BILLS AMENDED

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1926, Page 4

BILLS AMENDED

UNUSUAL PROCEDUR E. WELLINGTON, Aug. 27. The Government lias adopted arather unusual procedure to secure certain necessary amendments in Bills that have passed both Houses of Parliament. In the early hours of this morning three messages were received bv the House of Representatives from the Governor-General returning three Bills which had been submitted lor his* assent, and proposing amendments to them. With regard to the first, the Oil in Territorial Waters Bill, it. was explained that the amendments were some which had been made in the Legislative Council, but which wore an infringement of the privileges of the House, and which had to receive the approval of the latter before they could bo sanctioned. Another message relating to tie National Provident Fund Amendment Bill was intended to enable certain verbal! errors to ho corrected.

Respecting the remaining message, which concerned the Govcrmertt Railways Bill, the Minister (Mr Coates) stated that as the original Bill had been merely .a consolidating measure, it had not been possibles to introduce amendments to the* lft" aftci it line (left the House. One of the amend-

ments made it an offence to give or offer liquor to a railway officer on duty. Another made it an offence to misuse communication cords, emergency brakes, or similar safety .appliance's, such as it was proposed to provide on trains. A legal impediment to the sale or other disposal of workshop sites at Newmarket and elsewhere, which would become vacant m due course, was removed by .a now q'ause. Amendments to the supoiann nation section o£ the Act allowed

in certain circumstances the payment of moneys to the personal representation of a deceased contributor. Power was given to retain in the funds all persons seconded, in order that they might act as secretaries of the several recognised railwaymeii’s organisations, and to bring back into the fund superannuitants temporarily re-engaged by the Department. A special clause gave the Minister power to reinstate in tile service, without (loss of superannuation or status, those employees who had voluntaiily retired in order to contest seats at the last General Election, and who had

been unsuccessful in their contests. This was subject to the condition that they applied for reinstatement before January Ist next. All the amendments were approved, and were referred to the 'Legislative Council. At this afternoon’s sitting amendments to the Family Allowances Bill and the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Bill were brought down l>v the same means, and duly approved by the House. Those relating to the Family Allowances Bill provided lor the inclusion in the scheme of a child which is a member of a household, but has not been formally adopted, for the deduction of frieiuli'y society payments, and the value of the family borne in the calculation of income. There was only one amendment to the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Bill, making it operative on .January Ist, Instead of April Ist next.