THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2287, 22 October 1914, Page 7

THE HOUSE

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. A. H. 'ATMORE (Nelson) gave notice to 36k the Prime Minister whether the Government could arrange to have Civil Servants in receipt of salaries at the rate of 10s. a 3ay or less paid their salaries weekly instead of monthly.

WORKERS' DWELLINGS.

BUILDING MATERIALS.

The Workers' Dwellings Amendment Bill (the Right Hon.. W. F. Massey) was committed. Mr. T. K. Sidey asked the Minister t'j consider the oase of municipalities, which suffered loss of revenue' through' the existence in their territory of a large area of land for workers' dwellings. . ; ' . Mr. Massey said that although.there was something in the point raised, the fact was that whereas- the local bodies suffered losses of revenue which were small to. individual local bodies, the aggregate cost to the country, if all these local rates were paid, would be a very large sum. Mr. W. A. Veitch said that a good deal of cheap timber and bad workmanship was put into workers' homes. Hβ would like to see gome arrangement made by which the Government could sell from the. State mills .some of the vory. fine timber now being sold at comparatively low prices. -, Mr. C. A, Wilkinson said he would suggest to the Government the advisability of erecting the houses in some more durable material than wood, say brick or concrete. ' ' Mr. Massey agreed with this latteT suggestion, and said that one of the clauses in the Bill, making provision for longer term purchases, had in view the building of houses that would be of a more permanent character. Miv Gf. 'Witty suggested that the. Prime Minister should request the payment .of a deposit of more than £1 from an applicant for a, workers' dwelling. : ' ■ ■ ■ /

Mr. Massey eaid the clauee in the Bill was_ intended to get over the difficulty existing at present owing to men being required to pay a deposit of £10, while the houee was not built for, say/ a year after the application was lodged. The deposit of £1 would be accepted as a guarantee of good faith, and before the building of the House was commenced, the,,applicant.' would be required to pay;up"t§9'.to c6mplete'" , th'e. > cleposit of £10. ■•.•".

Mr. Witty, moved as an. amendment that.-.the amount, of the. deposit be increased to £2. "' ".' -'■'.

Mr. W. A. Yeitoh thought no preliminary deposit should be required at all. ■'••■■•. Mr, E. Newman, said he-hoped the House would rotain the amount as t)roposed in the Bill, £1. * ' The amendment was defeated on the voices. The Bilr waa reported without amendTnonts; read a third time, and passed.

THE LAND BILL.

•REMISSION OF RENT DURING THE "WAIt. . The Laad Lawe Amendment Bill was 1 Committed. As the Bill deals almost entirely with details of administration of the law, and does not make any important ohanges rn the law, the Committee discussion did not touoh principles, and was not interesting. The following new clause, intended to provide for_ remissions of rent during' the war stringency, was moved by the Prime Minister and added to the Bill: "The Minister may, on the recommendation of the Land Board and subject to such conditions as ho thinks fit, postpone the payment of ront in respect of any small grazing-run of settlement land for such period, not exceeding four months at aay one time, as he thinks fit. "If the rent so postponed, together with interest thereon at the iato of five per centum per annum, is paid within ono month, aftor the expiry of the extended period, the Commissioner ' of Crown. Lands and the Receiver of Land Bevemio may grant to the lessee the same rebate as if the rent had been paid within one month after the day appointed in tho lease .of the payment thereof. • "This Beotion shall be deemed to have been in forco as from the commencement of September 1, 1914, and shall continue in operation until August 31, 117-LO. " . Progress was reported at 5.25 p.m. to enable the House to get into Committee on the Legislative Council Bill.