RECORD OF THE SESSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2697, 30 December 1909, Page 2

RECORD OF THE SESSION.

LEGISLATION PLACED ON <' STATUTE BOOK. The following is a summary of the principal measures placed on the Statute Book during the present ses-. sion: £ -y I. A MILLION LOAN. The Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Bill provides for the raising of a loan of one million at a rate not exceeding 4£ per cent. The money is proposed to be allocated as follows: —-Railways, £400,000 (.new railways, £300,000); land settlement and goldfields development, construction of roads, etc., £200,00.0; other public works, £4G0.,00Q. HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AID. The Hosoitals and Charitable Institutions Bill repeals the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1908, and makes substituted provisions. The chief alterations are the following: The distinction between hospital' boards and charitable aid boards is abolished, and every board possesses the double function or maintaining hospitals and administering charitable relief. A hospital and charitable aid board consists of representatives of the various contributory districts within the hospital district. The representation is proportionate to the population and the value of the ratable property in the eontributorv district. . The representatives are elected by the electors of the local authority of the contributory district; casual vacancies are filled by nomination by the local authority itself. Small contributory districts may be combined together by the Governor and return a representative in common. The representatives of each contributory district will retire at every general election of the local authority of that district, and their places will be filled by an election held at the same time as that general election. This arrangement preserves the continuity of the boards bv securing the . retirement of groups ' of members at' different- times, and also prevents the necessity of any separate and special election by using the existing machinery of local elections. Infectious diseases hospitals are made subject in all respects to the same law as ordinary hospitals. All existing separate institutions (except a few which are specifically exempted ou the ground that they are self-supporting so far as the local' authorities are concerned) are vested in the hospital and charitable aid boards of the district in which they are situated, and they cease accordingly to exist as separate institution's. Provisions are included which, it is stated, will allow friendly and other societies to make special contracts .with boards. No new separate institutions can be established. Thirty-two hospital districts are constituted. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN. The Shipping and Seamen ActAmendment Act, provides for a fine of £SO for any person who permits himself to be engaged, or who acts as an officer of a ship or steamer without being duly certified. Power is given to the Minister to exempt any steamer ply.ng exclusively on any lake or within river, or extended river limits, from the obligation of carrying a certified master or engineer. The limit of horse power of steamers in connection with the manning scale was raised from 4000 to 8000. The period of service before the mast required as a qualification for the rating of A.B. is reduced from four to three years. Provision is made for certificated cooks for foreigngoing ships. Clauses are included to ensure sanitary and hospital accommodation on ships, and the owner of a ship is required to defray the expenses of treatment for accidents, and illnesses sustained whilst in the service of the same. The Governor, by Order-in-Council, may require ships carrying passengers to be provided with wireless telegraphy apparatus. Plans and specifications of all vessels over 15 tons shall be approved by the Minister before the building is commenced. Provision is made for the inspection of wool, flax, tow, and skins before shipment. Owners of missing ships registered in New Zealand are required to make reasonable search for such vessel under pain of a penalty not exceeding £IOO. In the case of accidents, British or foreign ships may be detained until provision is made for meeting a claim for compensation. PUBLIC SERVICE CLASSIFICATION' Under the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act, all persons who are retired compulsorily (otherwise than for misconduct) after twenty years’ service are given _ the right to receive, in addition to a refund of their contributions, a further sum by way of interest on those contributions.' Those members of the public service who have failed to take advantage of their right to join the fund shall cease to be entitled to become contributors thereto unless they so elect before March 31, 1910. Clause 7 enables the Minister in charge of any Department to extend the benefit^'of the Act to a male contributor who retires at fifty-five years of age, if his service is not less than 30 years. Clause 9 is intended to avoid certain difficulties which have been experienced in computing the proper deduction to be made from retlring-allowance s when the contributor returns temporarily to the Government service. Provision is made for an extension of the time limit for the making of payments on account of broken service. Clauses 11, 12, a.-id 13 make the same amendments to the scheme of Teachers’ Superannuation as are made by Clauses 7 and 9 of the Act in the case of the public service. HAND SETTLEMENT FINANCE. The purpose of the Land SettlementFinance Act is to promote the closer settlement of land by enabling groups of purchasers to buy an estate for subdivision among them, and to raise the purchase money by mean s of a loan guaranteed by the Government. For this purpose any five or more persons may by agreement form an incorporated land settlement association, and may purchase in the name of that association any estate consisting of not less than two hundred and fifty acres. The;

agreement of purchase must comprise a scheme for the subdivision of the estate into allotments not less than fifty, acres in extent, and for the allocation of each of these allotments to one of the purchasers at a fixed price. On the confirmation, of the agreement the incorporated association, acting through the Publi-c Trustee as its a"ent, is empowered to raise the total purchase money of the estate by the issue of debentures under the guarantee of the Government. INCREASE OF CUSTOMS DUTIES. The Customs Duties Amendment Act provides for a surtax of 1 per cent, on tobacco, cigars, and. cigarettes, and 2$ per cent, on other dutiable goods. No refund shall be made of duty already paid under the resolutions of the House relating to primage duty 0 r surtax. PONY AND GALLOWAY RAGES. The object of the Race Meetings Act is to abolish pony and galloway races. It is provided that-nothing in the Act shall apply to horse racing conducted under the authority and control of a racing club authorised to use the totalisator. Provision is made that any racing hunt or polo club may apply to the Minister for Internal Affairs for a license to conduct horse-races, and the Minister may, in his discretion, grant or refuse such license. Penalties are imposed upon illegal racing. KING COUNTRY LICENSES. The King Country Licenses Act provides that the present licenses in the King Country shall terminate on June 30, 1910, and that no future licenses shall be issued. STATE ADVANCES ACT. For the purpose of carrying out the objects of this Act. there is establislied an office to be administered by a superintendent. In ins official capacity the superintendent may sue or be sued. A board shall also be appointed, to consist- of the Minister, the superintendent, two officers of -the Civil Service appointed by tlie Governor-in-Councd, and two other members not being officers of the Civil Service. Money may be advanced to settlers as loan s on mortgage; to workers, as loans on mortgage; to local authorities, as loans on debentures; and to mining companies and persons, as guaranteed mining advances. The amount which may be raised in any one financial year for advances to settlers shall not exceed £1,500,000; for advances to workers, £500,000; for advances to local authorities, as may be fixed by Parliament, with a limit of one million pounds after this year; for guaranteed mining advances, £20,000. All sums so raised will be guaranteed by the Government. In connection with each branch sinking funds are to be established. No advance to a settler shall be less than £25, nor more than £3OOO, and applications for loans not exceeding £SOO sliall have priority over applications for larger sums. The term of the lean shall be 36i years, and the rate of interest shall be 5 per cent, per annum, less -1 per cent, for prompt payment. In case of default the superintendent shall fiave power to lease in_ lieu of selling. Not more than £450 shall lie granted to any one borrower under the advances to workers’ branch. The rate of interest to be charged local authorities shall be the same as the rate at which the money was raised, and the term may be the same as in tlie case of advances to settlers, or a- shorter term. To cover the administration expenses of the branch there shall lie payable by the local authority to which a loan is granted a commission fee not exceeding I per cent, of the amount of the loan. Any application for a guaranteed mining advance must be recommended by the Minister for Finance. All local bodies’ sinking fund.,; must be invested in Government securities.