PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1845, 3 September 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

9 A DAILY SUMMARY. Some very important now business was laid before tho House of Representatives yesterday. , ' Early in tho afternoon a discussion aroso upon the Tcport of the committee appointed to consider tho Commercial Bank of Australia Bill. Sevoral members seized tho opportunity to attack what they described as tho banking monopoly. -The Hon. J. A.. Millar expressed the opinion that tho Government should "issuo all notes and buy all the gold." Apart from the time spent in the prei sentation of petitions and other formal business, tho rest of tho afternoon was devoted to a discussion on the first roj>ort of tho tublic Service Commissioner, which was presented to Parliament by the Primo Minister. Much general criticism was levelled at tho system of commissioner control, but at the end of tho debate tho Opposition received almost ' in silence a declaration' by tho Primo Minister that they would never bo given a, chance to repeal the Public Service Act and bring back the-system of political graft and political influence. Other papers presented during the afternoon included tho annual reports of the Lands and Labour Departments. When the House''resumed in tho evening a committee was set up to formulate reasons for disagreeing with.tho amendments made by the Legislative Council , in tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. The Bank of New Zealand Bill ' was introduced by Governor's Messago, and tho Hon. Jas. Allen explained its provisions, stating that the Government guarantee of stock to the amount of £1,000,000 would bo renewed, that the directorate would remain as at present, and that the'bank would be empowered to increase its capital, the State _ increasing its holding of shares in a similar ratio to shareholders. The afternoon discussion upon banK- . ing was resumed and amplified', and ono or two members contended ■ that the State was relaxing its hold upon the bank, but the Bill was finally referred to the Public Accounts Committee arter a comparatively brief discussion. About an hour was spent in discussing amendments to the Land Tax and Income Tax Bill, which were introduced after tho snpper adjournment. .Bio amendments alter, the scale upon which income tax is levied. , . Tho rest of the sitting was spent in n. third-reading discussion upon the Pensions Bill, which brought very little now matter to light. Tho Hon. F. M. ISFisher, in concluding the debate, dealt in vigorous fashion with critics of himself and his party in reference to old 1 age and other tensions. . The Science a'nd Art Bill was read a •second time pro forma, and Referred to the Speoial Committee appointed some . time ago to consider it^ The House rose. at 0.50 a.m.