THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2205, 18 July 1914, Page 6

THE HOUSE

The House of Representatives met at fi.3o p.m.' ' Mr. G. M. THOMSON (Duriedia North) moved the second reading of the Presbyterian Church Property Act. 1885, Amendment Bill: He explained the ob- : ject of the Bill—to enable'the Church to : i. acquire property.for:general purposes, i for which .sufficiently, wide powers were : not conferred-'hi-the principal.Act. ;• The Bill was read n , second time. : Mr.-A. M.- SIYERS (Auckland East) gave notice to,'asli-the.Minister of JusV. ticewhetherlio would give ;eSeot to the recommendation;of. the:Cq"mmissioner of !: Police 'in his-/annual report that.' homes be erected for'members of the poh'ce . - force;on : "suitable sites : ; vacant. ■■' . ; Mr., A. H.mNDMARSH (Wellington ■ South) gave' notice ,to introduce the Wellington City Milk Supply Amend-. .■ ment .Bill, 1914....,, ... .:_:::„:" THE ; MOTOR BILL.; ■ ' ;: REGISTRATION AND LICENSE. The Motor Bill was introduced by . Governor's'lMessage and read a ..firsttime. . ... . . ■'■ ■'■ \ TheHon.;A..L. : HERDMAN, in.charge :''-.o£ the'Bill, explained that.it provided, that all motorrcars..should bo -legieter-" should be. re-, quired to "pay" in ..respect of .'..every; car '-.' an annuaMicense feo. •'. '.'■■■■' , ■' . Mr;-TiiIi : WILFORD (Hutt) said'.Etf thought that in the end the Bill would : be a very, good ■one, : bub he : 'would recommend thefrainer of the.Bill to look • up the remits sent to the Minister froin the-recent conference concerning motor ; traffic' in Wellington. . He., thought the Minister would be';-,well'.advised to; take. •-.. the opinion,', of< experts .with 'regard- to '- ; --1.-. "'■• :'.''.-'.';'.r.-.-.-(i.^-''..--, ' The Right Hon. .W-, P, MASSET, replying to Mr. ;Wilford,-. said he/believed. ' : English horse-power in' motor-carß was , very inuch moreithan American-horse-power, jand.it was prbposed/that there. ■' should: be -regulations to : rectify this.by providing that for the , purposes of-taxa-tion one.horse-power British should be 1 considered as equal to horsepower American."ii. ■". ~: : , . ' . - Mr. Wilford■:, Then that puts you all wrong with'thd Itala and 1 the Fiat. ' Mr. Massey-said that to 'adopt' a proposal by Mr, Wilford to tax tyres would, ■ ■'■ be to put a'burden on a man using his car daily.-,for , business purposes, ■ and letting oft lightly-the rich ;mau who ■ used his car for recreation... ■'■ SIR JOSEPH WAED (Awarua) asked whether all the tax would be used for road-making (and h© was a-ssured.that it would).'-, But he suggested that the tax would not yield an amount likely to. do much in the way; of providing ■.-■.'•;■ .■: ■:,-' . Mr. A. H. HINDMARSH (Wellington South)- suggested that -the,-. Minister should make the car liable,for damages in respect of an accident. -This■ would not aftect the'owners of cars generally, .'but it would aifect those cases in. which cars were sold on time payment to taxi- ■ Drivers.' When one of these drivers got into an accident, ho was,, of course, too impecunious to pay damages, and the real owner of the car," on which probably only a few pounds had been paid, ■ i escaped all penalty! Mr, A. It MYERS (Auckland) welcomed the introduction of the Bill, and ,-'. said that motorists would be glad to pay. a fee if they could get better roads. Hβ '•■'. would, however,'siiggest that the Ministar should not press the -Bill \through until its- financial corollary was dealt vivith by tho setting up of a Main Roads Board. Mr. G:.W. RUSSELL (Avon) made f an tiuexpected declaration.' "L wish," he .said, ''to, take'this earliest opportunity of entering a firm protest against the introduction'of thia Bill; It seems to me the Government are looking round for fresh -subjecte .'for taxation. They' must be looking'round when'they, propose to. tax every .man , who drives a taxi-cab or a .motor-cycle.''' l Then he objected to the tax because it was .a class .a particiilaT class of■■ locomotion.' And, "last/of'all/ he said,' . the rich; man 'who.'owned '■', motor-cars could be. •reacliqd-in .-another .way. .; EDUCATION BILL., > Tlie Edtf(i.'ition' , Biir.was read a 6econd iirne, pro forma, and., referred to the Kducatioii.vCommittee;-::.-"'; ...