THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2214, 29 July 1914, Page 4

THE HOUSE

The Ilouso of Rcprcsentativ cs met at 2 30 pin. Mi J II BRADNEY „ (Auckland West) cave notice of the Roman Cathohec Bishop of Auckland Empoweiinu Bill .'■Mr. 0. E. STATHAM (Duncclin Central) fiavo notice to introduce the Dun(>din City and Waiuori Falls Lands VostniK Bill 'All .1 H ESCOIT (Pahiatua) ga\o notice to ask tho Minister ot Education uhithoi in the cient of Ins lefornng the settlement of boundaries of education disuictj, to a Commission ho will provido for the representation of teachers on tho Commission _yv FIRST READINGS. Tho Firo Inquest Bill (Mr. Sido\), the Presbyterian Social Service Association Vesting Bill (Mr. Claik), and the Raukapuka Cbuutj Bill "(Mi Nosvforthy) Kere introduced and Tead a.lirst time FRUIT INDUSTRY? - ' ' The amendments made in Committee in. tho Fruit ' Preset Viug Inllustiv Amending Bill (tho Rt i Hon W V Masses)--hoio agreed to,-and tlio Bill was read a thud time and passed LOCAL ELECTIONS. SECRECY OF THE BALLOT. 'Amendments made m Committee in ihe Local Elections and Bills Amend-

ment Bill (the Hon. P. M. B. Fisher) were agreed to. On the motion! for third reading, •' •SIR JOSEPH WARD (Awarua) .said he wished again to impress upon" the Minister the necessity to safeguard; tho secrecy of the ballot. The Minister had promised to give the matter consideration when it was raised at the second reading, and presumably the Minister had given it consideration. If now the Minister would .say that ho was satisfied the; now system was not dangerous,' .he (Sir Ward) would accept tho assuranco. ' l -, : Mr. L. ; M.'. ISITT -' (Christchmxh North) said he : felt that the.system', jasproposed in tho Bill, did not safeguard the' secrecy of the ballot in small polls. ■ Mr: D. BUICK (Palmerston), said he had received a number of communications 'from his .own electorate on the subject,.;and he advised tho Minister 'to exercise the greatest caution about mai-' yiiiß a change. 'Mr.' H. Gi'ELL (Christehurch South) urged, that ;the'hours of polling, for local elections be eytonded to 7 p.m. " The Hon. E. : M. B. FISHER said the defect in- the system proposed in tne Bill, was'that,in small polling booths absolutejsecrecy was iiot assured. He had, as he had promised, given lihe I> inatter,.the. fullest, consideration, and -ho ;W''as;"not;:av ; ali sure ; that it would■ not '-Be'.3vise-:'>tb..revert to the old stylo .of bid/system.' Ho ..had' come;; tp.,.;tho: conclusion that this ' was. thb.-oiilyVsolution of thei'difficulty,, 'iiriijss:.'tiioy;:could';devise: ,so'mo meams' bfv|rbupurg\sinall,polls,.hut there w<ne way of this. ... '''Mr.J'Malbbjm: Can't you introduce automatic'•jyp'jing'machines. . ■• vMri'Fis'licK|.'"Wb have had. a great mahy.-yotiiigi?niaohines oh view in this Hduse ? 'time >ot- another ; -we :ha'y6 i ;fp,iind,'S;{liem. defective. .1 think.. ; i^ 1 jwould iibt>:b'e', a • bad - idea for. jthe Eleqtb'r'al.,Department to offer a.Towai'd v for machine." v :He. -cohldas'suieAthe'Leader of the tion, ; he; cbnjtlHued,' that the point was going• to':, into, arid.if it 'was ■ though't adyisable/the old system would ,He pointed out to "themombey - for'. Ohristchurch' Sonth that local iauthoritjibs now had the right to : a PP! v , 'to haye> the' time' • for. polling «jt-i "tended;;'''*';"""' '''.'■'( Mr.-Ell: But they don't all do it. ' Mr. Fisher.:' That is their fault. They can't oxpect us to pick aip their umbrellas ;for;them if it comes on to-rain.. He added: that any" proposal that all polling booths should be kept 'open' until 7 o'clock would bo received with the greatest .dissatisfaction. At present .it ,was',| 'optional', whether; th« booths wece or;tept open.until. 7 ;p;mK'' •'!"'?' '■?:';: '..'''■ '• : ?■■•??• ; '<: The.Bill was read a third time on the vpicCs.' ; '•'■;; ■. '' . ~; HARBOURS BILL. v ..made,; in Committee in the Harbours Amendment Bill (tho Hon. F; M. B. Fisher) were' agreed to. 'On,the motion for the third reading, Mr. A- H. HINDMARSH (Wellington i South)'said he was sorry the Minister of Marine had not .prpvided in the'Bill for extended, powers being given, to. .harbour boards in the matter.of the., emplbymerit of labour. The Minister had ■ oncb favoured a'scheme .that tho ■ harbour vboards should be the sole employers of labour on the waterfront. . The Hon.* ,F. M. B. FlSHEß'said ho'had at no time favoured a -proposal that harbbtir'-boards.should be the sole employers of labour at the ports. Ifsucha proposal were made law it w;ould destroy,,the scheme now being cohsid- ■ ered for ':the' control of work on the 'Wellington' wharves.' 1 Tt was rather; a pity,'that the honourable member had not mado his suggestions when the Bill! was in Committee. Tho B,ill was read a third time on tho ■voices.; . ■.-■.''■ ■..-, ..■ . . ": VICTORIA COLLECE. • The report on-the Victoria College Amendment Bill (the Hon. James Alien) was'.agreed to, and the Bill was •read'a third time. INSCRIPTION OF LOANS. .PROPOSAL FOR ECONOMY.' Tho'Hon. J. ALLEN (Minister of Finance) moved the second reading ofthe New Zealand Loans Amendment Bill.•'/ The object of the'Bill, he said,' was to give 'the Finance Minister power to inscribe New : Zealand stock elsewhere than at t'ho' Bank of England. At present tho Government were at-the mercy of the; Bank of England, having no power _ to;; go elsewhere. He was not proposing to make any arrangement for, altering tho, present system of inscribing with the Bank of England, but he thought'it. was proper that a Finance Minister, should bo placed in a position to 'negotiate on favourable terms with the Bank of England in regard to in-' . scriptio.n of; stock. Other States had, he said, found the charges mado by the Bank of England for inscription to be exorbitant and had, made arrangements to have stock inscribed at other banks ..or. at .the office of their High Commis'sibiier.; , Ih o , c ' lar 6 e to New Zealand for i( the'' inscription of stock was about £350 : 'per .."million 'sterling, -and there; were other States who had been able to get stock inscribed at about £150 a million. He had no desire that New. Zealand- should cease to deal with tho Bank of England, but he thought New Zoaland should ba ablo to negotiate with tho bank on favourable terms. ,SIR,JOSEPH.WARD (Awarua) said ho hoped the Minister of Finance was sure-that the'course he was taking; was a safe one. ' • '. ' Mr. Alien: Absolutely sure. ' Sir'Joseph'Ward said ho would not be in favour of having stock inscribed at tho office of the High Commissioner. Ho hoped the Minister would not leave 'tho Bank of England, the most influential financial institution in the world,' .without duo .caution, for it: might not bo'advisable §ven for the sake of a littlo ■'economy to sever pur connection with .the.:"baiik.'l'i'-„ ' '■' Mr. A: ;M, MYERS (Auckland East) endorsed '.what the Loader of the Op'pps'itibn had said. Economy in the flotation of.-.loans could ! be carried too far.-and''might have serious indirect offects. Hfe;;would suggest that tho ''JBill'be referred to the Public AccountsCommittee....... ' . ■ Mr. -Allen 1 !. I am quite willing to do that.' '"'"-; 1. -Mr,;;a,-W. RUSSELL (Avon) was dubious' about 'the Bill, especially about the State backing its own promissory notes by having its stock inscribed at the' High Commissioner's office. Dr. A. K. NEWMAN (Wellington East) supported tho-Bill strongly. Ho had always, thought that tho charges made-for the inscription of loans were much too high, and.ho could not understand why tho.Liboral Party had for . the many years that they, were in

power, allowed this 'extravagance to go on. He would suggest that tho Minister givo the 'inscription, to tho Bank of New Zealand half of which belonged to the -New- Zealand Government. . - .-.'The Right Hon. W. F.-MASSEY said the proposal in the Bill need not at all affect the value 'or security of:our .stock: All that "inscription" at the Bank.'of England meant was that' a register of-, the. stock was kept at-the bank. Tho /guarantee wis:given., All that the BUI .proposed was to effect an economy and ho Relieved this could bo done if the Minister could negotiate on something like favourablo terms. Personally, ho did not thjnk'tho Bill would affect the flotation of loans in the slightest degree. The Hon. J.-Allen said he'had care--fully thought over the proposal, and ho was sure that it was a proper one for Parliament to sanction. It was suggested that the High Commissioner's offico.be one of the alternatives open to the Minister in case the banks might try combination or otherwise keep tho charges up. Very few of the Dominions now inscribed their stock with the Bank of England. The Bill was read a third time.