PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1929, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

THE COUNCIL.

WELLINGTON, August 29., The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m.

The Associated Churches of Christchurch Property Bill was reported from the Select Committee with amendments.

Solicitor? Fidelty Guarantee Fund Bill and Summer Time Bill were introduced and read a first time. Sir F. D. Bell moved that the Council regrets that certain of the recommendations contained in the recent report of the Civil Service and Finance of Samoa should have been made, without due regard for the principles which have hitherto been observed in the performnnie of duties undertaken by the Dominion when accepting the mandate for Western Samoa- He vigorously defended the officials of Samoa, who, he said, had been maligned in the report. Sir James Allen in seconding the motion, endorsed Sir F. D. Bell’s views.

The debate was adjourned, and the Council rose at 5 p.m.

THE HOUSE.

The House oi Representatives met at 2.30 p.m.

The following Bills were introduced and read a first time :■ —

Hawke’s Bay Rivers Amendment Bill (Mr Barnard). Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Amendment Bill (Mr Mason).

Licensing Amendment Bill (Mr Mason).

The financial debate was continued by Messrs Wilkinson, . Massey, Mur dock, Campbell, Atmore and Samuel. The House rose at 10.20 p.m.

QUESTIONS. Sir Joseph Ward, replying to Mr Barnard, said he had seen Press reports that the Imperial Government propoesd to allow any Dominion to abolish the present right of appeal to the Privy Council. The New Zealand Government had no intention of altering the present position. He had received no o~cial communication on the subject. v Mr Can - asked the Prime Minister whether he would review the findings of the Royal Commission of 1924 on land and income taxation, with a view to putting its findings into operation as regards the substitution of individual taxation for company taxation, and further, in the direction of taxing dividends and profits from investment generally.

Sir Joseph */ard replied that the Government had considered the report to which Mr Carr referred, but was of the opihioii that for financial reasons alone the present was an inopportune time for putting the recommendations made into operation. The, proposed cnanges in the incidence of taxation were so wide arid sweeping in their effects and involved such large loss of revenue that it was not feasible seriously to consider them at the present moment.

Mr Carr stated that he had made particular reference to the substitution of individual taxation for company taxation, and. in this respect he considered the country would gain rather than lose revenue.

Mr Langstone asked the Prime Minister what steps he proposed to take to safeguard tlie interests of the Crown, the Natives and the public of the Dominion in connection with a large timber block ifi the Kiiig Country, km wn as the / Tongariro timber area. Mr Langslone stated that the prospectus of tne company which it was proposed to float in connection with the exploitation of this area provided for the introduction of a cash capital system of £400,000, and it stated that the estimated profits from royalties and transport charges in connection with unis area totalled over two millions and a quarter.

Sir Joseph Ward stated that the ma'tter had been under consideration of the Government and a statement on the subject would be made shortly.

NOXIOUS WEEDS. In reply to a question submitted by Mr Field the Hon G. W. Forbes stated that very serious consideration was being given to the question of how r to deal most effectively With noxious weed control. Departmental officers were active in their endeavours to get noxious weeds properly dealt with on landss newly infested or lands where clearing of weeds was within the financial capability of settlers. Other badly infested lands were being dealt with in the best way possible in the circumstances. The question of whether a. satisfactory form of local control would be established was being explored but it was doubtful whether further legislation regarding noxious weeds could be brought down during the present session. After several speakers had referred to this question Mr Forbes said the Government could not be expected to undertake the whole task of coping with the noxious weeds problem on its own. The co-operation of owners of property would be' necessary. So far as the Department was concerned it was doing its utmost to see that the lay r to noxious weeds was carried out.

Sir George Hunter said he hoped the Minister would reconsider the position and bring forward during the present session some scheme to assist in facing this admittedly serious problem. SUPPRESSION OF CRIME. The Hon T. M. Wilford, in the course of a lengthy reply to Mr Carr, stated that the methods adopted in

New Zealand for dealing with offenders were considered to be sound and practical, and compared favourably with the methods adopted for the suppression of crime elsewhere. Of the total number of convictions during 192 b in magistrates’ courts in eightynine per cent, of cases alternative methods to imprisonment had been adopted. Records showed that during tiie past sixteen years 79 per cent, of the total number of persons having undergone sentences of reformat ve detention bad not been convicted subsequent to release. Dr Burt, a wellknown London expert, had quoted 62 per cent, of successes where a sociological and psychological examination of delinquents had been made. In this respect it should be noted that successes under the New Zealand Borstal system were approximately 90 per cent.

WOOD PULP INDUSTRY. Replying to Mr Howard the Hon. W. B. Taverner (Commisioner of Forest?) stated that one of the matters under action at the time the present Government assumed office was ar application by the Westland Wood Pulp and Paper Syndicate, Ltd., for timber concessions in Westland, including reservation of an area of virgin hush. The syndicate, which was primarily an investigating company, proposed to dispose of its rights, if granted, to any other company which it might promo.e for the purpose of directly or indirectly benefiting the syndicate. After very careful consideration of all aspects of the application, including proposals for the utilisation of the timber applied fo V’

net decided that it would not he in the public interest to grant the desired concessions. AU hough the Government had not thought it desirable to grant the application of this syndicate, it realised the potential value to the Dominion of the wood pulping industry and would encourage its establishment on a sound basis. In this connection valuable technical data and owier information had been collected lately by the State Forest Service in practical investigation on the subject carried on in conjunction with the foremast- authorities in the world. This informat’on provided a valuable guide to those interested in the industry and was available for that purpose.