PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1920, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telcen't*.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Land and Income Tax (annual) Bill was put through its final stages and passed. \ Sir Francis Bell moved the committal of the Marriage Amendment Bill. This matter, he said, had heen thoroughly before members, and he did not think it necessary to do more than move his formal motion. The Bill was committed, and the new clauses proposed by the Statutes Revision Committee were adopted without discussion. The Bill was read a third time and passed. The Council rose at 2.40 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TAXATION CHANGES. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition), Mr. Massey said he would have an explanatory note prepared covering the provisions of the Land and Income Tax Assessment Bill, Which would make clear the intricate changes which are proposed by the' measure. NEW HOSPITAL DISTRICT. The Public Health Committee reported that the Hospital and Charitable Aid Amendment Bill should be allowed to proceed. The Bill proposes to set up » new i'.aspital district in South Otago. Mr. C. B. Statham (Dunedin Central), wiio opposed the Bill, moved as an amendment that it be referred back to the Aomti:!.ti«« for the purpose of hearing further evidence against the Bill. The 'Hon. 0, J. Parr defended the Bill, which, lis said, was intended to remedy the \aie »nd shameful neglect on the part of the Otago Hospital Board towards the southern country distriota of the province. THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. PROPOSALS IN NEW MEASURE, „ :_ \ The Hon. E, P. Lee moved the second reading of the Licensing Amendment Bill. He said it was not intended that the Bill should be the basis of a general amendment of the licensing law of the 'Dominion, and therefore the Government would not be able to accept a general amendment, but would confine the measure to two points with which it dealt. The first part of the Bill sought toi prevent a lapsed license being transferred to a greater distance than provided for in clause 4 of thß principal Act—half a mile in a borough and a mile .in the country. He proposed to ask the House to disagree with the repeal of section 114 of the principal Act, because that repeal was not necessary to the purposa of the Bill. Clause 4 prevented increases in the number of licenses, except in! cases where. there was a necessary increase of population, Both amendments were in keeping with the e/i;rit of licensing, and, as he had already, intimated, he would not accept general amendments to that law. He invited the House to be moderate in the matter of amendments. Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said he regretted the Government had confined their efforts in amending the licensing law to two points, for there were more people concerned in this matter than the extreme prohibitionists. He then proceeded to argue that prohibition was not the real remedy for drunkenness. In committee he moved the following amendments:— (1) That all future licensing polls . shall be taken on a day separate from the general election, euch day to be determined by an Order-in-Couneil. (2) That in order to secure to the public pure liquors, it shall be obli- , gatory on licensing committees to secure samples at least three times a year of the different liquors in hotels under their jurisdiction, and have such samples analysed and a report thereon made available for publication. (3) That the present licensing fees for licensed premises be abolished, and a charge of 2% per cent.. be made upon all mjrehases ot liquor by licensees, and half of any moneys collected for such liquor shall be paid, as at present, to local bodies, and half to the consolidated revenue account, (4) That in order to secure increased accommodation at existing or any new licensed premises, the number of rooms required for the travelling public shall bo not less than 12 in the country, 20 in towns, and 30 in cities, and that in order to encourage owners of licensed premises to provide such accommodation * licensing polls shall be taken at six-year intervals. Mr, J. McCombs (Lyttelton) spent the whole of his half-hour quoting statistics to prove that no-license did increase the consumption of liquor and drunkenness. Mr. Massey said there would be no general amendment of the licensing law before the next licensing poll. If the liquor trade survived the next poll the whole question would have to be dealt with. In the meantime, the present Bill was necessary to correct errors which had crept into the present law, and beyond that the Government did not intend to go. Mr. W. T. Jennings (Waitomo) complained that the figures quoted by Mr. McCombs did not fairly represent the position, because they took no note of the liquor consumed in the King Country, which was dry by proclamation and not by the vote of the people, and where more liquor was drunk than in any three no-license districts. Mr. G. R. Sykes (Mastcvton) declared that under no-license Mastcrton was one of the most moral and prosperous towns in the Dominion. The Bill was read a second time on the voices.

THE POSTAL SERVICE. MONOPOLY OVER MAIL MATTER. The House then went into committee cm the Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill. Jtn o!mi" ;««»» jtivipg the P<3Bt*l £»•

partment a monopoly of the delivery of all addressed or unaddressed mail matter, Mr. Wilford moved an amendment limiting the monopoly to addressed mail matter. The Hon. J. G. Coates said he could not accept the amendment. He thought it better to leave the matter to be regulated by Order-in-Council. In insisting on this clause the department was not seeking to penalise any person or 'Arm. Mr. Wilford said he had been assured that a certain postal official bad said the clause was intended to crush one particular firm which had built up a big business delivering unaddressed circulars all over the Dominion. ' The Minister assured the committee that such was not the intention, but if there was any doubt about it, lie would move an amendment based on the British Postal Act, in which trade announcements, circulars, or ments were excepted from the clause. The amendment was agreed to. Mr. J. A. Young (Waikato) moved a new clause giving the right of appeal tq certain officers of the Department who had been inadvertently deprived of what right. About thirty-five men were affected, and the clause would operate over the period from -April 1, 1919,. until the passing of the Act in 1919. Mr. Masacy advised the Minister in charge of the Bill to accept the clause as it was apparent that otherwise injustice would bo done. The Minister accepted the clause, which was agreed to, and the Bill was reported" with amendments, Tead a third.: time, and passed. The House rose at 11,'S p.m.