PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1927, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 5. The House met at 10 a.m. on Saturday and spent the greater part of the day in discussing the report of the Imperial Conference which the Prime Minister submitted. The report was referred to the Government.

Consideration of the report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ‘lie Samoan petition was also discussed at considerable length and adopted, it having no recommendation to make. The Licensing Bill was received from the Legislative Council in an amended form and it was resolved to disagree with the amendments. Managers were appointed to confer with the managers from the Council. The Prime Minister announced that the Government had decided to compromise on the Arbitration Bill by suspending certain clnlscs until Ist Sept, next, by which time Parliament would again be in session. In the meantime a conference of interested parties would he held and an effort made to come to a common agreement. The House rose at 9.25 p.m. till 11 a.m. oil Monday. The Legislative Council passed the Finance Bill through all stages and dociclecl to meet the House managers on the Licensing Bill.

TIIE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, Dec. 5

The Legislative Council met at 10.30 to-day. The managers appointed to confer, in regard to the Licensing Amendment Bill reported further disagreement. Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was received from the House and put through all stages and passed. Replying to a question Sir F. D. Bell said it did not prevent the Court from remedying the defects which parties affected might wish to have attended to. THE HOUSE. LICENSING BILL DEAD. The House met at 11 o’clock. Mi- McCombs gave notice of intention to introduce the Legislative Council Abolition Bill. Replying to Air Smith, the Minister of Finance said loans from the State Advances Office were considered by the Board as speedily as possible, having regard to the money in sight, but it was obvious ttie money must be available before an applicant can be notified that bis loan is granted.

Replying to Mr Wilford, the Minister of Finance said the country was now paying out about a quarter of a million per month under the State Advances Act and that he thought it was quite reasonable if it were argued that everyone should get ail the money theyrequired. He desired to say that it was feasible, especially if the Government was to lie constantly charged with over-borrowing.

Air Lee (Oamaru) brought down the report of the second conference on the Licensing Bill. He said no agreement bad been arrived at and no adjustment was reached on any one of the amendments to which the House took exception. No further conference was asked for so that the Bill is now dead. On the presentation of the RubikService Commissioner’s report, Air Fraser said it had been represented to him that grave discrimination was helm' exercised against girls entering the public service. He thought if gob were permitted to enter the service they should have a fair chance of rising in the service. The Prime Alinistcr stated the general policy in connection with the public service was a fair chance for all. There wore, however, certain positions which men could fill better than women but beyond that be knew of no discrimination. The House then went into Committee of Supply when the balance of the Supplementary Estimates were passed without discussion. On the item of unauthorised expenditure £87,286, Mr Fraser asked what had been done to meet the extraordinary expenditure caused by the efforts of the hospital boards to meet the demands made upon their funds byunemployment relief. The Alinistcr of Health said a validating clause had been passed in the Finance Act which would enable local bodies to arrange their finance lor this purpose. So far as he was aware the machinery provided was woiking satis fnctorily in the various cities, inasmuch as he had no complaints in this connection. The Government, of course, was to find half the money.

THE FINAL STAGE. The final stage of the session was then entered upon by the introduction by Governor-General’s message of the Appropriation Bill, authorising an expenditure of rnopies voted op tbf* f?en-

eral public works and supplementary estimates. In moving the second reading the Minister of Finance said the Hill was unusually short and merely carried out the decisions of the House. Mr Fraser raised the question of expenditure on the Legislative Council, which, in view of the Council’s treatment of recent legislation, he thought excessive. He further contended that in the case of election petitions, if not. frivolous, that the country should pay. The expenses of the petitions in connection with Lyttelton and Westland seats were such that it was clearly the duty of the State to meet the expenses. Messrs Forbes, Smith and Wdford I supported this voF;