PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 23, 25 September 1915, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. NEW BILLS PASSED. Per Press A&sociat on. Wellington, September 21. The Local Elections (Proportional Representation) Act, 1911, Amendment Bill was read a lirst time, and tlie following Bills were read a second time: Hutt Road Bill, Local Railways Amendment Bill, Sale of Food and Dings Act Amendment Bill. These Bills- were reported from Committee without amendment, read a third time, and passed. In speaking on the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, Hon. J. Barr complained of the laxity in carrying out the provisions of the main Act. He specially alluded to complaints of short weight in bread, and urged a strict analysis of all liquors sold. Why allow the people, he asked.to be poisoned owing to faulty administration of the law? This apathy was not creditable to the department which claimed to act on the initiative of its officers, and not wait for complaints before taking action. THE COOK ISLANDS. On the motion for committal of the Cook Islands Bill, Hon. 0. Samuel made a lengthy statement in opposition to the Pleasure. He alleged the cost to New Zealand was now £7OO per year, and under the proposed Bill this amount would be increased threefold. The Council resumed at S o’clock, when the Cook Islands Bill was committed and read a third time, on division, by 18 to 2, and passed. The Land Transfer Act Compilation Bill was read a third time and passed, and the Council rose at 11 p.in. . THE BOYS AT THE FRONT. Hon.' G. Jones asked whether the. New Zealanders at the Dardanelles wilt be provided by the military authorities with clothing, etc., necessary lor their health and comfort during the winter ; also, whether the Government will publish what requisites the public are expected to supply, and the most advantageous and economical means ol forwarding parcels to the troops. Hon. Sir F. H. D. Bell replied that careful provision had been made by the Defence Department, acting in conjunction with the Army Council, for a supply of necessary clothing for the troops during the winter months. Hie public were advised by posters as to the best routes and rates for most advantageous forwarding goods to the front. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. • petitions. The A to L Petitions Committee, in reporting ori the petition of W. d • Monaghan' and five others, who prayed that they be granted a Maori war medfil, find recommended that the petition be referred to the Government. I Air Jennings explained that thece [ wero many lueii cijiiming-.medals -who ’had never been under fire, and-.weie therefore not considered eligible | nl medals. Personally, be -agreed with that view. , Ah-; T. W, Rhodes took a. contrary -view., and held that those ,who came forward at a time of war.should receive recognition, whether they had been under tire or not. rr Air 111 Newman supported this view .'.uni welomnelb the opportunity of doing justice to some of the veterans "bo still survived. \Tlie report was adopted, i A lengthy discussion took place on several petitions praying for compensation in connection with property lent lo the Hamilton branch of the 1* aimers’ Union during the late strike, and <,subsequently lost. The A to L Committee recommended that the petitions l )e inferred to the Government for favorable consideration, and careful mq,iii v into the equity of the claim. V Atom hers of the Labor Party opposed payment of any compensation in such oases, alleging that one of the peti'tionois was worth anything from £lO,vpUO to £OO.OOO. Npn a division the petitions were referred.to the Government for consideration. v : TAXATION BILLS NEXT WEEK. i Mr Alassey said that the taxing Bills will be brought down on perhaps, Monday, but certainly not later than Tuesday. When they were disposed of he i,would be in a position to make a statement regarding the remainder of the business. Ministers were npt less (auxi•jous than anyone ’else touring the session to a close, lor the reason | that most , important' business was awaiting them during the recess. A

MILITARY BILLS. - The House then went on the Military Manoeuvres Bill. Tile Minister of Defence said it was the, intention to compensate for any damage to property taken temporarily under the Bill. The Minister added a subsection, providing that twenty-four hours’ notice in writing be given to an owner before any land is occupied under the Bill, which then proceeded without further amendment, was read a third time, and.passed. The second reading of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Bill was moved by the Premier. He said the land to lie utilised for this purpose would be either Crown land or land purchased under tho land lor Settlement Act. There was some land in the Hutt, some north of Auckland, and some in Central Otago very suitable for the purpose. It would be necessary to assist some of the soldiers with funds, and £•30,000 was set aside. Clause 10 provided that piny land included in the National endowment and used for settlement of soldiers could not bo sold at any lime. The Bill had been generally approved by the Lands Committee, and, in Ids opinion, was a very necessary piece of legislation. Mr G. Witty congratulated the Guv-

eminent on Urn introduction ol Hit* Bill, but doubted it £50,000 set a pur I* to assist the soldier settlers "us insufficient. Dr. Newman’ expressed the opinion that the provisions of the Bill should not he confined to soldiers and sailors, but should be extended to the noble band of women who had gone to the front as nurses. Mr Hudson urged the exercise of the greatest care in the selection of land occupied under the Bill, especially il the land was to be used for fruit growing. Mr Jennings welcomed the provision which prevented a soldier settlor getting in the hands of a speculator, and Mr Webb thought the present an excellent opportunity for some large landowners to offer blocks of good land near railways for settlement ol returned soldiers. Hon. A. L. Herdmau explained the mode of working the new department to which he had charge. Speaking of the control of patriotic funds he expressed an opinion in favor of unification in administration, but said the Government had no intention to use compulsion to force patriotic societies to some in under the War Funds Bill or under Mr Skerrett’s scheme, but it was the desire of his department to get into close touch with those organisations so as to prevent waste in arrangement of the funds. Speaking of the operations of the Returned Soldiers’ Information Department, he said so far they had records of 10-17 returned soldiers. Reports were being obtained on 230 men, while no reports were yet to hand regarding 415. The numbey who said they did not want departmental assistance was 82, the number who would re-enlist was 21, those who required help were 35, those unlit for work 00. classes under inquiry 30, those receiving attention 35. those holpedt so far 10, situations offered 11. other offers- 10. So far circulars had been sent to -188 local bodies and 00 {patriotic organisations. He hoped to have in the office three registers, those who had gone out, those, who returned. and tliose for whom employment had been found. Regarding patriotic • funds collected, his information was that the total aggregated £-105,20/. The debate was continued by Messrs I Buddo, Field (Nelson), Anstey, Okej, McCall mu, Harris, McCombs, and R. W. Smith. Mr Massey, in reply, said land for the purposes of the Bill would not all be purchased in one part of the Dominion, and the Bill was read a second time on the voices. OTHER JSUSINESS. -p. *V The amendments made by the .Legislative Council in the Law Practitioners Amendment Bill were agreed to and the Bill was read a third time. | The Premier*moved the second reading of the Census and Statistics Amendment Bill. He explained it was * supplementary to the National Regisj ter Bill, passed last night, and enabled the'Government to collect a great deal J of information useful, in war time, ihe ' Bill was read a second time, and the j pestilule Persons Ainendment Bill was ' i-ead a second time without debate. 1 The-third reading of the State Adjivances Amendment Bill passed with- • out debate, and the House then went * into Committee on the Discharged 1 Soldiers 1 Settlement Bill. '• , I The Bill was passed without amendment. add the Census and Statistic* ' Amendment Bill also passed through 1 the committee stage without amendment. The Lights' on Vehicles Bill was conj- ’ mtted. wth one small amendment, and ! the Factm'-es Act Amendment 81l was passed through committee with the addition of a now clause providing that i the Bill should not come into force nu--1 til six months after the declaration.of peace,. . Ail the.above Bills wcre'put through the committee stage, read a third time, ami massed.