PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 94, 6 September 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL By Telegraph—Press Association Wellington, Last Night, ihe Legislative Council met at 230 p.m. BILLS PASSED. The Deputy. Governor's Powers and New Zealand University Amendment Hills wore read a third time and passed AGED PERSONS PROTECTION. Mr. Bell moved the second reading of the Aged and Infirm Persons Protection Bill. This measure, he said, was a child of his own. It was one of the matters he had advocated for some time. Its object was, he explained, to protect the estates of mental defectives from persons who pretended to hold power to act. Provision was made -to appoint the Pubic Trustee as manager of such estates, but where other managers were appointed they would be required to report as required to the Public Trustee. The Council would have the opportunity of considering whether it was desirable that habitual drunkards and persons who had acquired habits which affected their capacity should be included in its provisions. An application for a prohibition order must be made by petition, not by a busybody, but by a member of the family or the Public Trustee. The Bill met with general support from Messrs Samuel, Jones, Kelly, Jenkinson and others. Mr. Bell said be would make provision for the inclusion of natives within the scope of the Bill. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Council then adjourned ■ until Wednesday week. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE PUBLIC SERVICE. Mr. Allen read two letters from the Audit Department and the Secretary of the Treasury, which he said, had been forwarded to him unsolicited. The writers were the, Secretary of the Treasury (Mr. J. W. Poynton) and the Audit-or-General (Mr. R. G. Collins). They submitted that statements made by the Civil Service Commission in connection with the allegation of friction between the civil and military authorities were entirely wrong. Mr. Allen pointed out that no evidence was available to justify what the Commissioners had stated. Mr. R. McKenzie said that if evidence were not available the report was of very little value. Sir Joseph Ward- said that the Commission's report bore out what he had always contended: that promotions in the public service were made from within and not from without, as had been alleged. THE PUBLIC REVENUE. Mr. Allen laid on the table the following statement of finances : Statement of receipts of the Consolidated Fund for the five months ended August 31, 1912—The ordinary revenue amounted to £3,729,583 3s 3d, territorial revenue £82,870 ss, national endowment revenue £59,413 19s 7d, other receipts £92 4s; total, £3,871,959 lis lOd. Added to the balance on April 1, 1912, this made a total of £4,679,235 3s fid. The expenditure amounted to £1,603,373 16s 9d, and annual appropriations to £2,241,575 lis 4d, making a total expenditure of £3,844,949 8s Id, leaving a balance of £834,285 15s sd. The receipts for the month of August totalled £783,394 12s lid, and the expenditure £898,138 6s 3d, THE MOKAU BILL. ' The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Mokau Bill was further considered in committee. Mr. Ell moved an amendment providing for one vote only for every elector, instead of.one vote per thousand pounds, two votes for two thousand pounds, and three votes for over two thousand pounds capital value of the property, as provided in the Bill. After lengthy discussion, the House divided on the amendment, which was defeated by 35 to 26. The Bill then passed through the committee stages and was read a third time and passed. STATE EIRE INSURANCE. Mr. Fisher moved the second reading of the State Fire Insurance Amendment Bill, which he explained provided for the building up of a reserve fund out of the profits of .the business. Mr. Russell asked the Minister to inform the House what the. exact relation was between the State Eire Insurance Office and other companies' operations in a similar direction. Mr. Harris urged that the Government should continue the policy that mortgagors under the State Guaranteed Advances Act should insure with the State Fire Office. Mr. Pearce contended that mortgagors should have a free hand. If they had that they could insure with the Farmers' Union insurance companies, which insured at lower rates than the State Office. Mr. Beil thought that the object of the Department was to keep rates down to a reasonable rate. Any mortgagor should have the right to insure in any office bo, chose. Otherwise they would create a monopoly, which would drive private companies out of the market. Mr. Hindmarsh thought it was only right that borrowers from the State should insure with the State. Mr. Buchanan held that mortgagors should be allowed to insure where they pleased. The rate offered by the Farmers' Union insurance companies was lower than that of any other company. Mr, Ell said that he had a suspicion that the State Insurance Department would be run more in the interests of private companies in future. Mr. Fisher, in reply, said that the State Fire Insurance Department had no arrangement with any private company. The State Department would not be run at a loss, nor would it take any hazardous risks. If forced to do so it would fight. They would not allow private companies to squeeze them when" they wanted to. The object of establishing a State Fire Insurance Department was to regulate the insurance rate. There were rumors, he said, that there was going to be a drastic alteration in the policy of the Department. Those rumors had ended in smoke. The Bill was read a second time and the House rose at 11.5 p.m.