PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1920, Page 1

PARLIAMENT

[per PBfiSS A^SOOlil.XjN.—COrvntoilT.J

THE, COUNCIL.. WjsLLINGTGN, Nov. 8. , The Legislative Council liiefc at 11 ii ; m: ~j (. Tlie Cduncil commenced with the iiii'eiiclinents made by tile blouse m the Divorce and Matrimotfjal Clauses Amendment Dill. . In moving the second reading of the llabbit Nuisance amendment Bill, Sir F. D. Bell said it was proposed to bring down two amendments ; 4 .the first limited the autocratic power of . the Inspector, upon whose judgment the , Magistrate at present. relied, by providing that a second inspector must agree the report fir.st. the second, amendment allowed the Board, with the consent of the Minister, to undertake Die destruction of rabbits.

The pills, received from the House nnd put .through all stages were— Births ap'd Deaths Registration Amendment, Hospital and Charitable Institutions Amendment, RailwaysAuthorisation, Greymouth Harbour Board Amendment. r . ;• ... .The Council rose at 11.45 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. , v Tj -, WELLINGTON, Nov. 9

The Council resumed at 1.30 p.m. The Rabbit Nuisance Amendment Bill was committed .and new clauses, outlined by Sir F. Dell on the second reading, added. The Dill was then read a third time and passed. , . Tlie Council rose at .2.40 p.m. and resumed at 7 p.m. and adjourned immediately until 8 p.m. The Washing-up Bill was read a second time. Progress was reported from committee aiid permission asked to sit again, when all biit the title was considered.

The Council rose at 8.85 p.m. until 11.80 a.m. to-morrow.

THE HOUSE. The House met fit II o’clock. ' Replying,to Mr Jones, Hon Nosworthy said Government would be pleased to analyse samples of sugar that have been grown in. Canterbury this ye,or, find results will be made public. Replying to Mr Isitt, Hon Massey said the Commission appointed to consider the totalisator permits would take evidence in large cities. The Commission has beeii given a free hand, and would approach tlie subject without bias. Supplementing the Premier’s statement Hon Anderson said he was more concerned that tlie Commission should lake Evidence ill smaller centres. As to whether the Commission would take evidence on economic aspect of racing, the Commission would be guided by the Act under which they were appointed, tlie. terms of which were fairly wide.

Replying to Mr Sullivan, Hon Parr said the whole question of granting subsidies to public libraries required revision, and he would take it into consideration during the recess.

Replyiri'g to Mr Nash, Hon Parr said l e recognised tlie- value of swimming in connection with school work, hut he could hot promise a subsidy towards the erection of swimming baths at schools. There were so many eiahiis of subsidies on his department that he must call a halt... .

Mr Jennings drew attention to a statement by Mr Potter during the debate on the Marriage Bill, that a Roman, Catholic woman was married by the Registrar to fi Protestant had giveii

birtli to a child * that she had been p/te.rwards -.visited, by Archbishop O’Shea who had said, n To me it is a pity you were not struck dead instead o f giving birth to a child.” Mr Jennings pointed out that this statement had been . publicly denied by. Archbishop O’Shea as “absolutely untrue,” and asked the Premier if his attention had been drawn to the denial.

Mr Massey said he had heard Mr Potter’s statement and lie had seen Arch : bishop O’Shea’s denial, but beyond that lie.know nothing of the matter. Mi; Potter said his was based on a written statement, signed by the. woman in tlie presence of a witness, and. he believed the woman’s statement, ir. defiance of O’Shea’s denial. Hon Noswortliy read a lengthy statement in connection with Mr Holland’s allegations ihade some days ago regarding the condition of frozen meat being loaded for Britain in which the Minister said the fullest investigations would lie.made into .the charges made. Mr Holland.—Will you give me the Commission asked for. We can prove every charge that we have made. Mr Massey said tlie matter could liot rest where it is, because he Had no doubt, the charges made by Mr Holland would reach England and be used there to the detriment of New Zealand meat. He' proposed to join with the Minister of Agriculture in making the most stringent investigation into the allegations. Mr MaSsey moved the second reading of the Legislature Artiendment Bill which postponed for six months the proposal to elect Maori members, owing to the difficulty of getting Maori rolls prepared. Other clauses widened the definition of contractor 'under the Lo. gislature Act 1908. This was rendered necessary owing to dealings between Government and members of Legislature during the war time. It was also proposed to widen the margin allowed tlie Representation Commissioners in allocating the boundaries of electoral district to 1250 and so preserve a greater “community of interest.” , Mr McCoombs, Dr Newman and Mr Sullivan protested against the latter amendment as further accentuating tlie evils of the country quotar It was an outrage on democratic Government.

Mr Wilford agreed with extending the discretion of the Representation Commissioners, but thought the proposed margin was too wide.. He deprecated the proposal to allow members of Parliament to deal with the Government. If special cases were affected by war dealings then they should he specified, and a Validating Act passed. Hon Leo and Mr McCall urn denied the amendment, extending the discretion of the Electoral Commissioners involved the question of the country quota fit all, as it affected only cornmutiny of interest and had been asked for by the Commissioners themselves, who declared they could not carry out the provisions of the present Act without it. The discussion was proceeding at tho luncheon adjournment..

In the House the .following Bills were pul through the final stages and passed —Reserves and other Lands Disposal aiid Public Bodies . Empowering Bill (Hon . Guthrie); Law Amendment Bill (Hon Lee); Legislature Amendment Dill (Right Hon Massey).

The Finance Bill was also introduced and read a first time. The House then resumed the interrupted debate oh the question that the report of the Labour Bills Committee oh the Industrial Conciliation aiid Arbitration Amendment Bill do lie on the table. Tile debate was continued until 3 O’clock, when the Bill went into committee. The first elhusO was passed hn'd progress reported. The Ho,use rose at 3.15 a.m. until noon to-day.