PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10712, 3 October 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

(Bit Tclegrafjh—L'nss Association.)

WELLINGTON La>t The Legislative, '.not at 2.30 p.m.

Tlie Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill (Hon. ,). <Rigg) was passed tJirougli Committee without am end-

iment, but was killed by 20 to 9 on the, fhird reading. The Hon. F. H. D. Bell stated that he was as much opposed to the incisure as ho had been o;> tlie second reading.

Tho Auckland Education Reserves .Bill passed its final stages. The Hon. F. H. D. Bell moved the second reading of the Public Service -iini, which had been received from tho House.

The debate was adjourned, and the Council rose.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. PUBLIC REVENUES BILL. Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. The Public Revenues Amendment Bill was introduced by Government message. The Minister cf Finance stated that the Bill did away with tho provision in the principal Act, which enabled a vote o.i the estimates to over-ride statute law. It'also proposed to do away with the power now existing to transfer a vote from cue Department to another." -The Bill further provided for tho recovery of moneys unlawfully spent by local bodies. The Bill was read a first time. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. In answer to questions Ministers stated that the Government is at present in communieitiori with the Imperial Government on the subject of Naval Defence in the Pacific, and the policy of this Government witli regard thereto will he announced in due course; arrangements are being made for butter manufactured from whey to he exported under separate band from "creamcrv" butter, so that it will not interfere with cr effect the high standard of New Zealand-made cre/.mery b'.ittar; the strike prisoners now in gaol are in prison because of their refusal to find sureties to keep the peace requited by a Magistrate in the proper exercise of his. jurisdiction ' upon clear procf that they had com- j mitted an act calculated to provoke a breach of the peatv, hut-they ca:i re- i lease themselves' by finding sureties j in accordance with the judgment of j the Court; tho Government has no ] power to release prisoners unless they are prepared to advise the Governor that the judgment of the Magistrate was erroneous or not justified by the evidence, or that circumstances hive arisen since the judgment which have materially altered the position with which the Court dealt, and tho Government cannot so advise: whore eonsidered convenient, it is proposed to allow Territorials in country districts , to undergo training in camp for four days immediately preceding the a:inuil seven days, in lieu of twenty attendances at drill, and an amendment giving effect to this will be made in the Defence regulations. JOSHUA JONES. A long discussion followed on the report of the Committee on the 'Joshua .Idles petition, < bjecrion being 'aken h - Si r .loseyih Ward. Messrs Forbes, Witty and others, to the pn- '■■■■ • .''■• counsel for .Topes.

tended that the enquiry should bo held over until tho House, sati-fied itself that there w.;s some substance in the petition. The reprrt was lard <v.\- the table. WATER POLLUTION BILL. The Water Pollution Bill was read a secern! time, pro forma, and reported to the Agriculture. Stock and Commerce Committee. DEFENCE FOR PRISONERS. The Justices of tho Peace Amendment Bill, which provided for legal aid for indigent prisoners, went, through Committee without amendment. PH ARMACY AMENDMENT. The Committee then considered the Pharmacy Amendment Bill. Mr D.ivey moved an amendment which made it an offence for a medical practitioner or his assistant or a registered chemist to accept monetary consideration as commission on prescriptions; also that every chemist who supplies a medical practitioner with a prescription form regarding his: name or place of business was committing an offence. l he .Minister said he was prepared ■to accept an amendment which made :t an offence for chemists to pay medical practitioners for securing their prescriptions, and aI«o to supply them with proscription forms. Evontuilly that part of the amendment relating to medical practitioners directing that their, prescriptions should be made up in airy special chemists was withdrawn, and the balance of the amendment was accepted. Mr Young moved an amendment prohibiting code prescriptions.

The Minister said the m.i-ttor was covered bv the Medical Act.

The Bill was reported with amend meats. YALfATTOX OF LAXD.

The Hon. AY. l'\ llassoy moved the second reading of the Valuation of a Land Amendment Hill. Tie said that the Bill aimed at exempting iir.pro emonts from taxation. Thor • was an impression nbrond that tho valuers did not wish to exempt improvements. Ho quoted a letter from the YalucrGoneral supporting that impression, and stating that the existing law rendered an amendment necessary. Ho could say that tho Government did not wish to exempt the man en tho land from fair taxation l . In eonnec-. tion with tree-planting, Ijo said tho Bill assisted ro-alfnrestation. At the present time the only exemption from taxation that eoukl lie quoted was tho cost of original planting. That was not a fair thing, as tho man who planted troo.s was doing service to the Sta.to. and should ho assisted accordingly Under the Bill, the man who