PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1921, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S SITTING. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE ARBITRATION COURT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 pan. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was reported by the Labor Bills Committee without amendment. The Hunter Gift for the Settlement of Discharged Soldiers Bill and the Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Bill were received from, the House and were read a first time. The latter was also read a second time pro forma and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. In committee on the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill Sir Francis Bell (Leader of the Council) moved to .add two sub-clauses providing that the decision as to whether the court is duly constituted shall rest with the judge, and that the fact that a sitting has been held shall be conclusive evidence of the judge’s decision that the court was duly constituted for that sitting. On the third reading the Hon. J. Barr (Christchurch) said all trades unionists with whom he came in contact were desirous that delay such as that recently caused by Mr. Cullough should be prevented. He criticised adversely Mr. McCullough’s action in accepting re-election and then refusing to act. The Bill was read a third time and passed. The Council adjourned at 2.59 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HELPING THE TAXPAYER. WILL P.N.’s BE ACCEPTED? The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr. J. V. Brown (Napier), the Hon. E. P. Lee said information in the hands of the Board of Trade showed that importers of petrol were not making an undue profit. Replying to Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne’, Mr. Massey said he could not state explicitly that the Taxation Department would accept promissory notes from persons who were unable 1 to find cash with which to pay taxes, but it was the desire of the Government to make the way as easy as possible for every taxpayer. That was the policy of the Government, as was shown by the steps taken yesterday. Replying to Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki), Mr. Massey said in view oi what was happening in this country’, he cabled to the Imperial Government asking them in the meantime not to place their stocks of butter on the market. To this he had not had a reply, but he expected this reply would come to hand at any time, when he would make a statement to the House on the subject. MOTOR VEHICLES BILL. Replying to Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition), the Hon.. G. J. Anderson said he could not hold out any hope of an amendment of the Pensions Act being passed this session. He was sure there were anomalies, and he had a number of recommendations to meet these in his office, but the trouble in the past had been that no sooner was one anomaly cured than another seemed to crop up. Replying to Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South), the Hon. W. D. Stewart said the Motor Vehicles Bill was not wholly dependent on the Main Roads Bill, which was not yet before the House. There was much in the former measure which was necessary, apart altogether from the fact that jt was intended to provide finance for the main roads scheme. If the Main Roads Bill did not pass, then the schedule of the Motor Vehicles Bill would have to be recast, but otherwise much of it would stand. NEW BILLS. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time: The Orchard Tax Amendment Bill (Hon. W. Nosworthy), and the Police Force Amendment Bill (Mr. W. A. Veitch). Sir John Luke (Wellington North) reported that the Labor Bills Committee had considered the Electricians Registration Bill introduced by Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon), and, finding it to be an appropriation Bill, had decided it could not be allowed to proceed. At the same time, they recommended that the Government should introduce legislation on the lines of the Bill. The Betterment Bill and the State Control of Licenses Bill were introduced by Mr. McCallum and were, on his motion, postponed for a week. BILLS DELAYED. The House went into committee on the Native Lands Amendment Bill,* introduced by Mr. V. H. Reed (Bay of Islands), who stated the Native Committee had recommended that- the Bill should not proreed, because clause two could more properly be inserted in other Acts. The Government should bring in legislation on the lines of clause three. Under these circumstances he moved to report progress. Progress was reported. The House then went into committee on the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill, introduced by the same member.. The Hon. W. D. Stewart said the Bill had been carefully revised by the Statutes Revision Committee, and the department had not raised any objection to the Bill. The Government was therefore disposed to let it proceed. Mr. Wilford wanted to know what a private member was doing with s.ich a Bill as this. It was one of the most important introduced this session. It was a radical change in the electoral law, and yet the House seemed disposed to let it slide. Mr. Sidey contended that a Bill which proposed such an important change in the mode of conducting local elections should be fathered by the Government. The Bill was defective in the matter of safeguards, and local bodies had not expressed any opinion as to the necessity for the Bill. At this stage Mr. Reed moved to report progress on the Bill, which was agreed to. The House rose at 1.42 a.m.