PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 11 November 1920, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

ir <•«* 3" I’BESS ASSOCIATION. —COI'XBIGHT.] rTHE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, Nov. 11. The Legislative Council met at 10.30. Sir F. Bell moved the second reading of the Finance Bill. J At 1.1 o’clock two minutes of silence was observed and the debate was then continued and is proceeding. The Finance Bill was passed and the Council adjourned till 2.30 p.m. * THE HOUSE. S REPLIES TO QUESTIONS, s The House met at 10.45 a.m. Replying to Mr McCailum, the Minister of Lands stated the consolidation of the Dominions land laws hfid been under consideration for some time and it was intended to issue the consolidati ed laws as early an possible. 1 Replying to* Mr Luke, the Minister of 1 Customs said a departmental inquiry into matters affecting tariff revision was the only one that would be made. Replying to Mr Brown, the Premier said he hoped the session would be' concluded at this sitting. In 9 reply to Mr McCombs, the ‘ Premier announced he had been informed by the head of Associated Ban- ' , kers that the banks were willing to ’ j meet representatives of the Bank Of- ! fleers Guild and discuss matters affecting them. Mr Massey said there had been no conference a suggested by the member for Lyttelton. Replying to Mr Fraser, Sir W. Herries said the reason no one was sent representing New Zealand at the International Labour Conference was owing to the expense. The Premier said the papers relating to the same conference s business arrived too late. At this distance from the Old World it was impossible to act upon the matter. The Prime Minister later announced in reply to a question by Mr Parry whether the House would be given an opportunity to discuss matters to come before the next Imperial Conference, that he might not be present, but possibly one or more ministers might go to assist the High Commissioner. 1 Mr Parry asked if these ministers could commit New Zealand to any special course of action. The Premier replied that they could not do so, the decisions being in the hands of Cabinet. Mr Malcolm urged that in future the House should be given an opportunity to discuss Imperial matters before the delegates go to a conference. ( --The Premeir informed Mr Field ho would, during the recess, meet the Producers Association regarding shipping matters. He had already informed the { Imperial authorities that the present high freights and rates threatened to £ seriously affected the primary produ- r eers of the Dominion. ' ] The Minister of Health replying to c Mr Holland, agreed that in view of the importance of their work it would be a wise thing to dispense with the fee v at present required from women entering hospitals for training. The fee had already been reduced from £2O to £lO but he was consulting the Depart- > mental officers to see if it could not be dropped altogether. The Taieri River Improvement Bill (Mr Edie) and Mount Hutt County Bill (Sir H. Rhodes) and Nelson Harbour Amendment Bill (Mr Massiey) j were rend a second time. Mount Hutt County Bill was held over till next session. The other two werp put through Committee, read a third time time and passed. Hon. J. G. Coates moved the second reading of The Life Insurance Amendmen Bill. He explained that the most important provision was one relating to Industrial Insurance to protect policy holders by requiring that the policy is- , sued by any Company doing business in ( New Zealand, must be open to review , by a Government Official. ; Mr Bartram contended that the effect of the Bil would be to cause an -j increase in the number of new policies ’ lapsing. The Bill was read a second time. ' i