PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10310, 10 August 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph — Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. I LATE MR FRASER. In the Legislative Council to-day, a. brief motion., recording the valuable services of the. late Mr F. H. Fraser, an ex-member of the Council, and of sympathy with his fiainvI ily, was adopted, on the motion of j the -Horn J. McGoiwan, seconded by •toe Hon. G. Jones. A LUNATIC WIFE. The Hon. G. Jones' moved the second reading of the Field Divorc© I Empowering Bill, io enable Arthur i Henry Field, of Ashbuirton, to peti- • tio-iii the Court for a divorc© on the ( \ ground that hi& wife had been tt. i hopeless lunatic for sixteen years, though only six years in. a lunart&o asylum. The law required tea years, hut Mr Field had hod his wHe maintained in. a private institution for ten years previously, and. the Hbn. Mr Jones urged that under jthe ■ tircumstanoesi Mr Field , should be permitted to apply &>r a I divorce. The Hans, i»eehan and McGardle ( expressed strong objection!, on, the ground that a marriage contract involved adherence to a partner in sickness, j The xioinß. C. H. Mill® and Paul j contended that under. the circum- [ stances tlvy man ought to. be relievI ed of his marital responEdbdlities. • Tlie; Biiil was rejected by 9 to> ! 15. ; CHAIRMANSHIP OF COMMITTEES. The ballot for the Chairmanship of Committees of the- Council resulted in the re-election, of .the Hon. W. OaTnoross. The Hon/. J. Rigg was the only other candidate. ADDHESS-IN-REPLY. Tjh© Hon. J. MeGowan, in travorsiiuig the speeches in the Address-in-Reply,, conitended that in order to give an incentive to the settlement of the land, every fanner, employing a man should bo compelled to' give that man a portion oi his la.nd. This would result in the land being utilised to the fullest extent. I The Hon. Sinclair, having said a. ■ fear -wordsi, the reply to the Ad- \ dross was agreed to,'ard the Council adojurned until the- loth inst. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. Sir James Carroll referred to tin© death of the late Mr Johint Bevan, | of Hokitika, at one time a meimiher lof the House of Representatives. He moved that the Hou.se place on record it© appreciation, of. the <mrvioeis rendered by the iate gentil©roah, and tender its sympathy to Ms widow and fanlily. Messrs Hardy (who se-oonded th» motion)", Seddon, R. MbKenziie, and Colvin spoke in appreciative terms of the services ireaidered to tibe coumtry by Mr Revan. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. j Ministers, in reply to questions, J stated that the Government 1 was •considering the advisahfeniess of I giving £IOO,OOO worth of oil to tibe Imperial Government 1 for use in th« I Navy,- in lieu of. the annual casfla \ contribution of £100,000; that new •police regulations would be- isistied I .shortly; that' the legal position and powers of New Zealand in the direottiion of ridding the country of emissaries of the Mormon, faith, would! be inquired into; that there is no reaisoni to feel the slightest anxieiJjr with regard itb New Zealand's legal position in tlie matter of wnreilless telegraphy; that the Goyernment did not consider any action necessary in cpnnecftaon- with the behaviour of the Minister of PtobJio Works when waited upon', by the deputartion headed by tlie Addng-Maym; of Wellington l to discuss the : tramway regulations'; that the \matter of at ' less frequent alteration of electoral boundaries would be <xxnisddered; that provision: for the re-hearing of : the Elingamite enquiry ivould be made in ithe Shipping and Seamen Amendment Ball;, that it was> not intended tor introduce a Bil this session) to assist local (bodies to finance itheir current account at .the lowest* possible rates, or make it optional 'whether they have one or '.. .more. banking accounts; that ,legislation* i would be inta-odoioed this*. session'j : if I time ipermats, making wages a finstt J claim upon a ..bankrupt's estate; .. I thlat tlie Government was conisiderl»ing the question of the duty ,on-im-j ported butter, with a. view../to de- ' tiding wihethier it was a". • miattep wMeh should be brought under "the Monopoly Prevention BiiQ, or be.molxided in the schedule of the Commercial Trust Act; that it was not intended to make any alteration in the Land for Settlement Act, 1908, at present. The remainder of the sitting was devoted to the discussion of answers to questions, and the House adjourned at 5.30. TOWN-PLANNING BILL. At the evjening sitting, Mr Poole continued the debate on the Townplanning Bill. He asserted that the early settlens had not considered the possibilities of .some' townis *-wilien they were set out. The first oonsideration in connection with the , [ scheme should be given to congested areas, which sar& a menace to the well-ibeiing of communities in general. He was sure if the Bill was carried it would quicken the actions of local bodies in carrying out necessary reform® in their towns. Mr G. W. Russell thought that the Bill dealt more with town planning -than with town reformation. The Bill dealt with town si, cities, amd boroughs now in existence, but made no provision, for future towns. He suggested the circulation of the Bill amongst the local bodie®. Mr Maissey said that the incorporation of the Town-planning .scheme in. the Opposition platform was intended to show the people that the party recognised the necessity for such a scheme, and they intended to pursue it if placed in power. He , objected to the cemtiralising tendency of the Bill. It contained too much interference with the local bodies. He supported it® title, but not its detail'. He thought thera was far too much Governor-ihi-Coun-cil in the Bill. Mr Hogan pointed out the necessity for providing for roadis where now there were only suburban area* He thought the measure was an excellent one, and should be put through this session.. Mr Forbes moved the adjournment ef the debate, and the House rose at 11.15 p.m.