HOUSING LAW

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 35, 5 November 1920, Page 8

HOUSING LAW

MORE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACT POWERS FOR HARBOUR BOARDS A number of amendments to the Housing Bill were introduced in 'the House yesterday afternoon by Vice-Regal message. The Minister in charge (Sir William Herries) explained that they consisted largely of alterations asked for by different members. Clause 8 gave power to the Housing Department to 6pend money in providing ligli.ung, drainiige ' and water irhere.it was building a number of houses. This was cxtoiuled also to include heating. It also gave the Department the same power in respect to houses that it bought already built.

An extension was made to the clause enabling the Government to lend money to public utility societies for housing purposes. The Bill as passed provided that the Government could advance money up to 75 per c6nt. of the value, of land owned by the society, or any member who had received , a section under the scheme. This was now to be altered to make the limit for advances .the unproved value of the land in each case,'so that the Governmont could advance up to 75 per cent. ,of the value including improvements. The clause permitting a sub-tenant or sub-lessee renting a. room or portion of a house to apply to a Magistrate to determine a fair rent was being amplified by giving authority, to an'inspector of factories to make an application dn that direction on behalf of the sub-tenant or sub-lessee, the result being that the Department could intervene to have a fair rent fixed in such a caso.

■ Some-new clauses were inserted, the object of the first being to give the Department) the right to sue for the recovery of unpaid instalments of money advanced under the Act.

A further clause had been inserted, to 'meet the request made while the Bill was bofore the House on behalf of harbour boards. It provided that for the purpose of acquiring land and erecting houses any harbour board might with • the consent of the Minister of Marine, and without taking a poll of the ratepayers, .borrow money on debentures or on first or any oth«r mortgage on the land on which the dwellings were to be elected. It also enabled the State Advances Office to advance money on this eeourity without requiring the security of a special rate. • The Minister added that he did not know that the boards would be able to borrow much money on this security, but the power was being given .to them ag asked.

• Several-members, he added, had asked in committee that the limit of on the borrowing powers of municipalities should be increased. It was found that this was not necessary, a 9 there was no .such limit placed by the Act. It was simply a limit placed by the lending Departments of the State. It wa9 only necessary to get over'the Minister of Finance to get over the .£IO,OOO limit.

A member: But- he is harder to get over'than you are. .

Sir William Herries: Well,-no amendment of the Aot is needed. He added that the amendments were all right. They had all been asked for, and Tie thought that the harbour boards would fie. satisfied with what was being done for them.''

. The amendments were agreed to and forwarded ito the Legislative Council, where they were dealt with immediately and also agreed to. EDUCATION BILL' PUT THROUGH PINAL STAGES. The debate on the Education Bill in the House of Representatives was completed yesterday morning after The Dominion went to press. Mr. H. E. Holland (Buller) moved an amendment suggesting the abolition of all scholarships, every child to be entitled to continue to tho university subject to ability-to pass the qualifying examinations. This amendment was rejected by 42 votes to 23.

An amendment by Air. Holland proposing that the school ago should be raised to 16 years was rejected on tho voices.

The. clause dealing with appointments and transfers was mnde operative from .Tune 1, 1921, on tho motion of the Minister. |

Clause 30. proposing to abolish tho distinction between certificates of proficiency nnd certificates of competency, was omitted from tho Bill at the Minister's request. The Lender of the Opposition (Mr. Wmofd) moved an amendment, providing that after March 31, 1922, the scnle of series and allowances should be nxed by legislation and not by regulation. So thought that too much was being done by regulation. Authority tliat.' belonged to Parliament was being exercised by Ministers.

Tho amendment was defeated by 38 vfltes to 25, tho division lißt being as foiiows:— 1

Por the amendment (25):—Atmore, Bartram, Dickson. Edie Fraser, Hanan, Holland, Horn, Howard, Isitt, Kollett, Masters, Mitchell. Newman, Dr., Parry, Poland, Savage, Seddon, Sidey, Smith, S. G., S&itham, Sullivan, Veitch, Wilford, Witty.

Against the amendment (38):—Anderson, Bitchener, Bollard, Burnett, Coates, Dickson, J. S., Field, Glenn, Cluthrie, Hamilton, A., Hamilton, J. R„ Harris, Hawken, Hcnare, Herries, Hockley, Hudson, Hunter, Jones, Lee, Luke, Lysnar, M'Leod, M'Nicol, Marnier, Mnssey, Noswortby, Parr, Pomare, Potter, Powdrell, Reed, Rhodes, Rhodes, Sykcs, Williams, Wright, Young.

The Bill wns read a third timo and passed.

The Legislative Council yesterday passed the Education Amendmout Bill.

An amendment that had been asked for by tho Labour members in tho House was made on the motion of Sir Francis Bell. It provided for the election of managers to represent employers and omployees respectively on technical school boards. The Bill originally left the appointment of such representatives to the Governor-General.

The Hon. P. J. Nerhenv protested aeainst the clause providing that the national scholarships should not hi hold in private or denominational schools. He ajfrued that the Catholic schools were 'savirijr the State a great deal of expenditure upon education. The House agreed to the amendment made by the Counoil.