PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 20, 22 September 1915, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE council. Per Press Assocut on. Wellington, September 21. In the Council this afternoon, Hon. Jv 0. W. Aitkeu presented a petition from the Victoria College Council praying that no legislation he passed which .■will interfere with their rights. Hu tlje m'otion of Hon. Sir F. H. I). Hell, it was resolved that the Standing Orders he suspended so as to allow Government Bills to pass through all their stages at one sitting. The Imprest Supply Bill (No. 1) for £1)53,500 was passed through all stages. The Births and Deaths Registration Bill as amended was received from the House of Representatives, and the amendments referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. Tlie following local Bills were read and referred to the Local Bills Committee:—Papakura Beach Vesting Bill; Wellington apd Karori Sanitation and Water Supply Bill; Christchurch Electrical Supply Supply Empowering Act Amendeut Bill: AVyndham Recreation Reserve Amendment Bill; Tokomaru Bay Harbor Bill; Bluff Harbor Improvements Bill. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. In the House to-day the chairman of the Alines Committee presented a report on the new nfining regulations. A brisk debate developed on miners’ disabilities-, several members urging that a sum of money should be placed on the Estimates to provide compensation for those afflicted by miners’ complaint. T|ie report was ordered to he laid on the table. The Petitions Committee, reporting in the case of a claim by a Hamilton resident who acted as special constale hi the strike for compensation for the loss of a horse, recommended the report for favorable consideration, with a proviso that the Government snould ascertain the correctness of the claim.

Several members strongly objected to the report and advised tjjeUdaim being sent to the Farmers’ 4mtj/n. The Local Railway AmendmeiifJJß making a technical addition to the Act; of 1914 in permitting the couijtrUctipTf of a railway extending beyond the limits of a district lor such distance as may he necessary ,to connect with a Government failway, was read a second time.

‘ The Minister of Defence moved the second reading of the .Military Manoeuvres Rill, which was carried without debate and referred to the Lands Committee.

The Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Bill was introduced by Governor’,s message and read a first time, and the House rose at 11 p.m. NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND. Ai.pew,clause was moved by Mr A. Harris (WaUemata), with a view of.' preventing payment being made, as commission, to any person other than those permanently engaged in the work of the fund. ~ j * The discussion which' followed was lately on the lilies df the alleged antagonism between Friendly Societies and the National Provident Fund. Several members expressed themselves, as not unfavorable to the Fund, but wished to eliminate any suggestion ol| unfair competition. Mr C. Talbot (Temuka); as a keep supporter of-iFfien'dly Societies,, com sidered it .open to (juestiou whether the Provident- .Fund was' doing .Friendj ly Societies ,as much harm as some people thought. He advised the withdrawal of the proposed clause. Hon, W. F, Massey said he was quite prepared to recommend a conference between- and representatives of Friendly Societies, when any difference might'be adjusted and legist Jation introduced. The proposed clause was rejected on the voices, Au amendment to the New Zealand Loan Act was introduced by Governor’s Message, Sir Joseph Marti explained that the amendment now proposed merely repealed the clause limiting the amount that might he held w oijo debenture to £IOOO. He had decided to, strike ou,t.a limit altogether. . Mg Sidey asked the Minister whether he would '' reconsider his decision pot to accept these- loan debentures in piiympht of death duties. M ivHiue asked if the .Minister would .give.tin assurance that be would not departments to take Sup/ loan t ( dehmituyes.| Already'there was a shortening of money avail- „!,}« and he did notjwish to see these funds absorbed by ‘ loan debentures, Mr AVilkinson asked that debentures he sold at country offices. .Mi Payne advocated a State note issue, instead of this domestic loan. He was convinced that the raising ol itliis money within the Dominion would endanger local finance. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said it was not advisable to divert death duties from the Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Funds. Money for debentures would he received at any money order post office. He thought it would he a vtpy imprudent thing for the Government to attempt a note issue at the present time. If they relieved investors in local bodies loans of payment of income-tax they would have to introduce fresh taxation. Local bodies would be wisely advised to avoid spending money unless it were'a matter of necessity. The amendments were agreed to and the Bill referred to the Legislative Council. •