JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

Hokitika Guardian, 15 October 1920, Page 4

JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

(Our Parliamentary Correspondent.; ROTORUA LEASEHOLDS. WELLINGTON, Oct. 14. The leaseholders and freeholders got to grips again to-day over the Rotorua Town Leases Bill, proposing to grant the freehold to crown tenants in Rotorua. The Land Committee recommended that the Bill should he allowed to proceed. ’The leaseholders, who are, lighting persistently in the face of overwhelming odds on this issue, protested that the Government was dissipating the national estate and predicted that the next raid would be on the national endowments. They talked out the committee report, but it will come forward again and numbers are bound to tell. The government evidently will have to devote some time to the task, however, if the Rotorua Leases Bill is to pass this session.

COUNTIES BILL. When the Counties Bill was being considered in committee to-night, Mr Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) moved to substitute the municipal franchise for the present property qualifications in County elections. He said the time had arrived to abolish plural voting, and system of assembly votes on property in counties. Many country members opposed the motion. They said that the Counties were quite satisfied with the present franchise and that country districts did not want to be dominated by the floating population, such as public works employees. The matter was debated at some length, and with a certain amount of heat. Mr Hanan (Invercargill), said that the property qualification in Counties was the last refuge of Toryism. Mr Reed (Bay of Islnads) retorted that tlie country people wished to manage their own affairs, without interference from townspeople.

Eventually Mr Wilford’s motion was rejeceted, by 36 votes to 21, Labour voting with the Liberals. The Counties Bill has been amended to provide that voting power shall bo based on the rateable value of rateable property, instead of merely on rateable property. This means that a person cannot any longer vote on the capital value if he is rated on the unimproved value.

APPRENTICES. Tlie Legislative Council lias passed the Master and Apprentices Bill, with some amendments to the penalty clauses. It has increased the penalty on the farmer who fails to give proper treatment and instruction to a lad who has been received as an apprentice.