PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 19 August 1926, Page 1

PARLIAMENT

(by TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION THE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, August 19. The Legislative Council met at 2.30, and dealt with the Summer Time Bill. In Committee attempts were made to amend tlhe Bill in the direction of providing exemptions, nil of which were defeated, but as other amendments were suggested, progress was reported at 9.30 p.m. The Council then went on with the third reading of the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill which was defeated by 14 to 12. ’Phe Council rose at 1.15 n.m. till 2.30 p.m. THE HOUSE. The House met at 2.30. The Local Railways Amendment Bill was, on the motion of tho Hon. Williams, read a second lime. On the motion of the Hon. Anderson the second reading of the Famliy Allowance Bill, granting 2s per week per child to poorer families, was agreed to, after a lengthy debate during the course of which the Labour Party accepted the principle of the Bill, but deprecated the inadequacy of tho allowance,

The Land Laws Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor-General s mes-

sage. The Hon. McLeod, explaining the bill said it contained three main provisions. The first was an extension of the deferred payment system of freeholding Crown leaseholds by the application of the amortisation principle over a period of 341- years, the present period being 19 years. The second provision was to confer the right of freehold to present holders of National Endowment leasehold and to persons who should in future take up such leasehold. The Bill laid down that tho capital moneys so received should he held intact, and 'revenue from them devoted to primary education and old. age pensions, as was provided when the lands were originally set aside as an endowment. The third proposal was that in addition to the present limitation of area of the first, second and third class Crown Land, that miriil he taken up by any individual, there should ho limitation in respect of value, tho maximum being 47,51 K), which, however, might be 'exceeded only with the approval of the Mimsto given on the recommendation of the Land Board. The latest report on the National Endowment states that the total area comprised in it on Marc qist 1926 was 8.985,000 acres. W this' an area of 6,739,957 -res was hold on lease or license, suh-dividec into 4474 holdings. The annual rental was £137,185. . The Magistrate’s Courts Amendment Bill was, on the motion of the Hon. Bolleston, read n second time. The House rose nt 1.35 a.m. till 2.30 p.m.