PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1922, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE ARBITRATION BILL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Counmil met at 2.30 p.m.

The amendments made by the House in the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Bill and the Companies Temporary Empowering Bill were agreed to.

On the motion to commit the Arbitration Amendment 8141, Sir Francis Bell, in defending the exemption of relief works from awards, said the standard of necessity and the standard of comfort were two different things.

The Hon. W. Earnshaw urged the Council to pass the Bill without amendinent, and leave the glory to -the House and the merits of the Bill to the people, who would express their view next December. The Bill had been rushed through at the point of the bayonet and aided by a procfess o-f exhaustion. A commission should decide the rate of wages, not the judge of the Court. The Hon. W. H. Mclntyre supported the Bill, as also did the Hon. J. Barr, who said there was no real opposition to it among the rank and file of unionists.

The Hon. J. MacGregor protested against fixing wages on the basis of the cost of living, instead of on the principle of production. The Agricultural and Stock Committee reported no recommendation to make concerning the petitions dealing with the Meat Export Control Bill. Later the Council passed the Arbitration Bill without, alteration.

The Hoh. J. MacGregor moved an amendment to exempt county councils and road boards from the Act, but withdrew it on a promise that the Prime Minister would bring down next session legislation dealing with the point and meeting the difficulties which had been raised. Harbor boards and borough councils would receive exemption for workers other than artisans.

The Council disagreed with the House’s amendment to the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill,

The Council rose at 9.33 p.m. till 1 p.m. to-morrow.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. The House met at noon. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Land Laws Amendment Bill and the Washing-Up Bill were agreed to. Replying to Sir J. P. Luke the Prime Minister said it was a fact that holders in New Zealand Government loan debentures were liable to pay income tax on the interest therefrom, while holders outside were exempt. He recognised this position was anomalous, but he could not at the moment see what could be done to remedy it. As soon as the session was ended, however, he would go fully into the matter and see what solution could be reached.

The Prime Minister assured Mr. Holland that no arrangement had been made by the Government with anyone In Australia for a supply of New Zealand coal in the event of industrial trouble in New South Wales, and he had never heard of any suggestion of such a thing. The Minister of Railways, replying to Mr. Hanan, who referred to the anxiety felt in Southland regarding the projected cut iti the railway services, said the department was endeavoring so to arrange the cut as to cause the least possible convenience. The investigations were not yet complete, so a final reply as to what the nature of the cut would be was not possible at present.

The Electric Power Boards Amendment Bill (Mr. J. G. Coates) and the Christchurch Drainage Amendment Bill No. 2 (Mr. W. F. Massey) were introduced and read a first time.

Referring to statements made recently relative to the unpaid moneys from the butter equalisation fund, Mr. Massey said it was necessary to have the dairy companies’ accounts fully audited, and as soon as the auditors’ certificates were received, the money would be paid over.

The House went into committee and resumed consideration of the Meat Export Control Bill.

The Prime Minister moved an addition to clause 2 providing -for the election of an additional member of the Board of Control to represent, stock and station agents. Mr. Wilford stressed the fact that the interests of the third party, the public, should be represented on the board.

The New Zealand Institute of Architects Bill (Hon. W. D. Stewart) was read a second time. The Bill was put through committee without amendment. The Bill was put through its final stages and passed. The Tramways Amendment Bill was read a second time on the voices. The Prime Minister remarked that he had already stated he did not intend to proceed further with the measure at present.

The Hon. W. D. Stewart moved the second reading of the Waikato and King Country Counties Bill. Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said the Local Bills Committee after hearing evidence had recommended that the Bill, should not proceed, and he asked for the Speaker’s ruling whether it should not be regarded as a local Bill and follow the usual procedure adopted in such a ease.

The Hon. W. D. Stewart pointed out that the Bill contained appropriation clauses and was to give effect to recommendations of it royal commission.

The Speaker ruled that the measure was a public Bill. Mr. A. D. McLeod (Wairarapa) opposed the Bill, as it proposed to make counties smaller in area, which could not be conducive to carrying out much need-od reading work in new country. The following Bills were introduced by Governor-General’s message and read a first time: Finance Bill (No. 3), Expiring Laws Continuance Bill, Forests Amendment Bill and Public Contracts and Local Bodies Bill. • The Prime Minister explained that the Finance Bill was | largely a machinery f measure and it was referred to the Pu-blic Accounts Committee.

The Hon. W. Dowpie Stewart moved the second reading of the Road Boards Amendment Bill, which he said was to obviate the necessity of toad board*

publishing by-laws as a special order in the Government Gazette. In future any by-laws made must be published in the local district newspaper, the date of coming into operation being that fixed in such publication. This was a Bill in the interests of economy and brought road boards into line with other local bodies which were expected to publish merely the substance of bylaws.

The Bill was read a second time, put through all stages and passed. The Waikato and King Country Counties Bill was put through committee, reported with amendments and passed. The House rose at 12.36 a.m. until 11 o’clook. - - i