PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2838, 1 August 1916, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

WAR LEGISLATION WELLINGTON RENTS AGAIN RIGHTS OF TENANTS DAYLIGHTSAVING-A FAVOURABLE VOTE. The Legislative Council niot at 2.30 Leave of absence for the remainder of the session, on account of illness, was wanted to Sir Charles Bowen! x SEE. FRANCIS BELL moved a resolution placing on record the Council's appreciation of the services of the late Mr. J. H. Escott, M.P., and expressing sympathy with his relatives. The motion was carried. j , AMENDMENTS TO FINANCE BILL. On the motion of Sir Francis Bell the amendincnts to the Finance Bill, which have already been passed in the House, were agreed to. THE DARDANELLES COMMISSION. The Hon. A. T. MAGINNITr asked Sir Francis Bell whether he would answer a question without notice regarding the Dardanelles Commission. SIR FRANCIS BELL said that he could not answer the question' without notice. Mr. Magiunity then gaxo notice to a6k tho Leader of the Council whether tho appointment of Sir Thomas Mackenzie to the Dardanelles Commission was made with the approval of the Government, and whether the correspondence with the .Imperial Government on the subject will be laid on the table. The Council adjourned at 2.40 p.m. until 2.80 p.m. to-day, / THE HOUSE , The House of Representatives sat at 7.80 p.m. The Wairoa HaTbour Bill (tho Hon. Dr. M'Nab) was withdrawn, and discharged from tho Order Paper. The Right HoiuW. F. MASSET moved the'second reading of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Bill. Tho Bill was read a second time and was committed forthwith. Mr. T. M. Wilford said that the Bill wos really made up of many local Bills. After seeing the Bill, anv local body that promoted a local Bill would bo foolish, and wasteful of public money. This method of putting through matters that should be the subject of local Bills was vicious, and ought not to be continued. Mr. W. T. Jennings: I ontirely disagree with the honourable member for Hntt. Mr. M'Callum: Hear. henr. We all do. Mr. Jennings said that this method was more speedy and less expensive. Ho contended that the interests of local peo. pie were amplv safeguarded. The Eight Hon. W. F. Massey said that there were many clauses. in the Washing-up Bill which could" not, by any stretch of imagination, be called local Bills, and there were not so many local Bills as eonie members might think. He did not approve ofMooal Bills being nut through in the Washing-up Bill. . But many local bodies were too kte with their proposals, to get local Bills through and they took advantage of the Wa<di-i?-u up i?' 11 - Also ' some cl »us'es 'in the Hill which were apparently local Bills woro merely intended to remedy defects m local Bills already passed. ' • • x WELLINGTON RENTS MANY VEXED QUESTIONS RIGHTS OF TENANTS The committee proceeded to further consideration of the War Legislation i Amendment Bill. The Right Hon. W. F. Massey moved to amend Clause 5 of the Bill restricting the owner's right to dispossess the tenant by denning reasons on which such dispossession should take place. His amendment was to provide as an additional ground on which a tenant could be dispossessed "that an agreement for the 6alo of the premises has been duly entered into." Mr. Hindmorsi said that this would make possible a bogus agreement... The amendment should provide for a bona, fide sale, followed by a conveyance and transfer of the property. Some of these property-owners were absolutely the most unscrupulous men in Wellington, and if possibilities of evasion. were left open the Bill would bo rendered, useless. Mr. Massey said that tho Government < had no desire to leave loopholes in tho Bill, it did not wish to do injustice. This ground would only be a ground for application to tho Court, and the Court could inquire as to whether fraud was contomplated or not. Mr. Hindmaish said that the land agents were at the bottom, of this amendment. ' He had been, 'spoken to himself'' by land agents about it. The people of Wellington were well satisfied with the Bill as at first introduced, and no amendments should be made in it. He asked the Prime Minister to accept an amendment to provide that'there should be ground for application to have the tenant turned out only if (he property was actually transferred or conveyed. Mr. Stathani said that this would prevent the sale of occupied by a tenant; because the buyer would not complete tho purchase unless the tenant was first "turned out. ; ' Mr. Hindmarsh said he would bo prepared lo see the clause amended to give a purchaser, who had actually completed Tire purchase, an absolute right to a house. Bogus agreements for sale would be'made the excuse for turning out tenants of these unscrupulous landlords. Mr. Massey said that i he was advised that the Bill was sufficiently safeguarded. The Law Society had been consulted, and had expressed this opinion. Mr. Hindmarsh: Consult the Law So-/ ciety! .The very worst people you could have consulted. Mr.- Massey: I thought the honourable member was a member of the Law Society. Mr. Hindmarsh: So I am. But for toadyism you can't beat- the lawyer. Mr. Massey said he, was very anxious to put through' a Bill which would bo effective. Mr. Hindmarsh: I believe that. Mr. Massey said that the amendment proposed by Mr. Hindmarsh would leave the Bill exactly as it stood. Tho proposals he offered was not'that a tenant should be turned out because the landlord had arranged to sell, but that the fact of an agreement to sell having been entered into could be considered by the Court as a ground for dispossessing the tenant. Honourable members must not forget that tho final decision rested with the Court, and not with the landlord.. .Mr. J. M'Combs isaid that in Christchurch nt Exhibition time, when there was a scarcity of houses, some landlords, ill order to get higher rents, forced upon tho occupiers of their houses agreements for salo.and purchase, under which tho occupiers paid n weekly rate as instalments of principal and interest. In actual fact/ tho occupiers never did in most cases'complete the purchases; tho payments were really rent payments, and in course of timo the properly reverted to tho real owners. Similar agreements for sale and. purchaso could bo mado in Wellington to evado tho provisions of this Act. Mr. Massey agreed to alter his amendment to provido that an agreement for sale, to be a ground for tho dispossession of a tenant, must bo completed by transfer within one month from tho signing of tho agreement. This amendment was acceptable to Mr. Hindmarsh. and the clause was agreed (o. Standard Rent, On the clause defining "standard rent," Mr. Hindmarsh moved an amendment that at the option of tho tenant only the standard rent of a house unlet on August 4, 1014, should be the lowest rent at which, the house .was let between August 3 and December 31, 1015. Mr, Massey moved his amendment men-

tioned on Saturday, providing for an 1 alternative method of assessing the ' standard rent at 8 per cont. of the capital value. , Mr. Hindmarsh pleaded with the Prime Minister not to go on with the amendment. Air. Massey said lio could not drop ' the amendment. Mr. Payne sajd that before the war house-owners in Wellington could not i get 8 per cent. on. the capital value of their properties. Mr. J. M'Combs said that if there was to bo an 8 per cent, assessment, let it bo on tlio Government raluntion, tho amount on which the landlord paid taxes. Tho discussion continued for soino time. Mr. Massey said lie would move to report progress. "It is no use wasting time like this," he said. "It is ouite clear members do not want the Bill. An "hon. member: Hear, bear. Wipe it out. Mr. Massey relented about' reporting progress, however) and a division was taken on the 8 per cont. amendment. The new proviso was carried by 41 to 18. ' Another clause to provide for tho determination of the capital value was agreed to. Tho mothod is by agreement between landlord and tenant, or in default of agreement by the Stipendiary Magistrate. / DAYLIGHT SAVING. Mr. T. K. Sidcy moved his daylightsaving amendment, to provide for the introduction of his scheme during war time. He claimed that his proposal, having been adopted as a measure of war economy in the countries of several of tho belligerents, was proved to be one of practical value. It would save to New Zealand not less than .675,000 a year. He appealed to the Government not to treat it as a party question. : Mr. Massey said he thought it was grossly unfair of the honourable member to bring down a debatable clause like this in the dying hours of tho session. It was not a right thing to do. Tho scheme was introduced at Home to save coal and to allow another hour for work in factories. The conditions here were not comparable with those at Home. Pc was advised that tho offect of the .;lause wculd be to lengthen the session by a week, and in viow of this he did not think it should havo been'introduced.' Mr. G. V. Pearce said that in England the farmers were never considered, but the farmers there were opposed to the scheme. In Canada the scheme had mixed things up and they wuro r-!l sick of it. The thing was no good, and ho hoped the Government would not allow it to be imposed ou this country. Members wore clamouring "Vote, Vote," and there was no long discussion such, as has occurred on previous occasions when tho proposal has been introduced. The clause was agreed to by 29 v.,les to 26. » Following was the division list:— Ayes (29).—Anderson, Colvin, Ell, ; T. A. H. Field, Fletcher, Glover, Harris, Isitt, Jennings, M'Callum, M'Combs, Dr. A. .K. Newman, Parata, Payne, Poland, Poole, Sidey, Smith, Statham, Sykes, Thacker, Thomson, Veitch, Walker, WoHb, Wilford, Witty, Wright, and Young. Noes (2«).-Allen, Bollard. Brown, Forbes, Eraser) Hanan, Herdman, Herries, Hunter, Hudson, Mac Donald, M'Nab, Mander, Massey, Myersf'E. Newman, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Pomare, E. H. Ehodes, T. W. Rhodes, V Russell, W. Stowart, Ward; and Wilkinson. When the result was announced, Mr. Massey said: I don't think it is any use wasting the time of the House over this. I move to report progress. • Mr. Sidey asked the Prime Minister to accept the verdict of the House that the clause ouglit to become the law of the land. Mr. Massey: It is simply playing with during the war period. , Mr. • Wilford said he hoped that tho effect of the carrying of tho amendment would not cause progress to bo reported. The Honso had declared that the clause ouglit to be inserted in the Bill, and it was the duty of those who favoured it to stick together and see tho thing through. Tho motion to report progress was carried by 29 votes to 23. The division was as follows:— Ayes (29): Allen, Bollard, Buick, J. S. Dickson, Forbes, Hanan' Harris, Herd- ' man, Herries, Hunter, Hudson, Jennings, Mac Donald, M'Nab, Mander, Massey, Myers, 1 E. Newman, Nosworthy, Okev, Pearce, Pomare. E. H. Ehodes, T. W. Ehodes, Russell, W. Stewart, Ward, Wilkinson, and Wright. Noes (23): Colvin, T. Field, Fletcher, Glover, M'Callum, M'Combs, A. K. Newman, Parata, Parr, Payne, Poland, Poole, Sidey, i Smith, Statham,- Sykes, Thacker, Thomson, Veitch, Walker, Webb, Wilford, and Witty. - The-House rose at 0.10 a.m.