THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2587, 8 October 1915, Page 7

THE HOUSE

; ON THE WASHING-UP BILL

A LONG SITTING

. After The Dominion went to press yesterday the House continued in Committee, on tlie" Washing-up" Bill. ' A new clause was added, authorising the Governor to execute .a now. lease of the • property situated at the corner of Crawford, and Hanson Streets, "Wellington, to the Wellington Women's Chris- ; tian: Association, for any period not ex-' ceeding-.42,.-years,. at; a peppercorn rental. The association'is to hold tho pro(•perty in trust as a site for a maternity .liome, under the, name of the-Alexandra Home for Women. . , On Clauso;l2Bi authorising' the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society to, collect and sell swans' eggs, I Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) asked the ' reason of the clause.:; , The Right Hon. W. P. Massey said that the number of swans had increased enormously, and they were doing a lot of damage. iMr.. Wilford: What are they going to sell the eggs for? . . .. Mr. Massey: I believe.there is a keen demand for them in Christc'hurch for .cooking purposes, etc.- ■ , Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) said that j there were thousands—he even believed ! millions—of eggs on Lake Ellesmere. ■They were sold illegally and the clause .validated the action. ' . Tho clause was agreed to: ! Mr. T. M. Wilford moved in Commit- . tee to add a clause . providing for the purchase by the Gear Meat Company of that 1 portion of the Hutt Park Railway which the company regularly uses. 'As the clause explains, Petone Borough . has commenced an action against tho (company claiming a declaration that tho line was constructed without lawful authority. Negotiations for settlement have progressed some distance, and terms have been proposed which include the purchase by the company from' the Hutt Park Railway Company of portion of the railway and the abandonment of the other portion. Legislation is neces- ' sary to enable this arrangement to be carried into effect, and the legislation was in the olauso. Tho clause was added to the Bill. Mr. D. Buick (Palmerstoh North) moved to introduce a new clause to exampt from tho payment of Tates all lands held by the Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Association within tho borough of Palmerston, so long as tho said lands were used as a showground, or for show purposes, or for defence or-municipal or recreation purposes. • The clause was opposed strenuously, and it was rejected oil tho voices. ..Tho Bill was reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. The Municipal Corporations Amend-' me'nfc Bill was further considered in lommittco. A: clause to provide for the senior Stipendiary Magistrate acting : as third arbitrator in cases where the lessee and the corporation' cannot agree upon the third arbitrator for the purpose of'mak-. iifg a valuation of a property leased by the'corporation - was added to the' Bill. •' The Bill was reported with amendments, read a. third time, and passed. - THE LAND BILL. Tho Land Laws Amendment Bill (the Right Hon. W. P. Massey) was committed, but progress was reported after the first clause ' (short. title) had been passed.

SUPERANNUATION ACT. • The Public Servico 'Superannuation and Classification Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor's Message, and read a first time. 'The House rose at' 5.33 a.m. ' YESTERDAY'S SITTING N The House resumed at noon. LOCAL BILLS. The Mangaw'hiro. County Bill (Mr. R. W. Smith) was read a second time, on the voices, after it had been pointed out by Mr. G. V, Pearco (Patea) that the Local Bills Conmiitteo liad unanimously reported ' against it. Jt was not thought desirable to allow small road boards to become counties. •The Bill was shelved in Committee, oil the motion to report progress, by 27. votes to 24. The Moa County Bill (Mr. J. B. •Hine) was further considered' in 'Committee. * Mr. 0. V. Pearce (Patea) moved that progress should be reported. Sir H. J. H. Okey (Taranalti) said that, the Bill meant .cutting another piece off

the Tarauaki County without any justification.

_ Mr. Hine (Stratford) said that the residents of the Moa road district wanted to add 35 miles of main road to their roads of 200 miles, and they desired local administration.

The motion was carried by 31 votes to 22.

The Tauranga Foreshore Vesting and Endowment Bill (the Hon. W. H. Herries), the Otago Harbour Beard Empowering Bill (Mr. J. M Dickson), the Dunediu District Drainage and Sewerage Acts Amendment Bill (Mr. C. E. Statham), the DevoujMrt Borough Vesting Bill (Mr. A. Harris), tho' Springs Couuty Council Reclamation and Empowering Bill (Mr. Nosworthy, for the Hon. It.' H. Rhodes), the Inglewood Borough Endowment 'Disposal Bill (Mr. H. J. H. Okey), and the Lyttelton Borough Extension Amendment Bill (Mr. J. M'Combs) were put through final stages and passed, with the exception of the Inglewoodi Borough Endowment Disposal Bill. Tho rate of interest in the Otago Harbour Board Empowering Bill, was reduced from 6 per cent, to oi 1 per cent. In Committee,-the Inglewood Borough Endowment Disposal Bill was shelved on a division by 28 votes to 27, but subsequently it was discovered that there was an error' in the division list, tho, name of the Hon. W. D, S. Mac Donald not having been recorded. Otherwise the voting would have keen equal, so it was arranged • that tho Bill should have another chance at some convenient period. MISTAKES IN DIVISIONS. Two mistakes in divisions taken in the morning'were brought under the notice of Mr. Speaker. One was on a clause of the "Washing-up" Bill, and tho olause was carried by one. vote only. It happened that ono of the members whose name was recorded as. having voted on both sides was absent from-Wellington, and one of the tellers wouldi not certify to any alteration of this vote without the honourable member's assurance as .to how he wished to vote. This question will be raised again. The other division was on the Inglewood Borough Endowment- Disposal Bill, as reported earlier. Subsequently Air. H. J. H. Okey, member in charge of this Bill, said that he had consulted with ce'rtain honourable gentlemen who-were opposed to the Bill, and had come to an agreement with them. The Bill proposed "that tlie funds obtained from the sale of the lauds in the borough' should be lodged with the Public Trustee. He understood that the opposition to the Blil would bo withdrawn if the money were. invested in other lands, and he would introduce an amendment to this effect. The Bill was committed, and a motion to report progress'was defeated by 36 votes to 21.

At-5.35 p.m. an extension of time was allowed so that finality could bo reached on the measure, but at (j.2 p.m. the Chairman of Committees roso to resume at 7.30 p.m. NEW BILLS. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill and the Factories Amendment Bill were introduced by the Bight Hon.W. F. Massey and read a first time.

The Hospital and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill and the Public Health Amendment Bill were introduced by the Hau.G. W. Russell and read a first time. • . • The. Magistrate's Court Bill, a. bulky measure to consolidate the Magistrate's Court Act and the Police Offences Act and their , amendments, was introduced and read a first time. The amendment agreed upon was made, and the Bill was reported with amendments, read a. ;third,. time, and. passed. '■ .• * ••' •' THE POST OFFICE. The Post .and-Telegraph Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor's Message, and read, a first time.