PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 90, 16 December 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

MONDAY, DECEMBER lo

COUNCIL AMENDMENTS

[Per Press Association.]

Tlie report of the Conference on the Law Practitioners Bill was,agreed to. The amendments provide that the .Minister move regulations to govern the auditing of trust funds in the hands of solicitors.

The report of the managers on the Municipal Corporations. Act Amendment Bill was agreed to. Under the proposals in the report no restrictions are to he put on cities or boroughs regarding the establishment of bus services, except in Auckland. '1 here, if the Auckland Tramways Company thinks, that its rights are being invaded by the Auckland City Conned, proceedings may bo taken under an iriginating summons in the,. Supreme Court to test the question. The. Victoria College, Act, Amendment Bill was,read a second t it lion t debate. * j

NAVAL DEFENCE. Resuming the debate on the Joint Defence Legislation Committee’s veiort, .Sir Joseph Ward.read resolutions vhich had, been passed by the Christhurch branch of the Navy League igaihst the building of ships for the defence of Ne \y Zealand. He conteudid that the resolutions iverp condemnatory of the Government’s po'icy. He claimed that the 1909 agreemeu;; ought ,o he carried out, and he declared that no satisfactory information had ever been placed before I‘arliament to explain ‘why that agreement hud rot ieen carried out.

The Hon. AY. F. Massey denied that die responsibility, j-ested on the, t<o.■ernment. It had asked to have the ■greemont completed, but. Ihe Afhnirdty declined. . So far as “ho building if ships was concerned, the Government did not, at,present, (uopose to build ships for the defence of New /eaand, but if within a reasonable time he Admiralty was not prepared to send cruisers of the Bristol type to New Zealand, waters, the Government would >sk Parliament to vote £400,000 for the mrpose of building a toiy the Vrotectibn of' the Dominion's com-

|;i Jjd .i Mr L. M. Isitt claimed that the reommendations of the Commutco were i duplication of the views lie had,|)ecn uipresfimg upon the,Minister. He.was flacl'to.Nee them now adopted.

MHA. H.' Hindmarslrcontended that (Ithouglr he arid others 'had been jeer'd l at for stvjb'porting ’Mr Isititlj I|C; a.ija .lf6se f sM ; \ l h'thd with him wfei« ;|pjn-; ilctcly vindicated by l the* report tjl>pj Committee. 1 i I v,

11 'The’l-eport'htas agrCed”to. (i%i

GENERAL

The Hon. J. i Alienquoted wfcltm ■ircuiated by the 'National Peace Soiety regarding the formation of the farmers’> Union constabulary force, in '.oijmectiph with which he ‘desired to ay. tha,t no .Wcli force’, would p£iv ooTjfub:it • if) ■]i ' ■ u-, ttm- 1 nutted to., be arpecl. M fn repfy to 'further questions, Mi.n ? sters said, that sp long as.tjijß. law,cdn'tlnues to bo observed .ly the members ' »f tjie Association it is not ■onsideyed necessary fo'. take, further jrocipetlings' under the' ’Commercial 'rusts Act. the proceedings already akon resulted in the imposition upon he reliant s’ Association of a fine vhieh the. Supreme Court considered ulequate, and to the payment of which ill memljcrs of the. Association must tavo contributed. It v was _ also stated ,„that it is not practicable to make a hard and fast 18-hour week rule applicable .to the vholo of .the railway service.

At 8.45 the. Speaker anppunced that he Legislative Council had passed the Appropriation Bill. He then repaired "o Government House, and at 11.10 returned with His 'Excellency's signature to the Bill. Mr Massey said that the session for Juration and quantity of business transacted was easily a record. He derived to congratulate the Speaker, the Chairman of Committees and officers of the House upon the faithful manner in which thy had (Jisy|iarged the onerous duties falling on them. As to the, Opposition, -he said that he was glad to know that although the session had Seen a strenuous one, their differences were only political and not personal.

Sir Joseph,,Ward, also conveyed,..his felicitations to the Speaker and .the Chairman of the Committees. After Mr Lang had replied, Mr Massey moved": “That the House do, now adjourn till Saturday.” A division, was called for on this question and tho motion was carried hy .23 to 13,,and the third session of the eightcbenth Parliament came to an end at 11.34 p.m. [