PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 61, 17 July 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The following Bills were read a drst time : _Christchurch Electrical Empowering (Mr Davey), Police Offences Amendment (Mr Herdman). (QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, Ministers itated that the whole matter of agricultural colleges and experimental farms would be referred to the proposed Board of Agriculture as soon as the Board is established. The statement by the Minister for Marine, "That the day might not be far distant when the Government might find it economically sound to hand over the trust of its charitable institutions to the Salvation Army," clid not express the policy of the Government. ; There was no specific prohibition in the Shops and Offices Act of the employment of assistants on Sundays. Members «f Parliament are within their: rights in communicating with local bodies on the subject of local wants or requirements. The principal provision of the Yamily Protection Act was.that property must: be free of all encumbrances prior to the issue by the district land, ; rer gistrar of a family home .certificate. '., It; w'as proposed to refer the .question- of I the, establishment of agricultural high schools and college? ~to, the' Education • Commitjep.} „ K ,/> It was intended to obtain power by legislation for authorising the holding of public enquiries into accidents similar to that which occurred at New Lynn.

It was the intention to ask the House for power to rakse a fjpeci|al loan, to be spread a of years, for the Wellington railway station and other large works in. other cities and towns. . ■

It was found to be inadvisable to bring the Post Office Savings Bank into line with commercial banks in the matter of provision being made whereby depositors may issue cheques. The Government was considering the matter of amending the Land and Income ■ Assessment Act, providing for exemption from mortgage tax of all mortgagees whose total respective incomes' from all sources, including that from interest derived from their mortgages, does not exceed £3OO. Free .railway passes are issued to Territorials and Senior Cadets travelling on military duty, including proceeding a distance to drill; The Department also does its best to afford special treatment in instances where attendance at drill necessitates a long journey; by tram, but so far although the; tramway authorities in different centres have been repeatedly approached, it has not been possible to secure any concessions on t.he trams. It was recognised that there were numbers of people in various parts of the Dominion whose occupations do not permit of their travelling during the periods that holiday excursion tickets were issued over railways. Jt was, however, quite impracticable for the Railway Department to carry one section of the public at holiday excursion fares and charge another section excursion rates when ordinary fares were the general rule, ADDRESS-JN-REPLY. In the evening the Address-in-Re-ply debate was continued. Mr W. A. Vcitch dealt mainly with the cost of living, blaming commercial and industrial monopoly. The Hon. R. H. Rhodes claimed that the Massey Government had earned the gratitude of the people of Waihi by its prompt action in sending police to preserve life and property.. Mr L. M. Isitt deprecated the party system of Government and defended his attitude of independence. Mr E. P. Leo contended that in no way was there any aggregation of land. Mr T. K. Sidey followed, taking the line that the Government was now defending the conditions they had previously condemned, more particularly in regard to finance. The surplus on 31st March was no different from the surpluses of years hack, which were always described as bogus. The compact following of (he Government party was described as loyalty. Formerly it was called servility when the Liberals voted solidly with their party. . i The House rose at 11.35 p.m.