PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 124, 22 November 1932, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

■ • The House ,of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. A suggestion that tho Minister of ' ■ Agriculture (the Hon. C. E. Macmillan) had promised to introduce the Tomato Growers^.Registration Bill this session was denied by " the Minister. Mr. AY. Nash (Labour, Hutt) asked when the Minister promised to introduce the > Bill, as it had been promised to the growers', organisation. Replying, the Minister said that the promise was mado that the questiou of introducing the Bill would be discussed with the Prime Minister and . Cabinet. That had been done, and it' ■vras regretted that it had not been , .found practicable to.introduce the Bill | this session. Mr. W.. Nash (Labour, Hutt) gave notice to ask the Prime Minister whether he would introduce legislation this '.session to confine the use of the word .-"co-operative" to societies carrying on business in accordance with the recog- • nised principles of producing and distributive co-operative societies. The 1 recognised "co-operative" principle provided that all the. funds other than » those required for management, were - either distributed in the ease of producers' co-operatives to the producers, • ■ and in the case of distributive co-opera-tive societies to the purchasing members. Mr. H. Atmpre (Independent, Nel- \ son) gave notice to ask the Prime ;. Minister whether his attention had been drawn to a resolution passed "by the London Chamber of Commerce to the effect that monetary reform was the most important essential in the restoration of world prices and trade. . Mr. C. H. Chapman (Labour, Welling- ■ ton North) moved for a return show-ing:*—-(1) The cost of production often motor buses being built at Petone work- --' shops; (2): the tenders submitted by motor body builders for this job; (3) the - estimate of the Department for the job; (4) the length of time taken to complete ;■ the building of the ten buses. The Apprentices Amendment Bill, aii - outline of which is given on another page, was introduced by Governor-Gen-eral 's Message. The Minister of Labour (the Hon. A. ... Hamilton) said he intended to refer the , measure to the Labour Bills Committee. There was no particular urgency about ; the Bill. He did not think any keen objection would bo voiced to the measure. : . , ■ - . The Bill was read a first time, a second time pro forma, and referred ~ to the Labour Bills Committee. The Native Land Amendment Bill •was read a second time pro forma arid referred to the Native Affairs Committee. ■ ' The amendment made by the L'egisla- ." tive Council to the Local AuthoritiesSinking Funds Bill, safeguarding from " liability trustees of local body sinking • funds, was agreed to. ' • FARM LANDS RATING.' • ■ Moving the second reading of the ; Urban Farm Lands Bating Bill, the ° Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. .-. .■ A, Hamilton) said a Bill was intro- ■ duced in 1929,. but it had been allowed ,_ to drop. He thought the present Bill was a very desirable one. The 1929 - Bill was the outcome of a Commission, but it was deemed that the ; method proposed in that measure—that ,■ of classification—was too costly.; There *-,;,.T7^s s -ja^;real-..._prohl.eia in. reference .... to •urban,farm- lands as tuQ.present law' did.not make sufficient provision for the ratepayers. The Billwa* designed to give relief where the present rates ■were bearing too heavily on. land owners. It was the function of Parliament to spread the burden as equitably as possible. The system, of revaluation ".., adopted by the Bill was quite fair, and , was ■well safeguarded from abuse. The . borough, valuer -was to ascertain, the ' ■ ■value, of the lands involved, and the Bill met, to a substantial degree, the '... wishes of the Municipal. Association, i ■ (Proceeding.): ~