JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1920, Page 1

JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

(Our Parliamentary Correspondent.)

MAORI ELECTIONS. WELLINGTON, November 3. The. Legislature Amendment Bill, introduced ( in- the, Legislative, Council, postponed the operation pf v section 25 of the. Act of .1,614, which. ,provides that . Aj>ori ejections, olj.monj.bcrß .of Parliament shall be,conducted) ii), f the same manner as, European .elections. It has not been possible, owing to the war, to prepare itolls of native electors. . LEGlSL'lT’pit’S LiIBILITY.,... Ahdther fclau'Se of the Bill makes, it clerif that the GoVefrimMt th,ay pur-e-hasti land .and lease biilldirigs from ntemilers of Parliament of firms, including memibefs of parliaiheni, without disqualifying, the members' frbrii sittiiig in Paflinmenf. This is considered to fiave been the- intention,, of the present law, but a , ruling has been given that the , exemption b applies only -in cases where the. purchase is. compulsory. , . NOT FAYPURED. The Legisiative t Councjl was unsympathetic when t|e Hop, M., Cohen moved fp-day that ,tKe time had cotne to .appoint women patrols, and women justices .of tfy? .#nd tp . associate womep with, the (picture, ejensor... An amendment deferring ..consideration., of the jnotion foy two weeks, was carried by t 7 yptes. to 8. , This, of course, is equivalent to rejection. t \ ENDING THEvSESSION. ... Another statement regarding the business .of the sessiop was yftade by tlie Prime Minister, .who said that of the ten Government Bills hop; on the order paper, abtriit seven would be proceeded with.. The Bank of N. Z. Bill would be taken that dajy. A iiill. dealing with narrow gauge railways, .orchard arid garden Diseases .Bill, and jjtonb Qrirjfries Bill w.ere required. The Rabiliit Nuisance iimeiidmprit Bill ,jas on the order paper and he agreed that legislation dealing with rabbit nuisance Was urgently required. , ,Mr Yoiing, (Waikato) it is wanted arid it lias been promised.

3s[r Massey—l know it, is wanted, biit i Save had some experience ~of Rabbit. Bills in this House and 1 don’t know that ,we will ,be able to get it through, Mr Massey added that a Rail ways Authorisation Rill would, deal | with three -short lines.: There would be the usual Finance Bill which was lengthy, i bu.t not contentious, two Washingup Bills an Appropriation 'Bill and the supplementary- .estimates had also, to he considered. The Education Bill now before a Committee did not seem to be contentious. A Main; Roads Bill was to be introduced. It was not contentious and iwas regarded merely as a beginning. The Marriage Amendment Bill was to be proceeded, with. The Premier added that lie did not know if it would be possible to end the session this week. If they like to reduce talking to minimum they could get through the work by Saturday; BANK OF N. Z. BILL PASSED. WELLINGTON, Nov. 2. The Bank of New Zealand Bill was | put through all stages and passed by j the House to-day. , j - Hon Massey in moving the second reading assured tiie House that the country was making a good bargain. Lie said a good dea 1 about the details of the Bill, and quoted figures to show that the directors of the Bank had -proposed substantial concessions to Government in connection with the • rearrangement of the capital proposed by the Bill, Hon Wilford pointed out that while the State was getting certain advantages the ordinary shareholders, of whom very little was being said, were getting even greater advantages. He thought that the State’s share of control ought to increase in proportion to . increased in State’s financial interest in the bank. Some other members had criticism to make., but most of the comment on tin; Bill,was.favourable. , One division was taken and then only eight members voted against the. Bill. THE EDUCATION BILL. This evening the Education Committee reported on the Education Bill with Amendments. The Bill comes back particularly unaltered, the main amendment consisted of elimination of a clause, giving women teachers right to keep on teaching till

GO years of age. Another clause requiring the transfer ofg school medical officers to Public Health Department was withdrawn by tlu Minister as sufficient power already existed in the new Public Health. Hill. Superannuated teachers and civil servants, are in doubt as to, whether, the proposed increases, in, their superannuation are of permanent or of a temporary, matter. .... , ... . The proposal as a matter, of fact is a temporary provision to meet the in- . creased cost of Jiving. A vote of £IOO,OOO wa.s. faken for this year only, What may. .happen next year will depend upon circumstances. Government and Parliament will have to decide whether or not it will be necessary or possible to continue the vote. MARRIAGE AMENDMENT BILL. The official report of the evidence taken bv a Special Committee of. the House "on the. Marriage Amendment Bill,,,has •been issued. It shows that at a meeting of>the committee, Howard Elliot! produced.a certificate issued on June 20th, .108 of, a marriage between Neil McLean and Ada, iCasg-y, celebrated be fore the Registrar, fhe same par.tiei ' were married a month later by a pries 'in a Roman Catholic Church by Hamil ‘ tom and were described in the certifi cate a month after the civil marriage a bachelor and spinster.

Elliott said that the documents wer practical confirmation of the state ment lie had made before the Legisla tive Council as to the non-recognition o the legal marriage by the Tloma Catholic Church.

The Cailioiic Bishops ifi their, correspohdeiice wiili tlie committee do not admit the incident or the construction pla’ced' upon it. ~ , ,