PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 52, 23 August 1911, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Telegraph—Press Association. . Wellington, Last Night, j The House met at 2.30. A petition signed by J. L.. Kelly and , 435G others, praying for the release of Lionel Terry from a mental asylum, was presented. Replying, to a question, the Hon. G. Fowlds stated that in connection with the medical: examination of Territorials, any person may 'be examined, at any place other than the place where the order was issued. Territorials- could be examined at the nearest place to where the examinations were taking place. WORKERS' DWELLINGS. On the motion of the Hon. J. A. Millar to lay the report on the Workers- Dwellings Act on the table, 'Mr. Millar, in reply to a query, said he was negotiating for land for. workers' dwellings in. Chriscchurch, Invercargill, New Plymouth* and Napier. He would not buy land: which was too dean for workers to buy.. The erection of buildings would, he stated, be put in hand' within, a month.. Mr. Russell objected to the limited areas the Government was allowing for dwellings. He advocated larger- sections on suburban railway lines. Messrs. Hanan, Field, and Lang supported the policv pursued by the Hon. J. A. Millar.. Mr. Laurenson advocated a) liberal area in connection with dwellings,. He instanced a ease of a man in Christchurch who- cleared £4OO out of tomatoes grown in a glass house on one and: a half acres in one year; Mr. Poole said there were thousand* and thousands of workers in cities who were compelled to live right in the cities, and these people were deserving of consideration Mr. Luke contended that the Minister should extend the operations of the Act to embrace individual sections of workers who ought not to (he put in on * particular settlement and' marked off ac a special class of people. He hoped' the Minister would resist the temptation toallow himself to be exploited 'by syndicates desiring to unload a lot of land oa the Government. Mr. Fisher thought Parliament would have to undertake duties which the municipalities ought to carry out but so far had shirked, namely, the destruction of slum areas in the cities. The Hon. J. A. Millar, in reply, said the House would be given an opportunity during the session to discuss the whole matter of workers' dwellings. It was impossible to do anything of a comprehensive character -without the aid of a large loan. Half a million of money was necessary to carry out the scheme properly. The question of slum areas required drastic legislation to compel local authorities to abolish them. Local authorities commenced slums by giving - permits .for buildings, and should be made to bear the brunt of elimination thereof. The motion was carried. The Mental Defectives Bitl and the Friendly Societies Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed. The House went into committee on the Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Bill, and adjourned at 5.30. EVENING SITTING. The House rcsmued at 7.30. The Patents, Designs and Trade .• Marks Bill was further considered in 1 committee. In the clauses dealing with the term of patents it was agreed, on the the Minister's motion, to strike out the proviso tllat an advertisement should be in the Gazette. Notifications will appear in a special patent gazette. Clause 29, re revocation, drew from Mr. Herries a request that a reciprocal , agreement should be entered into with the Old Country and Canada with regard to patents. He submitted that a foreigner's patent should not be accepted in preference to one from a Britisher. ( The Hon. J. A. Millar said he would get a clause drafted to deal with the , matter. Mr. Massey approved of the principle of the clause, but suggested that there might be some arrangement between manufacturer and patentee whereby the public would suffer. The clause was passed. The clause providing that all appeals against the decision of the registrar shall be heard in Wellington was struck out, and the Bill reported. The Stone Quarries Amendment Bill was reported from committee unamended. The Hon. D. Buddo moved the second reading of. (.he Hauraki Plains Amendment Bill. He explained that the -purpose of the Bill was to increase the money already voted for the drainage of the Piako Swamp by 50 per cent. Eighty thousand pounds had already been voted for the work, and he thought an extra £40,000 would be sufficient to complete it. The tenants already in occupation of the lands had entered into a contract to pay off the amount spent in drainage operations. Twenty thousand acres of swamp were now in occupation, and 6800 acres would be available for settlement by next summer. The large drains on the area, were gradually choking through the second growth of raupo, and extra money was necessary to deal with this matter amongst others. Mr. Massey said the settlers affected by the provisions of the Bill should be given an opportunity of expressing an opinion thereon before the Bill was carried. The debate was arrested at this stage on a point of order Ibeing raised by Mr. Herries that the Bill should be referred to the Lands Committee. Die Speaker upheld Mr. Herries' contention and the Bill was referred to the c-ommitfcc«. t The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill and Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill were read a second time ,pro forma, and referred to the Labor Bills Committee. The House rose at 10.40 p.m.