FINANCE BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1932, Page 5

FINANCE BILL

SOME CONTENTS

SUBSIDY FOR -SUPERANNUATION

(Per Press Association Copyright.)

WELLINGTON, December 8. Provision for an increased subsidy to the Public Service Superannuation Fund is made in the Finance Bill, introduced yesterday. Provision has already been made in the estimates for the payment of £86,000 from the consolidated fund, and legislative effect is given to this in the Bill. In the event of l any contributor to any Government superannuation fund being convicted on a charge of theft, or misappropriation of public moneys or stores, the Minister of Finance may order that restitution in the whole, or part, must be made out of the amount standing to the credit of the contributor in the fund; or that the money shall be applied toward the maintenance of the wife and children of the contributor or toward the maintenance of any other person, for whose benefit a maintenance order under he Destitue Persons Act could be made, :.

•Authority for payment of expenses incurred by Messrs Smith prtfj • Ansell in their tour of New Zealand-investi-gating, the juvenile unemuhjymont problem, is given in a furthqF clAuse.

Payments made to Mrs.A McDonald, Mrs H. Wilson and Miss Blanch# Carnahan, members of the Women’# Committee which investigated female unemployment, are-also validated. A nbate of 1 per cent made under the legislation of last session on the totalisator tax, is to be continued for another year, thus making it applicable to the financial year ending on March 31st, 1934.

CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS BILL: - PASSED BY THE UPPER. HOUSE. /WELLINGTON, December 7. In the ■ -Legislative Council Sir J J. Parr moved the second reading of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill. He said the measure provided for the amalgamation of. hospital districts by Order-in-Council, or the recommendation of the Commission. At present, amalgamation could only be brought about voluntarily. The Bill was approved by the Hospital Boards’ Association, and the idea wais to co-ordinate services in order to eliminate waste, and promote efficiency. ■ Sir Thomas iSidey said the Bill was a confession on the part of all Governments that .they were unable to resist political pressure. In spite of expert opinion the number of hospital districts had been increased, and the efficiency of service had suffered. The Hon, W. H. Mclntyre said the proposals of the National Expenditure Adjustment Commission, in regard to hospital control, had been bureaucratic but there were safeguards in the present bill against possible injustices and he congratulated the Government on bringing it down. The Hon. Mark Fagan said lie hoped the Government would see the way to .provide, under the billll, the Limitation of hours of duty of.. probationer nurses in private hospitals. The Bill was read a second time. In moving the second reading of the Urban Farm Lands Rating Bill, Sir James Parr said the question of rates paid by small farmers within boroughs had been the subject of a Commission, and the proposals in the bill were on the lines of the recommendations of the Commission. It had 1 the ‘approval of the Municipal Associations.

The Hon. D. Ruddo said the Bill did not go any further than the previous legislation, and did not deal adequately with the claims of the small urban farmer for relief of -rates. The Bill was read! a second time, put through the remaining stages without discussion, and passed.