is a great deal of such land, and the Minister (the Hon. J. Allen) said that he would make the amendment in the Bill ii' he found on investigation that he could with safety do so.

The State Advances Bill was recommitted in order that two unimportant amendments might ibe made in it, and when the Bill was in Committee the Minister proposed another important amendment—that the cumulative authorities to borrow money for advances be taken away from tiie Government. All these amendments were agreed to. On tho motion for third reading a discussion arose on the question raised at the Committee stage—that Maori land leases under the Act'of 1909 ought to bo accepted as security for Stat9 advances. The Hon. W. H. llerries promised that if he found after thorough investigation that —the leases were really unsafe securities he would make them safe by his amending Bill next year, and the Hon. J. Allen said that as'soon as he was assured that the leases were good securities he would see that were included within the scope of the' Bill. . _• Tho Methodist Union Bill (the Hon. W. F. Massey) went through Committee without amendment, and was read a third time and missed. The second reading debate on the ruulic Trust Office Amendment Bill proved to be a much longer business. The Hon. A. L. Herdman, m 'Opening, was caretul once more to tell the House about the setting up of the Commission, and to deny Vie charge that it/ was sot up to arrange things in the interests of the legal profession. Qn the other side of the House members who spoke suggested that there was some lack of candour on the part ot the Minister, and some reservation in his avowal that the Public Trust Office was a good institution. , Opposition speakers, when the debate was resumed in the evening, accusod the .Government of bringing down a Bill, which, though good in part, was calculated to create work for lawyers, and to detrimentally affect the interests nf the general public in a corresponding degree. Also 9ome more or less attacks wero upon the members of the Public Trust Commission. The Hon. A. L. Herdman replied with a spirited ([enunciation of members of the Houre and persons outside the House who had misrepresented tho attitude of the Government towards the Public Trust Office. Ho defended His members of the Commission with equal vigour, and contended that tho Bill itself was the best possible vindication of th'e Government s attitude towards tho Public Trust' Office, and of its desire to see that institution flourish and prosper. The second reading was agreed to on the voices at 10.30' p.m. . Moving the second reading of the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill, Mr. Herdmnai said that it was not a policy measure. The most interesting clause, one that provides for tho election of mayors by municipal council?, instead of as at present, by the people, met with little favour at "the hands of members on cither eide of the House. : ' The debato was adjourned, and the House rose at 11.35 D.m. The Financial Debate will begin this evening at 7.30.