PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2691, 22 December 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

INSTITUTIONS FOR EPILEPTICS.

fPisit Press Association.! WELLINGTON, Dec. 21

The Council met at 2.30 p.m. On the motion of the Hon. C. M. Luke, it was agreed that the Government take into consideration the establishment in tho four large centres of institutions for opileptics unfit , for treatment in other hospitals. NATIVE LAND BILL. Tho debate on the second reading of the Native Land Bill was continued by the Hon. W. W. McCardle and others, and the Council rose at 5.30 p.m. In the evening sitting the Native Land Bill was read a second time, put through committee with verbal amendments, and read a third time and passed.

COAL MINES AMENDMENT BILL. The Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill was oassed committee. Clause 8 was struck out on the voices, members holding that the effect of the clause as it had passed the House would be to prevent the sale of any land fronting a road less than 66ft wide.

THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE

HOUSE

The Council agreed not to insist on its amendments in the Land for Settlements Administration Bill and the State Guaranteed Advances Bill, as it did not wish to endanger the measures at tin’s late stage of the session, but it denied that it had infringed the privileges of the House of Representatives. The Stamp Duties Bill and the King Country Licensing Bill were passed through all stages, and the Council rose

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

TRAMWAYS ACT AMENDMENT

Late on Monday night, on the motion of the Hon. R. McKenzie, the second reading of the Tramways Act Amendment Bill was agreed to pro forma, and the Bill was referred to a special committee. The : House went into committee on four Bills which passed their second readings.

TAXATION ON JOCKEY CLUBS. At clause 2 of the Stamp Duties Bill, Sir Joseph Wardjnoved an amendment to the effect that the tax on race meetings should commence operation on_lsfc March, 1910, and 'a new clause providing for a tax on the gross amount received at any race meeting as gate money or by way of fees for licenses, other than licenses to jockeys and trainers. The amendments were carried. Mr. Davey moved to reduce the number of race meetings held each year by forty. The Chairman ruled the amendment nut of order asi being foreign to the Bill. KING COUNTRY LICENSES. At clause 3 of the King Country Licenses Bill, on the motion of Mr. Poole, an amendment providing for the determination of the licenses at the end of the period for which they were granted, and that the licensees should not have the right to a renew'al, was agreed to on the voices. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS AMEND-

MENT.

The Industrial Schools Amendment Bill passed through committee. Members considered that under section 17 of the principal Act children could he arrested by a constable, which ■was too great a power to hand over to any body of men. The Minister proposed to alter section 17 so that a child could only be arrested on a warrant issued by a magistrate.

This was ngreed to. INFERIOR COURTS PROCEDURE. The Inferior Courts Procedure Bill passed through committee without disciissioii, and the House rose at midnight. MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS.

The House met at 10 a.m. to-day. The Labor Bills Committee reoommended that the Sunday Labor Bill be deferred till next session. The Agricultural Committee recommended to the favorable consideration of the Government during the recess the question of establishing agricultural colleges. , . . , The Hon. G. Fowlds contended that it was better to take pupils out to farms and instruct them that way, than to spend large sums of money in establishing colleges. . The report was received. The following Bills were read a second time: Masterton Trust Lands Exchange and Wanganui School Sites. y CUSTOMS DUTIES AMENDMENT BILL. On the motion for the second reading of the Customs Duties Amendment Bill, Mr. Massey protested against the increase in taxation, and_asked where this was going to stop. 'He went on to refer in detail to articles upon which the duties had been_increased, contending that the two principal industries of the Dominion, mining and agriculture, had been the chief sufferers thereby. There was no need for the Government to raiso further revenue by taxation this session. ~ , Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said that Mr. Massey's remarks seemed to be made for electioneering purposes. He held that Mr. Massey’s figures were misleading. The total amount expected to accrue from the taxation proposed in the Bill was £50,000. It was necessary. that people should pay for the extra service rendered m the way of defence. h , Mr. Allen replied to Sir Joseph Ward’s statements, and the debate was proceeding when the House adjourned at 1 p.m. . , - , , At the afternoon sitting, the debate on the Customs Duties Amendment Bill was continued by Messrs Hernes an The*Hon. G. Fowlds contended that the working classes had received the benefit of the decrease in Customs duties. Ho denied the statements of the Opposition that the duties to be levied under the Bill would be permanent. They would only be imposed until March 1911. Oh a division the second reading was carried by 44 votes to 23. OLD AGE PENSIONS AMENDMENT. The second reading, of. the Old Age Pensions Act Amendment Bill was moved by Sir Joseph Ward, who explained the object of the Bill, which is to provide for the owners of homes being allowed pensions. • . Starting at £34U. owners of houses of this; value yulLreceive pensions reduced- below _£26 a year on tlie sliding scale, descending as the value of tlie house exceeds £340, until it reaches £6OO, when the pension ceases. , ' . ;■ ./’ . Mr. yMassey said he would support tlie second reading, and reserve his criticism for the committee stage. Mr. Allen said he could find no reference in the Bill to the’property limit

mentioned by Sir Joseph Ward,, or to a property value of £340, and said that the.effect of the Bill would be to make owners of property ten times worse off than they were at present as regards old age pensions. Mr. T. E. Taylor (Christchurch) approved the principle of the Bill, which, lie said, was a valuable concession to humanitarian principles, and he credit, ed the Government with courage in granting- the concession at a time when considerable financial demands were being made upon it. Sir Joseph Ward -explained the comparative effects of the existing law and those of the Bill as follows: —Taking a house valued at £2OO, a single person owning the same under the present law would get £24 pension, under the Bill £26; the owner of a house worth £250, present system £l6, under the. Bill £26; with a house worth £3OO, a single person at present receives £ll, under the Bill £26. A married couple at present would receive £l9 each, under the Bill £26 each. A £SOO property at present debarred its owner from a pension. The Bill would entitle a single person owning such a property to £lO, and a married couple to £9 each. The cost of the concession would amount to £25,000 a year. The property would be valued on a 10 per cent basis, mortgages being deducted. That is, the value of the property owned by persons eligible for a penson is deemed to produce an income of 10 per cent, upon which the pensions are calculated. The second reading was agreed to. SECOND READINGS.

The following Bills passed their second readings:—Race- Meetings (Hon. D. Buddo), TJrewera Native District Reserves (Hon. A. T. Ngata), Workers’ Compensation Amendment (Hon. J. A. Millar), Reformatory Institutions, New Zealand Society of Accountants, Magistrate’s Court Amendment (Hon. G. Foivlds).

The House went into committee on the various Bills and then rose. BILLS IN COMMITTEE.

At the evening sitting, in committee on the Customs Duties Amendment Bill, Mr. Massey moved to strike tobacco out of the list of dutiable articles under clause 2 of the Bill.

On a division the amendment was lost by 44 to 27, and the Bill was reported with minor amendments. On consideration of the Old Age Pensions Amendment Bill, Mr. Massey said that members did not understand the Bill, and lie asked the Prime Minister if he would have a table printed showing the effect, of the sliding scale proposed under the Bill in regard to property owned by a pensioner. Sir Joseph Ward replied that he would have this done, and the table circulated among members. On the motion of Sir Joseph Ward, clause 5 was amended so as to exclude property transferred to the Public Trustee from the operation of the Bill, which was reported with amendments. On the Race Meetings Bill, Sir. Wright moved that the Bill operate from January instead of from April, but this was rejected on the voices.

Mr. Davey moved to insert a new •clause providing that race meetings be reduced by 40 days per annum. This was ruled out of order, and a motion to report progress in order to obtain the Speaker’s riding on the point was carried by 55 to 14. The Speaker ruled that the new clause was not in order, being an amendment of the Gaming Act. The amendment- by Mr. Davey was also ruled- out of order on the ground that it was practically the same as the former amendment.

The Bill was reported with amendments.

The Workers’ Compensation Bill passed through committee, and was reported without amendment. DEFENCE BILL.

The Defence Bill was taken in committee.

On the motion of Sir Joseph Ward, the following amendments were made: Clause 26, which provided' for taking over the assets and liabilities of volunteer corps by the Crown, was struck out. New clauses (20A) were added providing for the volunteers becoming the territorial force, and (30A) providing for defence cadets and reserve corps ceasing to exist. On clause 30, which classifies persons exempt from militia service, Mr. Alien moved that medical practitioners be excluded from the list of persons exempt. The amendment was lost on the voices.

On the clauses imposing general liability to training, Sir Joseph Ward in. troduced an amendment providing that boys attending secondary schools shall remain in the cadets until they leave school, even if they are over 18. This was agreed' to. (Left sitting.)