STATUTES BILL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20919, 20 October 1942, Page 3

STATUTES BILL

MANY AMENDMENTS MEASURE BEFORE HOUSE (P.R.) WELLINGTON, this day. The period during which action can be taken against members of the defence forces under the Defence Act is extended from three to six months by a clause in the Statutes Amendment Bill introduced into the House of Representatives last night. The bill, which contains 35 clauses dealing with various subjects, was read the second time pro forma and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Prime Minister ,the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, said he hoped to proceed with the measure to-day.

In an explanatory memorandum to a clause modifying the qualifications for admission as a barrister, it is stated that the university authorities and the Law Society. desire to reduce the course of study for the solicitors’ examination from five years to three years. .However, it is considered by the bodies referred to that persons who qualify under the shorter course should not he admitted as barristers without further’ studies.

Greater powers are given to magistrates to deal with indictable offences under the Marriage Act and for false statements under the Births and Deaths Registration Act. Under these Acts a person is liable to the maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and must be tried on r an indictment before a jury. It is considered that many of the cases could properly be tried before a magistrate alone and the magistrates are given authority in the bill to adopt this course if they think it expedient and with the consent of counsel. Unqualified Opticians The bill makes it an offence punishable by a fine of £2O for any unqualified person to test the sight of another and then sell spectacles to that person. An industrial efficiency appeal authority is to be set up to dea*l with appeals under the Industrial Efficiency Act. The authority is to have powers of a commission of inquiry and will determine appeals from decisions of the Bureau of Industry. The appointment of representatives of the State Advances Corporation and New Zealand Returned Services’ Association to the Land Settlement is authorised. The Returned Services’ Association representative will sit only when matters affecting the interests of discharged servicemen are under consideration. The date for the next elections and appointments of members of the fire boards is altered from May, 1943, to June, 1944. Subsequent elections and appointments are to take place in the same month every third year thereafter, thus bringing fire boards Into line with other local bodies, whose members have triennial periods of office. Representation on the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board of producers engaged in . the dairy industry is given. The Prime Minister fexplained that this had been agreed to unanimously by the Meat Board and the Dairy Board. Friendly societies are empowered to make loans to members on the security of life insurance policies. An amendment is -made to the Workers Compensation Act to provide for the loss of sight by a person who had had only one eye to be treated on a 100 ner cent assessment basis.