WORK OF THE SESSION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 932, 17 December 1910, Page 3

WORK OF THE SESSION.

THE MOST IMPORTANT MEASURES. BRIEF SUMMARIES. Altogether 117 public Bills were passed during the last session, but one, the Shipping and Seamen Bill, was reserved for the signification of his Majesty’s assent. The restrictions on space will not permit of the insertion of a summary of each of the measures. Below will be found, however, a synopsis of some of the most important Bills passed.

PUBLIC WORKS AMENDMENT ACT. The Public Works Amendment Act gives authority to the Government to construct and maintain water works. Eand required for water power or irrigation may be taken as fora public work. Before any water race or water supply works are begun the owners occupiers of all lands likely to be benefited shall be given an opportunity to enter into contract for water. If less than one-half are willing to enter into such contracts, the works shall not be entered upon. Before the completion of any such work the Government may acquire the whole or any portion of any land with respect to which neither the owner nor the occupier is willing to enter into such contract, and which can, in the opinion of the Government, be usefully irrigated. Of such land no greater area than 200 acres shall be sold or leased to any one person without the consent of the Minister, and the sale or lease shall not confer upon the purchaser or lessee any interest in the water race. Authority is given to the Minister to use electrical energy in connection with any public work or for the treatment of ores. Regulations may be made by the Government regarding the price at which water for irrigation or other purposes, or electrical energy, or water power may be sold, leased, etc., and preventing any interference with any waters or injury to any electrical supply, water works, or water races. Any local authority may establish and maintain puulic swimming baths. Heavy traffic may be restricted between any two points or places by way of any road or street. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS AMENDMENT ACT. According to the new amendments to the municipal law, the closing hours in regard to all polls shall be seven o’clock. The use of voting machines at elections is permissive. Among the disqualifications for councillor or mayor is included participation on the part of a business man, otherwise than as a member of an incorporated company, in which there are more than 20 members, and of which he is neither a director nor a general manager. Provision is made lor the payment of travelling expenses to councillors whilst on the business of the council. There is a clause to enable a corporation to borrow a sum sufficient to clear off any overdraft existing on March 31, 1910. Corporations may also establish free insurance funds in connection with their buildings, etc. Upon the presentation of a petition bearing ten per cent, of signatures a poll shall be ordered on the question of the constitution of a new borough or addition or exclusion of land from a borough. Power is given to advance the cost of drainage connections, etc. Dwellinghouses erected in breach of the provision as to open space to be provided shall be deemed to be unfit for occupation- Among new purposes in respect of which by-laws may be made are prescribing the minimum frontage and area of an allotment of laud on which a dwellinghouse may be erected in a borough ; the licensing of refreshment rooms ; for defining and licensing itinerant traders, not being hawkers and pedlars, and for permitting hawkers and pedlars and keepers of coffee and other stalls to occupy stands in streets and public places. Eandowners are to pay compensation for increase in value derived from widening streets, but claims for compensation shall be made within one year from the execution of the work. Heavy traffic licenses granted by the corporations of the four chief centres shall u.so apply within five miles of the boundaries of the city, and the fees payable shall be apportioned among the local authorities within whose districts the licenses are available. destitute persons act. This Act repeals, and re-enacts with numerous alterations, the Destitute Persons Act, 1908, which is itself a consolidation of the Destitute Persons Act, 1894, and its amendments. Most of the f Iterations relate to the details of judicial procedure, but attention may be called to the following amendments in matters of substance An amended definition of “ near relative,” with special reference to the effect of adoption and to illegitimate relationships; power to order payment on account of past maintenance, as well as maintenance for the future; amended definition of “parent” with reference to the liability of parents for deserting children or leaving them without maintenance ; provisions as to effect of the death or bankruptcy of persons against whom maintenance orders have been made ; better provisions as to the attachment of wages in satisfaction of maintenance orders ; provision is made for the making of charging orders for securing the 1 payment of moneys due under a maintenance order, and also for the appointment of the Public Trustee or other person to receive income arising from the property charged in case of default of payment of moneys due under the

maintenance order ; amended provisions as to recovery from relatives of the cost of the maintenance of persons in public or charitable institutions ; further provisions making it an indictable offence to desert a wife or child by leaving New Zealand; provisions for giving effect in New Zealand to affiliation and maintenance orders made in Australia. COMMERCIAL TRUSTS.

The Commercial Trusts Act, which is to come into force on January 1 next, provides the machinery for the stamping out of trusts and combines. The Act provides amongst other things against illegal concessions in consideration of exclusive dealing, illegal monopolies, sales of goods at prices fixed by a commercial trust, and sales by a commercial trust at an unreasonably high price. The goods to which the Act applies are ; Agricultual implements, coal, meat, flour, oatmeal, and other products of the milling of wheat or oats, petroleum, or other oil, sugar, and tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN. The Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act, which is reserved for the assent of his Majesty, makes provision for seamen employed in ships plying between New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Australia, or from New Zealand to the Cook Islands, being paid the current rate of wages for time being ruling in New Zealand. In the case of ships in either of the above trades, wholly or in part manned by Asiatics, passenger tickets issued for passages from New Zealand, and bills of landing or shipping documents lor cargo shipped in New Zealand, shall be liable, in addition to any duty imposed under the Stamp Duties Act, 1908, to a stamp duty equal to 25 per cent, of the amount of the passage money or the amount charged for freight. INDECENT PUBLICATIONS ACT. The previous law as to indecent publications was contained in the Crimes Act, 1908, Section 157, and in the Police Offences Act, 1908, Section 40 and Sections 43 to 48. The Crimes Act, dealing with indictable offences only, is unaffected by this new Act. The foregoing sections of the Police Offences Act, however, are repealed and superseded by more comprehensive provisions. Under the old law, a person charged with the sale or publication of indecent literature could not be convicted summarily, except with his own consent. In accordance with the recommendation made in 1908 by a Joint Select Committee of the Imperial Parliament (Lotteries and Indecent Advertisements'', the Act provides that all such offences can be dealt with on summary conviction, but by a Stipendiary Magistrate only. The Act obviates the difficulties in the way of prosecutions for indecent matter published in newspapers, and determines what persons are to be held responsible for the conduct of a newspaper in this respect. Indecent literature is defined under the Act to include any book, newspaper, picture, photograph, print or writing paper.

. . . which has on it an indecent word, statement, illustration, representation or significant sign. Heavy penalties of fine and of imprisonment are laid down against persons convicted of selling, delivering, printing, publishing, publicly exhibiting, or otherwise disposing of any document held to be indecent. Absence of guilty knowledge is no defence unless a person proves that he has taken all reasonable means of ascertaining the nature of the publication. INALIENABLE LIFE ANNUITIES. The Inalienable Life Annuities Act provides for the creation and issue of inalienable life annuities, which may be purchased for cash or under any contract for payment by instalments, with or without provision for the return in whole or in part of the premiums to the applicant or his nominee in any stated event. Protection is made from creditors and all alienees. The limit of protection under the Act is to the extent of ,£lO4 in each case.