PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 144, 10 August 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, August 9. At the sitting of the Legislative Council to-day, aln i;:-f motion recording the valuable services of the late Air Fraser, an ex-member ol the Council, and sympathy with his family was adopted on the motion of the Hon. Air A let lowan, seconded by the Hon. Air hones. The Hon. Air denes moved the second reading of the h ick! Divorce Empowering Bill, to enable Arthur Henry Field, of Ashburton, to pet;don the court for a divorce on the ground that his wife had been a hopeless lunatic for sixteen years, though only six years in a lunatic asylum. The law required ten years previously, and the lion. Mr Jones urged that under the circumstances Field should he permitted to apply for a divorce. The Hon. Messrs Buchan and AlcCardlo expressed strong objection or. the ground that the marriage contract involved an adherence to a partner in sickness. The Hon. Alessrs Alills and Paul contended that under the circumstances a man ought to he relieved ol his martial responsibilities. The Bill was rejected. A ballot for the .Chairmanship of Committees in the Council resulted :n the rejection of the Hon. Mr Camcross. The Eon. Air lligg was the ouiy other candidate. The Hon. Mr McGowan, in traversing the speeches on the Add rcss-in-Reply, contended that in order to give an incentive to the settlement of land every farmer employing a man should bo compelled to give that man a portion of his land. Tins would result in the land being utilised for the fullest extent.

The Hon. Mr Sinclair having said a few words in reply, the Address-in-lleply was agreed to, and the Council adjourned until the ISth inst.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tho House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m.

Sir James Carroll, Acting-Premier, referred to tho death of the late Mr John Bevan, of Hokitika, at one time a member of the House of Representatives. He moved that tho House place on record its appreciation of the services rendered by the late gentleman and tender its sympathy to the widow and family.

Messrs Hardy (who seconded the motion), Seddon, 11. McKenzie and Colvin spoke in appreciative terras of services rendered by the late gentlchy Mr Bevan, and the motion was carried.

Ministers, in reply to questions, stated that the Government was considering tho advisableness of giving £IOO,OOO worth of oil to tho Imperial Government for use in tho Royal Navj in lieu of the annual cash contribution of £100,000; that now police regulations would ho issued shortly; that tho legal position and powers of New Zealand in tho direction of lidding tho country of emissaries of the Mormon faith would be enquired into; that there is no reason to feel the slightest anxiety with regard to New Zealand’s legal position in the matter of wireless telegraphy; that tho Government did not consider any action necessary in connection with the behaviour of the Minister of Public Works when waited upon by a deputation headed by the Acting-Mayor of Wellington to discuss the tramway regulations ; that the matter of less fro-

qucnfc alteration of electoral boundaries would be considered; that provision for the rehearing of the Elingamito enquiry would bo made in tlie Shipping and Seamen’s Amendment Bill; that it was not intended to in,trcduco a Bill this session to assistlocal bodies to finance their current account at the lowest possible rates, or to make it optional whether they have one or mere banking accounts; that legislation will ho introduced this session, if time permits, making wages the first claim upon a bankrupt’s estate; that the Government was considering the question of the duty on imported butter with a view to clcc.it 1 . ng whether it was a matter which should be brought under the Monopoly Prevention Act, or bo included in the schedule of the Commerce d Trusts Act; that it was not intended to make any alteration in tiio I.vmi for Settlements Act, 19bS at present.

I no ummiadtr of the sitting was devoted tv the discussion of answers m questions, and the House adjourned at d.JO.

EVENING SESSION. The House resumed at 7.30. The discussion on answers to questions was continued until 9.30, and resolved itself mainly into a general a lvocacy for more lands lor seuinment The Hon J. A. Millar sai l Hat members on t);e Opposition hem Lea wore asking foi extra money to 1 c pail to i alv. ay employees. They o 1 looted to fares and tariffs being raised, -.aid they complained regularly ai,out tin 1 v ay in which Gm pnidic debt was piled up. He stated that if the railwayman were prepared to take the same conditions as obtained in Victoria or New South Wales, the Department would pay tlie same wages as paid there. Ho could assure members he was not going to use public money to buy votes for ids party. The Wanganui School Sites Amendment Bill passed through .•omunttee. Mr Poolo continued tin- I'bat.e mi the Town Planning Bill. He asserted that early settlers had not considered the possibilities ot some towns v’.mu ihey were sot out. The first consideration in connection with a townplanning scheme should be given to congested areas, which were a menace 'to i >lo veil-being ci communities in

general. He was sure :f Die H-ll was carri'd, it would quicken the action of kcal bodies ; n carrying out i ccessar- reforms hi Ih.’i" towns. Air Russell thought that the Bill dealt more with town-planning than with town reformation. The Bill dealt with towns, cities and I. nroughs i oiv in existence, but made no pirvision for future towns. He suggested the circulation of U-e Bill amongst local I > dies. Mr Ai assay said that in corporation of the town-planning scheme in t.uo Opposition platform was intended to allow the people- that the party recognised the necessity for such a scheme, and they intended to pursue it if placed in power. He objected to the centralising tendency of the Bill. It contained mo much interference with local bodies. He supported its title, but not its details. He thought there was, far too much “Govenior-in-Coun-cil” in the Bill. Air Hogan pointed out the necessity for providing for roads where now ihere wore only suburban areas. He thought the measure was an cxec,-:ont one, and should lie put through this session. Mr Forbes moved the amendment of the debate, and the House rose at 11.15.