PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 October 1922, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

A REVENUE POINT. A passing breeze from the licensing controversy passed through the representative chamber when Air Isitt tailed the Piime Minister’s attention to what lie described as a subtle misrep-

resentation of the financial position in a pamphlet advocating continuance. By a certain arrangement of a quotation from a speech by Mr Alassey followed by commeht by tlig author the. suggestion wits created that Air Alassey had itlformed Parliament that the reveiiu this jiefir wbuld be dowii liy eight, find a half millions. Air Isitt wished the Prime Minister to state if this was correct.

Air Alassey referred to his sp?eyh in the Budget to show that he had mentioned tho need for strict economy. He liiid not, however said that the revenue would be Sown by eight and a Jialf a millions .as lie expressed , the hope that, receipts and expenditure would with cautions management balance at the end of tlie financial year. COAtPANY LAW.

The Alinister of Justice the Hon. B. P. Lee in introducing an amendment of the Companies Act explained that its purpose'was to protect tlie creditors of a company if Jts interests were threatened by any particular creditor. The Bill provided that in such an event there shall he a meeting of nil creditors and if a certain majority decided upon a scheme for carrying oil tlie company tlifin a judge of the Supreme Court colild ordfir that ill the general interests of the company there should he a stay of proceedings.

Air AVilford: This is extraordinary. Air Lee replied tliat- it Jiad lieeh in operation for a tiriie in New South AA’ales and its necessity was a matter which the Prime Minister would take an opportunity -of explaining to the House.

A PENSION ANOMALY. A hardstiip imposed on recipients of assistance under tlie New Zealand sheepowners acknowledgement of debt to British seamen fund was brought under the notice of the Minister in charge bf the Pensibns Department in the House by Mr E. Newman, the chairman of the fund; The member asked whether the Minister was award that amounts of relief giants in excess of £(32 per annum made to sailors of the mercantile marine in respect to partial or total disablement resulting from service under the British bnthe war period were regarded as income in determining claimants’ eligibility for old age pensions. Mr Newman wished to know whether the (Minister would introduce legislation this, session to enable such grants to bc-treated in the same manner as pensions payable under the War Pensions Act 1915 which were not regarded as income. The member said that the trustees bf the fund had under notiee the case of a man who had been permanently incapacitated as the result of injuries received while lie was a prisoner of war in Germany. This man being a sailor of the mercantile marine was not eligible for a war pension and when a grant of £2 a week was made by the fund to him his old age pension was immediately cancelled. The question was placed on the order paper.

RAILWAY AGENTS. “It seems a. funny idea to appoint a railway agent for the South Island and locate him in Wellington,” remarked Dr Thacker in the course of a question to tile Minister of Railways regarding the headquarters of the new officers. He stated that tlie South Island agent had so far made his headquarters in Wellington, though, in the speaker’s opinion, Christchurch or Dunedin would he more suitable. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie replied that in making the new appointments it was difficult to cut the painter at once, therefore the new officers had been temporarily placed in Wellington and were working together so as to secure some uniformity in their operations and to enable them tb jointly come in contact with the general public. Eventually, he thought, the North Island agent would he placed in Palmerston North and the South Island agent would have his headquarters in Christchurch. A DISTRESSING CASE. In the House the Petitions Committee reported on the petition of Elizabeth B. Cameron, of Thames, who asked for a compassionate allowance equal to a miner’s widow’s pension, and on the same conditions. The committee recommended petitioner for the favourable consideration of the Government. Air Horn said this wa» a very hard

case indeed. He hoped the Government would give the matter favourable consideration. Hr Holland expressed a similar opinion. It was one of the most distressing eases that the committee had ever considered. The man had suffered from miner’s phthisis. He suffered so much that he had taken his own life, and so his widow could not receive the pension. He was surprised that more men suffering from this dread disease did not take their own lives. ' Once the disease got hold of a man he had a very few years to live, sometimes only a very few months. The widow in this case had three children, and the pension would he only 3os a week. MY Udie supported the recommendation. 'ln taking his own life, this man had “put himself outside the pale of dying a natural doath.” Ml Parry and the chairman of the committee spoke in favour of the report, which was agreed to.