PARLIAMENT TO-DAY,

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1921, Page 4

PARLIAMENT TO-DAY,

BUSINESS FOR THE WEEK. THE RACING REPORT. Parliament resumes this afternoon. Minor Government Bills will have the attention of the House of Representatives this week. The Rabbit Nuisance Amendment Bill, the Law Practitioners Amendment Bill, and the Standard Time Bill are awaiting second readings. The Mortgages and Deposits Extension Bill and the Local Bodies Finance Bill are at the same stage, but it is not anticipated that they will make immediate progress. The Motor Vehicles Bill is to be referred to a committee, which has not yet been set up. Other Bills are at present before committees.

Private members’ Bills will have a hearing again on Wednesday. The Abolition of Capital Punishment Bill (Mr. McCombs) has first place.

THE RACING COMMISSION. The totalisator question is expected to be before the House this week again. The Prime Minister has undertaken not to proceed with his Gaming Amendment Bill (authorising the issue of the increased number of totalisator permits) until the committee appointed by a meeting of members has reported to him the result of the effort to secure agreement. But it may be assumed'that he will wish to get this vexed question decided as quickly as possible, in order to clear the way for the big business of the session. The committee may succeed in bringing a majority of members together, but a struggle in the House is probable in any case. The motion of which Mr. J. V. Brown (Napier) has given notice, “that this House does not assent to the Order-in-Council made and issued by the Governor-General under subsection (3) of section 2 of the Gaming Amendment Act, 1920 (No. 2), in respect of the number of totalisator licenses to be issued thereunder,” is on the order paper. But the member may not get an opportunity to move his motion, in view of the decision of the Prime Minister to present the recommendations of the commission to the House in another way.

A RETURN WANTED. Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton), who is one of the opponents of the totalisator in the House, is seeking to move for a return showing: (1) The acreage and capital value of public reserves that are leased by the various racing clubs in the Dominion, and the acreage that could be used for the purpose of erecting soldiers’ homes and workers’ dwellings; (2) the names of the racing clubs who hold such land, with the acreage held by each club; (3) the name of each club, with the amount of annual rental paid by such club for the lease of such land; (4) the acreage and capital value of public reserves held or used by racing clubs, not leased, in the Dominion, and the acreage that could be used for the purpose of erecting soldiers’ homes and workers’ dwellings; and (5) the names of such clubs, if any, with the amount of annual rental, if any, paid by each club for the use of such land, and the acreage held by each club. OVERSEAS SHIPPING. Mr. A. D. McLeod, M.P. for Wairarapa, has given notice to ask the Prime Minister whether he will give consideration during the present session to the advisability of affording facilities to landowners in adjoining counties to exercise the rating and borrowing powers of the Hydro-Electric Power Boards Act, or some similar measure; so that the primary producers in two or more counties may unite for the purpose of entering into the overseas shipping business, with the object of protecting themselves against the prevailing high freights. MOTOR VEHICLES BILL. In accordance with his promise, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart has given notice to move for the appointment of the following special committee to which the Motor Vehicles Bill—and, possibly, also the Highways Bill—is to be referred: The Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Minister of Internal Affairs), the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Public Works), Messrs. G. W. Forbes, A. Harris, E. J. Howard, A. D. McLeod, J. A. Nash, V. H. Reed, T. K. Sidey and S. G. Smith.

There are now about 98 men employed on the Te Roti-Manaia-Opunake railway. The price of benzine in Auckland was recently reduced by approximately Is a ease. High-grade benzine and motor spirit are now being sold at 29s 6d a case ex store, and 29s ex ship, and power benzine at 27s 6d. Certain other grades are on sale at 25e a case. The mail train was about an hour and a quarter late in arriving at New Plymouth last night. The delay was caused by the wind damaging the tablet line between Waipuku and Tariki, with the result that a pilot had to be. despatched from Tariki to Waipuku to pilot the train through.

A smart capture of a runaway horse was effected at Matakana Island last week. The horse was harnessed to a dray, on which two children, aged six and seven years, had taken their place. The animal took fright and bolted. The children were plucky enough to jump off. A native named Kereama Hirim. on hearing the noise, ran out of his house, jumped on a horse nearby, and galloped after the runaway, which was nearing a cliff. On overtaking the runaway at iull gallop, Hirini jumped off his own horse, and, landing on his feet, grasped the reins and brought the bolting horse to a standstill on the brink of the cliff.

Six boys of various ages came before the Christchurch Juvenile Court recently on charges involving dishonesty. On admitting them to probation, Mr. McCarthy, S.M., said: “When one comes to look at the number of juvenile cases dealt with, though there are bound to be some in a city like Christchurch, one is tempted to look for a cause. I really think the common cause of the trouble is lack of home training. The parents of these boys are respectable, but it does not seem to me that boys and girls are properly trained to respect their parents and those in authority. What leads them to break the law in this way is lack of proper control.”