PROPOSAL TO RETAIN THEM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1927, 9 December 1913, Page 4

PROPOSAL TO RETAIN THEM.

SESSION TO END FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.

The Legislative Council sat at 2.30 p.m. The Hon'. H. D, move® tho second reading pro forma of tho Polico ' Force Bill. Tho Bill, ho said, required considerable* alteration, and ho moved that it should bo "referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. This course was. agreed to. Tho Rating Amendment Bill was also Tead a second time pro forma, and referred to tho Statutes Revision Committee. DIVORCE LAWS, On tho motion that the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill bo oommitted', The Hon. H. D. BELL explained that Section 4 allowed tho respondent to havo tho degree mado, absolute. At present tho petitioner might obtain a decree nisi, and, by refraining from . making the decrco absolute, after all tho odium had been incurred, prevent the respondent from becoming free. ' Tho Hon. J. RIGG pointed out that Binco the alteration in tho law in 1907 .there had been a substantial increase in the number of petitions and decrees. 'In 1906, before the alteration, thero '•woro 171 petitions and 125 decrees granted. In, 190!) thero were 210 petitions and IG3 decrees; in 1910, 200 petitions and lC'l decrees; in 1911, 22G petitions and 161 decrees. Further ho asked what good could bo done by keeping peoplo bound when they.woro not in agreement. Hp did not approve of the narrow and conservative ideas some peoplo held in regard to marriage. The views of tho peoplo, both as regarded religion and other mattoTS, were rapidly changing with tho development of civilisation. Ho proposed to move in Committee that the period of desertion be reduced to two years.

The Hon. O. SAMTJBL said that ho thought, with regard to Clause 2, that the Hon. Mr. Rigg went too far when ho considered tho clause made provisionfor divorce by mutual consent. He was also in favour of reducing tho period of desertion from livo years. Why should a, woman who had a drunken husband be able to get a decreo after ■four years' for non-support, when tho ivoman deserted by her husband had to wait live years? Ho desired, in .dealing with the Bill, to deal moro with tho case of the woman than tho man, for in'almost all cases tho woman was more deserving of sympathy than the man. (Hear, hear.) "Five years," proceeded the speaker, "members would look.jipon fivo years of penal servitudo as' a "long' time. Many, many would rather-stand it than tho maiiy suppressions (involved in persistently ignoring mutual affection with regard to that longing-so inherent in man anid woman of having a happy home and domestic relations." A member;. Why hfive any time- at all? Tlie Hon. Mr. Samuel: There is no' doubt there must bo a. period. ' Tho Hon. J. E. JENK.INSOX regretted that almost overy session thero was an amendment to the divorco laws,' and all with the purpose of making divorco easier. Ho would like to see tho words, "mutual consent,", taken out of the Bill.

. The Hon. W. BEEHAN thought they were "just getting' into form now to race_. America with regard to divorce." There was 110 doubt the provision Hgreeing by mutual consent to divorce'coilld and would bo abuSti'd- to: ';l gredt extent. There would'be collusion. , He was against divorce altogether.' If,this sort of tiling woro to, go ..on the marriage ceremony would havo to bo altered. They would have to cut out the words, "till death da us part." The Hon. C. M. LUKE thought tho greatest bulwarks,of society were, tho bulwarks of tho marriage ceremony. Tho Hon. H.-D. BELL said there certainly would never, havo been- an amendment', during, this term had-not an amendment to one of the clause's been required by tho Imperial authorities. He maintained that the "taking for better or worse" must bo upheld. So long as hp held a seat 1m would opposo- the reduction to a term of two years- of . the. clause governing desertion.'"'

In Committee on. tho . Bill The flon. J.--E. Jenliinsoii:'moved to strike out tho words■"£>y "mutual consent, or," in. tection 2, which'read: — (]) If a married woman while living separately from her husband is o'r has been for any period (whether before or after tho commencement of this Act) habitually aiid'Without' jiist cause left bv him without reasonable r maintenance, he shall be deemed, for tho purposes of tho principal Act, to liavo deserted her wilfully and without just cause or reasonable cxcuse, aud for that period to havo left her so deserted, .whether her separation from her husband has taken placoor continued "by mutual consent or" by virtue of a judicial decree or order under tho principal or any other Act, or in any other manner. On a division tlio amendment was lost by IS to 4. Tho amending clause 4, allowing respondent tho right to havo tho decrco nisi made, absolute, was agreed to. Tho Hon. J. Rigg moved an additional clause, 4a, that: " Paragraph (b) of subsection 1 of section 21 of tho principal Act is hereby amended by omitting tho word 'ftvo' therein, and by substituting in lieu thereof-the word 'two.'" It had been suggested, ho said, that tho jump from live years' desertion to two years' was too great. Ho was willing to havo it three years, and would like to see tho elauso amended in that direction. The Hon. H. 0. Hell trusted the new clause would be rejected. On the 'division the new clause was rejected by 10 to 8. Tho Bill was put through Coramit'teo and reported with amendment. EDUCATION AMENDMENT. Tho Hon. H. 1). HELL moved, tho second reading of the Education Amendment Bill. Ho said that the main features of the Hill were contained in clauses 14 to 17, dealing with increases to salaries. He hoped the Bill was only tho beginning of a process which would give eventual satisfaction. Tho Hon. J. E. JENKINSON, with regard to Tsranaki Scholarships, put in a plea in favour of more consideration to country schools as against town schools.

The lion. J. ANSTEY look exception to clause 2 providing that all meetings of an Education lioard shall bo held at the ofiico of tho board in tho principal ■town of tho district for which the board is constituted. Ho saw no reason for this and sometimes business of tho boards would bo facilitated by holding meetings awa.v from tho stipulated place. Ho also protested against tho system of grading was coa-

tinued in the Bill. As long as they adhered to that system, lie said, it would be absolutely impossible to havo salaries on a proper bar,is.' Tho moro fact that a teacher was in sole charge of a school should largely influence'the rate of pay. Tho Bill was read a second time, and put through Committeo with one minor amendment, rescinding the amount of minimum fine of os., .for which a parent was liable, for failing to enrol a pupil on a school register. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

> Tlie Hospital and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill was read a second time, and considered in Committee. Tho Hon. H. D. Bell moved to amend clause 11,. allowing a board to set aside out of its revenue any moneys to form a fund for tho erection of any building by substituting the words: "such sums as the Minister approves," for the words "any moneys," and also words providing for the investment of such moneys in such securities as may bo approved by the Minister.

The Hon. H. D. 801 l moved to insert after sub-clause 1, clause 17, providing that tho Governor, by Order-in-Coun-cil, .may mako 'regulations for tho reception into any ■ institutions under th» principal Act of persons suffering from any contagious or infectious 1 disease, tho following sub-clause: — (la) Any person in respect of whom an order under this section is made may at any time whilo sucli order remains in force appeal therefrom to a Magistrate exorcising jurisdiction in tho locality, and tho Magistrate shall havo jurisdiction to hear such appeal and to mako such order in tho. matter as ho thinks lit. An order of a Magistrate under this sub-section shall bo final and conclusive,

A now clause was also added providing that before making an apportionment of its'- estimated expenditure among the contributory local authorities, pursuant 1 to section 41 of the principal Act, tho board shall give to each contributing local authority not less than fourteen. days' notice in writing of(a) Tho estimate of its expenditure for the year, made pursuant to subsection two of the said section; (b) Tho'estimate of its ineomo for the sameyear, made pursuant, to subsection four of tho said section; and (e) Tho proposed apportionment of tho estimated expenditure among the contributory local authorities, pursuant to subsec; tion six of tlie said section. The Bill was reported with amendments. . COUNTIES AMENDMENT BILI-. The Counties Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee. The Hon. H. D. Bell moved in clause 28 to omit tho definition of "Workers' dwellings," and substitute tho following definition: —" Workers' dwelling" includes an area of land surrounding the dwelling, but so that such area shall not bo moro than five acres where the value of the land exceeds £20 per acre, nor more than ten acres where the value cxceeds £10, and does not exceed £20 per acre, nor moro than 20 acres where the, value does not excoed £10 per aero.

Tho Hon. II: .D. Bell also moved new clauses dealing with tho rate levies, nierfjor of- part of road district, mid apportionment of assets and liabilities. The Hon. H. D. Bell, in answer to a question, said ho hoped counties would not bo divided. They were small enough as it was. Ho also hoped road hoards-would merge. He was not going to abolish existing local authorities. The Bill was reported with amendments. EDUCATION RESERVES. Tho Education Reserves Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee. ' Tho Hon. J. Anstoy spoke against the Bill alienating lessees from land leased by school commissioners until tho term of lease was up. Ho moved an amendment guarding against this unless the area exceeded the area defined in tho Land Act. . ,'l'ho Hon. 1I» D. Bell said, that if tho School Commissioners had mado a mistako in granting tho leases the Government had to have the power to resume. Full compensation was given. On a division, tho amendment was rejected by 13 to 5.

Tho Bill was reported without amendment. THIRD READINCS. Tho Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill, tlio Education Amendment Bill, tho Counties Amendment Bill, and the Education Reserve Amendment Bill wore road a third time, arid passed without comment, with tho exception of the last-named. • Tho Hon. J. ANSTEY protested against tho passing of the Education .Reserves Amendment Bill. He desired a division to put on record those gentlemen who wished to deliberately destroy security of tenure. Tho ilon. J. I'IGG, who intended to vote for the third reading, protested at this interpretation being put on a member's action in voting for tlio Bill. The Hon. il. I). BELL again outlined the position. Tho School Commissioners had granted leases in tho past of largo areas of land with perpetual right of renewal. Those areas of land were tho subject of the Bill. When the School Commissioners had granted such leases, and tho Land Board reported to the Minister that the land ought to bo subdivided, what wero they going to do?

A division was demanded by the Hon. J. Anstoy on the third reading, which was carried by 10 to the Hons. Barr, Anstey, and Baldey dissenting. BILLS FROM THE HOUSE. Tho Bating Amendment Bill was re« eoived from tho Statutes Revision Committee, considered in Committee, and reported with minor amendments. 'J'ho Bill was read a third time and passed. A. batch of local Bills wcro received from tho Houso of Representatives and road a first time. The Council adjourned at 9.40 p.in, till 2.30 p.m. to-day.