PARLIAMENT AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 23, 21 October 1921, Page 6

PARLIAMENT AT WORK

MORE ABOUT TOTALISATOR PERMITS

AN IMPREST SUPPLY BILL

WOOL, MEAT AND FINANCE

The Attorney-General stated in the Legislative Council yesterday that he would not as* the Council to deal with the report of the Racing Commission until the House had readied a decision in the matter.

The Prime Minister formally introduced his Gaming Amendment Bill in the House, but it was announced that he had agreed to postpone further proceedings in connection with the Commission’s report until members had conferred among themselves again and reported to him. Members aro trying to find a basis of A rather heated debate took place in the House before the Bill, which has not yet been Circulated, was read a first time. .

An Imprest Supply Bill was introduced later, and gave opportunity for a general debate on many topics. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture made some statements regarding wool, meat, and other produce. ,

The Local Bodies Finance Bill, which has been circulated, contains Important provisions restricting the powers of local bodies to incur overdrafts.

ARMOUR AND CO.

THE GOVERNMENT’S OFFER

‘‘TURNED DOWN,” SAYS MR. MASSEY

"Prices of produce are low, but I do not believe that those prices are going to continue/' said the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives. They cannot continue, because they aro below the cost of production." ■ Mr.. Lysnar (Gisborne) remarked that meat prices would go lower unless something was done. Mr. Massey: You think that we should establish shops. Mr. Lysnar: Put the trusts out first. Mr. Massey said he was not in favour of trusts. He had opposed them all along. A difference had arisen recently between the New Zealand Government and Armour and Company in regard to the export of meat that the company had purchased m the Dominion Mr. Lysnar: In defiance of the will • of Parliament. Mr Massev: My colleagues dealt witn the matter ‘while I was away. I can tell the House that the Government offered Armour and Company an opportunity to ship their meat and get it on any market—America, the Continent, or anywhere else —on the understanding that they would not purchase any more meat without being in possession of an export license. That offer so far has been, turned down. Tt was finite a fair proposal. The company was to undertake not to operate hero without the consent of the New Zealand Government. There is nothing to prevent, the company buying our meat f.o.b.

NO PESSIMISM

"FACE OUli DIFFICULTIES/'

“Wo aro going through a period of financial stringency. Nobody attempts to deny that,” said tho Prime Minister in the House of Representatives yesterday. "I take little credit for having seen it coming, although it is more, severe than I expected. I "But I have been annoyed by the pessimistic statements that have been inudc lately in various parts of the Dominion. During the past eighteen months I have done my best here and on the other side of the world to keep up the credit of tho country, and I have not been unsuccessful in doing it. A mutter to which I ■have given considerable attention has been keeping down rates of interest in this country. I have not 'been able to keep the rate as low as I would have wished, but I have been successful in preventing it going much higher than it is to-day. . . / "If wo aro going to.become pessimistic and say that the bottom is dropping out of the country—that we aro all going bankrupt—then inevitably we will increase our own troubles. Talk of that kind will cause settlers to turn away from our shores. Tt will make people about lending money on mortgage in this country. Pessimism ought to be avoided and it can be avoided. We can admit that we aro up against difficulties: but let us face our difficulties like reasonable people, and wo will get over them all the more quickly."

“SET AOXAMPLE” AIEMBERS AND REDUCTION OF SALARIES. If wages and salaries were to bo reduced in the Public Service, said Air. G. Witty (Riccarton) in the House of Representatives, members of Parliament should set-an example by reducing their own salaries. If members reduced their own salaries the peonle would sco that they were in earnest. During the past few days, he had seen many railwaymen, and had been very pleased indeed with what they had said. They admitted that the country was really having a struggle. They said that they had received increased wages and ishorier hours; and many of them had fold him they were willing to work longer hours and go back to the old system. Mr. Atassey: The railwaymen aro not unreasonable.

Air. AVitty: Many of them came fo me and said they would only be too glad to assist the Government. We can't expect others to do anything, though, unless we ourselves set an example.

Air. Witty’s statement about the attitude of the railwaymen was referred to later bv Air. J. M'Combs (Lyttelton) and Mr. AV. A. Veitch (Wanganui). Air. M'Combs claimed that the railwaymen generally were not prepared to accept reduced wages. What Air. Witty had said did not. he claimed, represent, tho opinion of the railwaymen generally. It merely represented the -opinion of "a handful of scabs.” Air. Veitch also expressed opposition to any suggestion that railwaymen’s wages should be auf down. Afr. M'Combs mentioned incidentally that he would no( consent to a reduction in his own salary. He considered that he earned the money. Mr. Witty said Do had not advocated reduction in railwaymen’s salaries, but had stated that mon had told him they were prepared to work longer hours.

DUTIES OF AUCTIONEERS

The Auctioneers Amendment Bill., circulated yesterday, is a brief and simple measure. By the principal Act of 1908 an auctioneer is required, within fourf™>n days of a sale taking place, to render Io Ilia client an account of the sale, and to pay to him the net proceeds. r.The'wmendment. proceeds-to add to this the extension from fourteen days to "such period as tho Minister of Internal Affairs may appoint.’’ Tf the Minister elects to extend tho period, the notice of extension must ho in writing. It. may apply to any specific class of property, or may be limited to any particular transaction or transactions.

LOCAL BODIES’ FINANCE

RESTRICTIONS TOBE IMPOSED

THE LIMITATION OF OVERDRAFTS

The obligation to set about liquidating outstanding liabilities by way of overdraft or money held upon deposit is east upon local bodies by the Local Bodies Finance Bill, circulated yesterday-. Within the scope of the Bill are included city, borough, and county councils, harbour and road boards, town, Native township, and drainage boards, water supply boards, river boards, railway boards, aud electric power boards. . The existing provisions allowing these bodies to borrow on overdraft are to bo swept away. In their place considerably limited power to do this is to be instituted. With certain saying provisions which are explained later in the Bill, no local body is to be permitted to borrow on overdraft to such an extent that . . , , (a) There shall bo owing by the local authority to its bankers at any time a sum exceeding two-thirds ot the, total revenue for the preceding year. (b) There shall be owing by the local authority to its bankers at any time upon its general account or upon any B ®P‘‘" rate account a sum exceeding two-thirds of its revenue for the preceding year properly payable into that account. (c) It shall owe to its bankers on March 31 of any year on its general account or on any separate account any sum greater than such pair ot © . venue of the year then ended as remains outstanding and unpaid and propel ly payable into that account. So long as the first of these three provisos is observed the bankers of the local authorities are not to be held re sponsible for failure to comply with tlie remaining two, and nothing .in the Uo provisions is to affect the righ.t ° bankers to be repaid money advanced bj the bankers to the corporation In e case of a local body constituted after the nassiim of the measure the limit of its borrowing capacity under these terms fo the first rear of its existence is to be set bv the Minister of Internal Affaire. Local bodies are to be permitted. borrow money, on'fleposit or otherwise, only under the authority of (1) a special Act- (2) the Local Bodies; Loans net, 1913 - (3) the Act under which that local Sy Self is constituted.; or (4) the piesent Bill when passed into law. . ' with respect to res of bodies as on March 31, Uh, eiine their bankers on overdraft <>■ to who have lent money on deposit, ev.ei Zich body is required be ore Hie ent of Tnnuarv next, to render to the Ministe. of Internal Affairs a written statement showing the sums so owing oieid < l .( «» '•»>>» ; hi “£ ./ liability is empowered to borrow to that ftn ; OUn v Vs it f h o°r U thiturpo S e of extinguishing liability. Any wdiich doos o Ofits at y the beginning of each beginning with next yea . ,• , 7i.„ earlier sections ot — "to the amount of the antecedent “'Where a local body elects to extinguish it, antecedent liability by the » en in Intecetoplhility is ject. to the provisions of the 1 “ >'< local authority is required to « t, ordinary, obligations and engageme for the year out of revenue contracts extending o\cr < . have been entered into, the *ocal « ingly.

DISMISSALS FROM PUBLIC SERVICE ou" men who had got into a groove and could nothTng'mt the work they had spent vears at. AVhen thrown out into tne street thev could only become a chai go on charity Those whose services should be dispensed with were the young people who could take up new lines ot occupation.

LAW PRACTITIONERS’ BILL

The Law Practitioners’ Amendment Bill providing that law agents enrolled in Scotland may be admitted as solicitors of the Supreme Court of New Zealand was yesterday passed by the Legislative Council without amendment.

The Hon. ,T. MacGregor yesterday gave notice, in the Legislative Council that, ho intended to ask the Attorney-General to il l''rm tho Council whether, in his opinion, the rule of the law of evidence which by its operation in abortionist cases rendered tho trial of an accused person impossible should not be modified.