PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1922, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S SITTING. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 1 ■ ■ IMPREST SUPPLY PASSED. V W4 r By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Imprest Supply Bill (No. 2) was received from the House. It was put through all stages and passed. The Council rose at 2.45 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton), the Minister of Justice said he agreed that persons guilty of repeated offences of careless or too rapid motoring should be subject to some penalty beyond mere fines, such as, perhaps, the suspension of their license to drive. The Hon. C. J. Parr, replying to Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North), agreed that any person inducing children to stay away from school to earn money should be subject to a penalty. Mr. Isitt pointed out that cases occurred in which parents did not know their children were not at school. NEW BILLS. The Hon. E. P. Lee moved, pro forma, the second reading of the Administration of Justice Bill, which was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie moved the second reading of the Surveyors’ Institute and Boards of Examiners Amendment Bill, which, he said, was the result of an arrangement between the Surveyors’ Institute and the Survey Department, and would remove anomalies which had been found to exist. The second reading was agreed to without debate. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart moved the second reading of the Land Drainage Amendment Bill, which, he said, was intended to give effect to certain representations made by the Land Drainage Association. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie said he had not had time to consider the Bill, but from what he had heard he thougnt it was interfering with the powers of individual ratepayers, which would require to be looked into. Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames) commended the Bill, which would facilitate getting drainage work done and secure the reclamation of large areas of swamp lands. Mr. O. Hawken (Egmont) contended that one man one vote in rating had resulted in rating becoming too high in New Zealand, because irresponsible people had voted for expenditure which they did not have to pay. Mr. W. T. Jennings (Waitomo) combated this view and suggested the Bill should be sent to a committee, as its provisions were of the greatest importance to many districts. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Lands Committee.