POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 298, 12 September 1919, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

PENS AND PARCHMENT

TROUBLES OF THE GOVERNOR- . GENERAL In moving yesterday that the Official Documents i and Appointments Bill be committed,'tho Leader of the Legislative Council (Sir Francis Boll) gave a hint of the tasks that go to make up the routine of a Governor-General. Sir Francis Bell said: "Tho object of tho Bill is to relieve the Governor-Gen-erai of the execution of a mass of documents which occupy a good deal of time, and tho execution of .which is, absurdly, now cast upon him. When a policeman goes to a country district, lie has to bo appointed inspector of faptories and inspector, of. weights and measures 1 . In , : , every caso the Governor has to sign .' separate instruments authorising ' the ■ policeman to'_ hold tho positions. Or tako another illustration: Whenever art ncoHmatisation 60oiety appoints a ranger, the Governor-General has to sign a piece of parchment, and it is a very unpleasant occupation'. Theso documents come in in great numbers, nnd anybody but a - Governor would complain of • being troubled with Biich minute details. One only has to consider what would happen in England, if the King were required to sign all these documents." ■ •' The BJII was Tead a third time. THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE, Some comments on tho work of tho Putiic; Trust Offico were made in the Honso of Eepresentatives yesterday. Mr. G. J. Anderson said that ho hoped the Minister would instruct his officers to ..speed up the administration of soldiers' estates in 'tho Public Trust. He mentioned cases of delay brought under his notice. ' Mr. Witty supported tho complaint. Sir Joseph Ward defended the office utrenuousCy. He said that- tho. Public Trust Office dealt with a huge volume of business, including thousands of soldierß' estates. Often the delays were duo to tho fact that necessary information had to. come from thousands of miles away. The work of tho .office was done with the utmost promptitude. . , , Tho Hon. J. G. Coates,-.Minister in : charge of the Department, told the House ho had been surprised and gratified by the energy, and vision of tho officers of the Department. They had handled more' than.. 7000 soldiers' estates with great effi-' ciency. . Ho' would look into the points that had been mentioned; MORTGAGES EXTENSION. . A BK'l entitled the Mortgages Extension. Bill .has been introduced into the Legislative Council. Tho Bii'.l ig merely a consolidation of all tho legislation of the war period dealing with the extension of [mortgages. Tho Act never did extend mortgages. What it did'was to declare that a mortgageo must not exercise certain powers under a deed of mortgage without leave from tho Supreme' Court. Tho new Bill proposes to.re-enact two su'bscctions which belonged to the original Act, but which were repeated in'lnter legislation. These subsections declare in effect'that tho Supreme-Court may incrcaso the rate of interest payali'e under a mortgngo the term, of which has "expired, and. that .the Court may consider hardship on cither of the parties : by the continuance or by determination of- the mortgage: The Bill, in effect, extends the Act until December 31, 1920, with this difference :■ that it is not to ftpply- to mortgages contracted after the passing of tho 'Act. This is apparently an indication of the Intention of the Government in dealing "with this very difficult problem of mortgages. Sir Francis Bell said some time ngo, when he was waited upon by a deputation of Wellington business .men, that he' did not consider ,any of the schemes in Australia for tho calling up of mortgages at different times were sound, and that his own inclination was simply to extend the Operation of the Act for. a considerable period, giving -the mortgagors ample time within which to make ar-' rangements to pay off existing Joans or to renew them. He expressed the opinion that already . most mortgages, had . been .renewed n .nnd, that. only.an inconsiderable number of people were taking advantage of the Act.:. LOANS TO WORKERS. Mr. E. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) has given notice in the House to ask the Minister of Finance whether he will'this session introduce legislation. which will ennble the State Advances Department (Workers Branch) to increase the amount of a loan to a worker bevond the present limit of .£450? Mr, Wright states that owing to tho increased price of building material and labour, .€450 is ciiiite insufficient to erect a five-roomed house. SHIPPING FREIGHTS. ' . Mr. Pearce (Patea)' gave notice, in the Houso yesterday to ask the Prinie Minister whether he has taken any steps on behalf of the New Zealand Government, or in conjunction with the Imperial Government, to prevent the large shipping combines charg ; iig the producers of New Zealnnd excessive freights on their produce slipped to England when tho commandeer ceases? '