VARIETY OF SUBJECTS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 21, 20 October 1942, Page 4

VARIETY OF SUBJECTS

Statutes Amendment Bill

Thirty-five clauses dealing .with a variety of subjects are contained.in the Statutes Amendment Bill, which was introduced! in the House last night. The Bill was read a second time pro forma and. referred to the Statutes Revision -Committee. . Ihe Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, said it was hoped to proceed with the measure today. The.period during which action can be taken against members of the defence forces is extended from three to six months. The date for the next .elections and appointments of members of fire boards is altered from May, 1943, to June, 1944, and subsequent elections and appointments are to take place in the snime month every third year thereafter. The object is to bring fire boards, with other, local bodies whose members have triennial period of office. Friendly societies are, empowered to make loans to members on the scurity of . policies. Provision'is made ..for .the appointment of an Industrial Efficiency Ap-' peal Authority to deal with appeals under the Industrial Efficiency Act, 1936. The Authority is to have the powers of a commission of inquiry, and will determine appeals from decisions of the Bureau of Industry. The power of magistrates to deal with indictable offences is extended. Any person who commits offences under the Marriage Act, 1908, or a false statement under the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1924, is liable to a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment land must be tried on indictment before a jury. It is considered that the cases could properly be tried before a -magistrate alone, and magistrates are now given power if they think it expedient so to do, with the consent of' counsel, to adopt this course. Authority is given for the appointment'of representatives of the State Advances Corporation and the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association to the Land Settlement Board. The representative of the latter will sit only when .matters affecting the interests of discharged servicemen are under consideration, A modification is made in the qualifications for admission as a barrister. An explanatory .memorandum states that it is desired by the university authorities and the Law Society to reduce the course of study for the solicitors’ examination from five years to three years, but it is considered by those bodies that persons who qualify under the shorter course should not be admitted as barristers without further studies. Provision is made for representation on the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board of producers engaged in the dairy industry. It is made an offence punishable by a fine for any unqualified person to test the,sight of another and then sell spectacles to that person. Compensation for the loss of his sight iby a person who had only one eye is to be assessed on a 100 per cent, assessment basis.