PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 5 September 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENT j.-v3B. (By Xtkgraph—Pr&i A** -**'.«►!».) WELLINGTON, Last Night. The House of Representatives' met »t 3.30 p.m. Mr A. M. Myers moved the third reading of the Commercial iiani of Australia (Limited) Bill. Mr D. Buddo welcomed th« advent of another banking institution in-New Zealand. He thought that' it would., be a great benefit to the f • rmers and; traders, who would be largely assisted by increased, banking facil.ties. Mr H. G, EH said the adyon^^jjr^v, ,J)uiJc.oßnft4!4& wAntr x- * : - 'TT ~ 0 „vo heip masters . in the least. Did any one suppose that there was going to be any competition amongst the Banks? There .w;as not the least chance of ft reduction in the'; rates of interest, aJrid all other charges would be the same, hecause there was a combination amongst all big financial institutions. Our banking system was, he obsolete, and it was time : the : Statetook up the question of currency and declared every bank note a legal tender; * Sir Joseph Ward said it had been predicted that::the price of wool would fall, but he did not believe it for a minute. The: man who had & few hundred acres of land and ran sheep was on the best wicket in the world. He had time and again looked into the matter of the State noto issue, but he, said there was some doubt as to the. wisdom of adopting such a counsel as had been done in Australia. He thought it was practically impossible to establish a State Bank in this country. They should establish a system of agricultural banks, but this must be a concomitant to the putting of the people on the land. - U ( Mr Myers said that the note issue . of the banks operating in the Dominion was £1,714,159,; and they held gold, bullion, metals, etc., to the value of £5,016,557.' , : The Bill was read a third time after Mr Payne had called for a division, which lapsed owing to his in-. ability to secure a teller. SMALL-POX. The Hon. R. H,. Rhodes stated, in . . reply te a 'question, that the Waikato was clear of small-pox, excepting for. four convalescents. A LOCAL BILL. The .Wellington City Empowering Bill passed through Committee without discussion. ; GISBORNE HARBOUR BILL. Mr W. D. S. Mao Donald moved the second reading of the Gisborne Harbour Board Empowering Bill. A long discussion ensued op the introduction of a clause iri the Bill by the Local Bodies Committee, providing for plural voting. - : A WANGANUI BILL. . The Bill was read a second.time. Mr W. A. Veitch moved the second reading of the Wanganui Harbour District and Empowering Bill, which was carried. . ' SECOND READINGS The Timaru Harbour Board Empowering Bill (Mr Craigie) was read a second time. 'JL*ix© "W-ostport Public JPairlis "VestiT© Bill (Mr Colvin) was read a second time.

The Springs County Oouncil- Reclamation and Empowering Bill (Hon. R. ( H. Rhodes) was read a second time. 5

The Bank of New Zealand Bill was read a second time, pro forma, and referred to "the Public Accounts Committee. OTAGO IRRIGATION BILL; The Premier moved the second reading of the Irrigation and Water Supply Bill, providing for an appropriation of £IOO,OOO for irrigation in Central Ot-ago.