PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1919, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By-Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr. C. J. Parr, the Min. ister of Defence said the Imperial Government had offered to provido with free passages ex-Imperial service men and dependants who have assured employment in the Dominion, or who may toe acceptable to the Dominions. The Government had replied that while they had no desire to discourage immigration to the Dominion until our own men were placed they were not anxious that exImperial service men should come to the Dominion. After that they would be welcomed. Mr. Massey replied to Sir Joseph Ward that the High Commissioner's time did not expire till February 2iti'. and he had been advißed accordingly. The Government had not yet had a reply from Sir Thus. Mackenzie as to whether he was willing to continue till then. Implying to Mr. Semple, Mr. Massey said the Minister of Defence had asked his officers to provide him with a report Sis to the suitability of the hutments at Trentham for use in relief of the housing shortage. Replying to Mr. Lee, the Hon. J. G. Coates said that where the salary of post and telegraph officers, after regrading, was less than it would have been if the war bonus had been paid, the bonus would be paid to bring the salary UP to the old level. Replying to Mr. Semple, Mr. Massey said the Railway Department was considering the question of re-instating excursion fares this year. Replying to Mr. Poland, Mr. Massey said he was not aware of any combine to keep up the price of fencing wire, but he would ask the Board of Trade to inquire into the matter. Replying to Mr. Holland, Mr. Massey paid the work being done by Miss Etti'e Rout was hot being done with the approval of the New Zealand Government. CARE OF MENTAL CASES. On the laying on the table of the Mental Hospitals Report, Mr. Poole raised a. discussion on soldier mental cases, gradually drifted into a discussion on mental cases in general, the tenor of the speeches going to show that there was a great need for better classification of patients, and that a good deal of negligence was sometimes shown in communicating with relatives of patients. _ an instance of ideal classification Mr. Ell mentioned a cottage hospital created at Seacliff by Dr. Truby King, where patients were sometimes kept and discharged without ever knowing they had been in a mental hospital. The Hon. G. W. Russell said that within the last twelve months large receiving homes had been built at Sunnvside and Porirua for the express -impose of affording the kind of classification spoken of by Mr. Ell. He denied there had been any neglect on the part of the Department it; the care of soldiers mentally afflicted. On tile other hand there had been a considerable spirit of progress in mental hospitals during the past few years, due to reforms initiated by the Hon. Heaton Rhodes and continued by himself. More could not bo done unless the country was prepared to face greatlv increased expenditure. ' RETURNS ASKED FOR. The House agreed that the following returns, amongst others, be laid on the table:— A return showing The names of all superannuated public servants throughout New Zealand; (2) The posi °T P revlousl y ] >eld in the service, " < 2) tll e amount of superannuation each person is receiving. A return showing (1) The total area of unsettled Crown lands within the Dominion and their classification. . A r .f um showing (1) The number of juveniles convicted under the Juvenile Offenders Act and sent to industrial schools in each: of the four cities year bv year since the Act came into force, and tiie number of juveniles tried under the same Aot whose cases were adjourned and the offenders placed on pronation , aU r Pe^ ision b y the P ro hatton officer (2) Like information in respect ol each of the provinces, excluding the four cities; and (3) A tabulor statement setting forth in respect of eaoli oity and province the nature of the offence in respect of which such convictions, committals or adjournments respectively were made. A return showing (1) The names of alt persons from whom the Government had purchased land for settlement of ™ The area of each Purchase; and (3) The amount paid per acre for eacii purchase. A return showing the number of post and telegraph officials still away on active service, and what the estimated number of reappointments was m,™ t- IVing H' The amount paid by the Mines Department to the owner or owners of land for a coal lease ?™i b r the Government n the North Island, and what royalties (if any) are to be paid to such person or persons. r A return showing the names of persons and companies who are owners of land in the Dominion of an unimproved '' E2O - 000 ' ail 'l under £30.000:' i-HHOO and under £50,000; £SO 000 and under moon; £OO,OOO and over, as at March 31, 1019. EVENING SITTINGThe House resumed at 7.30. ADMINISTRATION OF SAMOA. By Governor's message, a Bill was in troduced providing for the administration of Samoa. Sir Jas. Allen explained - that the Bill was a short measure which would be of a temporary nature, cause U was not possible to bring down a complete scheme of administration, owing to the mandate not ve- flavin* been received. The Bill enabled an Oider-m-Council to be issued living the Uovernmcnt necessary powers. There would be another Bill setting up a Department of External Affair*, which uf Zlru the WOrk of Sinistrarhe 8111 was read a first time. HOWARD'S BEQUEST The Josiah Howard Estate Bill was also introduced by Governor's messa«e u ex P kined that the Mil dealt with the estate of a gentleman who left £IIOO,OOO for an agricultural college, certain legal powers being required. The Bill was read a first time. VICTORY LOAN. Sir Jas Allen stated that eight milions had been subscribed to the war oan, but there were still some snbsenpt ons to come in. It was intended to put the compulsory cl«us«f into faro?, I

MORTGAGES EXTENSION. | Sir Jaa. Allen moved the second reading of the Mortgages Extension Bill as passed by the Legislative Council. Be explained the provisions, which he claimed improved the positon of mortgagors under war legislation. Sir Joseph Ward warmly approved the Bill. He thought it did what was required most effectively. Sir J. Findlay said he thought there should be some provision enabling the Court to deal with exceptional circumstances so as to protect mortgagors against a vindictive mortgage, lie . ul submitted this need to the Attormy-' General, who had evidently overlooked Mr. Wilford, after suggesting a nuiri-J ber of technical amendments, said th|s was only one of many recent measur<W' which threw additional work on magistrates, and he hoped the Government ■ would realise this and this session place magistrates on a proper footing, so far as their salaries were concerned. fj Mr. Parr thought that in a case where the lender desired to withdraw his money from investment, his application should be referred to a judge or a magistrate, instead of merely giving tho mortgagee two months' notice to pay up. The proi cedure provided in the Bill might casi|f create hardship, and he entirely agreed with Sir J. Findlay that there was neS of protection against a vindictive mort-j gagee. Otherwise he approved of the Billj j Mr. Holland did not question tljje ability of a judge of the Supreme Court' to de'al with a question between l n j mortgagee and mortgagor, but it must be remembered it cost money to go before the court. He thought the pro.' cedure in the Bill was safe and cheaper, j Mr. Payne said that if the Govern- j ment was out to help the little fannjri and little business man this Bill should 1 propose that, once a mortgagee hf<j| lent his money at a fair raite of i»' : terest, he should never have the powtF to foreclose so long as the interest was paid. Sir .Tas. Allen, in reply, said he wotild consult the Attorney-General as to the need for introducing into the Bill some further protection in exceptional eases sis suggested by Sir J. Findlay. The Bill was read a second time. HOUSING. j Mr Massey moved the second reading of the Housing Bill He said it was intended to find ft. remedy for the scarcity of houses, more particularlv in the Wellington district. This shortage was largely due to the shortage of labor and the cost of material during the war, which practically put a stop to bulla.ing operations. He regretted that labor was still scare, and material still dear, but they had to °o on all the same. Part of the Bill provided foi setting up a Housing Board, for setting 1 npart land for houses, and for financial arrangements in connection with t i'tt i scheme. He proposed under this Bill to increase the advances under the Workers' Dwellings Act from £450 to £750 in the j ease.of wooden buildings, the payments , to extend over 25% years, and in the case of more' substantial'material, so 3GJ years. Part 2 provided for fecial settlements for public servants. Part 3 makes provision for loans to employers for the purpose of erecting workers dwellings. Part 4 extends the provisions of the Act to Harbor Boards, and part 5 extended like privileges to other local authorities. The Bill was mainly a machinery one. It was an important Bill, and he hoped it would lie passed into law during the next few days. Sir Joseph Ward said this question was intimately connected with the cost of living, and he proposed to discuss it fully. He understood the Government proposed to ,lend money to borrowers under this Bill at 5 per cent. He made a calculation on this basis and found that, on a £750 investment, it cost the borrower about I4s Sd per week, and on an £BSO proposal 16s sd. That, be thought, was too much. These houses should not cost the people more than 10s Gd per week- He considered this could be done because of the great profits made by the Advances to Settlers Fund and the Advances to Workers' Fund, the former of which made a Viet profit of £950,000, and lent £21,000,000 without the slightest loss. The latter fund had made.a profit of £92,000 sinso it had been in existence. He would not borrow in the ordinary way for the housing scheme, but would take it from the P.O. Savings Bank and lend it to borrowers, securing the houses at U percent. There were over £19,000,000 of the people's investments in the P.O. Savings Bank, and this could be used to DO" better end than providing houses Sir' the people. There was no doubt abolti the stability of this fund as a source of supply of money, and the money coitjil always be obtained. He believed thf{i six thousand workers' homes „ere inquired, and amougst tho workers he i&j eluded civil servants, clerks, and all kinds of people with small incomes. He favored establishing a sinking' fund of I per cent, which would extinguish loans on the following basis: At 3 per cent, in 68 years; at 4 per cent. 56 to 57 years; at 5 per cent. 49 to 50 years. He 1 thought all these houses should be, ex* i cept in special cases, of concrete! for I which we had all the material at hand; : He thought there should be no such thing as profit making out of this scheme, but it was important that it be placed on a safe basis. j Mr. Wilkinson said he thought the * Bill was liberal; he thought it might have been more liberal. His objection ' to Ihe Bill was that when the Govern - ■ ment lent the money to local bodies or ' employers there was nothing stated as ' to the rate of interest those local bodies : or employers could charge. They should ' not be allowed to overcharge those taking up houses. Mr. Massey remarked that tho scheme , must not be run at a loss. Mr. Wilkinson thought the country might have to face a loss, and no great j harm would result if it did. He urged that practical men should be put on the Housing Board, and that the limit of > income should be raised, as the the sum j fixec! in the Bill was altogether too '< small. He hoped the Government would be prepared to accept reasonable amendments in committee. Mr. Massey said the Government would welcome reasonable amendments. Mr. Parr said and local bodies, as well as the Government, had a responsibility in this matter, and there ought to be same form of compulsion applied to them they did not recognise that responsibility. The 1 scheme would probably result in a loss, ' but it must be faced. Mr. Hornsby said there was a bitild- i ing ring in this country whose aim was ' to block the Government and local bodies ! in the housing scheme, but if the G<?v- < ernment went about it in a business, like way, and imported material and ; used State sawmills, comfortable live or j six-roomed houses could be built for i £OSO to £7OO. It had been said i there would be a financial loss on the I scheme, but, he asked, would it be a loss? He thought it would be th> greatest boon to the country if tha ' scheme were to be successful- j Newman laid houses u&du th« j

Bill would be too dear. Unless dietjfv houses were provided for the pMple, j . many would still prefer to live in roams i and the very terrible conditions ing would continue. •;« Mr. Holland supported the central VtfJ ' of the Bill, but thought there vii too - much division of authority, It wouU'be better if the Government retained power to build all houses. Be *lm objected to the power to sell houses ns they wero built. - > p., After midnight the discussion oil the i • Housing Bill was continued by Meur# ■ '■< Ell, Luke, Smith (Waimarino), Isitt,; Field (Nelson), Anderson, Wright, Wittjy 1 Glover, Semple, and P. Fraser. The Bill was read a second time at ' .1.45 a.m. 1 The House then went into committer on the. Mortgage Extension BilL (Left Sitting.)