PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 211, 3 September 1920, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY. J (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) ~ i WELLINGTON, Thursday, j, i SHORTAGE OF EXPLOSIVES [ ! Southern mining and other industries j ; are etill suffering from shortage of exI plosives. In particulaar is the output ; 1 of lime, a very necessary adjunct to tho eeason's cropping, being hampered. Two Southland members asked Mr. Maesey to explain what remedial measures could be 'brought about, and also to explain the system of distribu- . i tion, as it was thought that Southland waa being sacrificed at the expense of , other districts. i, The iPremier said that lack of shipping facilities was the crux of the trouble, and that in a recent consignment from Australia the Mines Department had made representations that the most urgent cases be met in the allocation. \ That was the extent of the Department's ; influence, but he thougnt the results had been satisfactory. j 1 j SOLDIERS , PRIVILEGE TICKETS, i I The Minister of Defence was appealed . to by Mr. J. P. Luke to-<lay to extend , I the period of soldiers' railway concession tickets until February next year. In ordinary circumstances the privilege of 28 days'' free traveling on the railways granted to returned men expires in j i November, and this fact, it was ex- ; plained, precluded university students from utilising the tickets, as their holidays did not intervene until after Christmas. AN UNHEALTHY CHAMBER. The ventilation of the Parliamentary chamber has distressed members einec '. tho inception of the session, and an appeal was early made to ameliorate 1 ; the conditions. To-day the Pemicr yen- : tilatcd popular opinion w*hen ihe attri- , ; buted the ill-health of many members to ' the vast difference in temperature be- ! twecn the air in the chamber and the corridors. The chamber becomes par- j ticularly stuffy, bo said, and on leaving it tho result is like stepping from a hothouse to a freezing chamber. He eug--1 gested that Mr. Speaker should give instructions for devising a scheme of improvement. Other members testified to the unhealthy and uncomfortable fea- ; tures of tho new meeting place of tho country's representatives, and if their representations bear fruit the interior of the stately new building should in the 1 near future be more than ostensibly ; comfortable. PUNISHING MOTOR HOGS. The regret of Mr. Justice Stringer, ! exprespd in the recent motor manslaughter case, that such charges could not l>e designated criminal negligence was placed 'before the Minister of Juetice by Mr. Vernon Reed, who asked if i it was not possible to amend the law in the manner suggested. Tho Hon. E. P. Lee replied that unfortunatolv the Crimes Amendment Act has already been disposed of, and it I was too late to bring about a change this session. IMMIGRATION CONFERENCE. Mr. P. Fraser asked the Premier this afternoon if any steps had been taken ■for New Zealand to be represented at the international commission on immigration, which is to meet hi Geneva m 1021, composed of Government officiate, workers and employers. Delegates ihad already'been appointed from a number of nations and countries, and according to a caWe last Tuesday replies were wanted by November 15. The Premier answered that no communication had as yet reached him on the subject, but he would have inquiries made, ac New Zealand was entitled to representation. MILITARY SERVICE. In order to maintain the power to I punish defaulters under the Military I Service Art, although the Expeditionary force has ceased to tho Minister of Defence has introduced a bill providing ,that defaulters, instead of being tried under tho Army Art shall ba deemed to have committed an offence under the Military Service Act, and bo liabls on summary conviction to imprisonment for one year. The former maximum was five years. No proceedings shall to taken under this section in respect of any offence for which proceedings have already been taken under the principal Act. TREATIES OF PEACE. An amendment of last session's Act empowering tho New Zealand Government to make Orders-in-Council for the Government of Samoa, pending the arrival of the Mandate from the League of -Nations, extends the duration of this Act for another year. SCHOOL COMMITTEE GRANTS. The Minister of Education promised the House to-night that he will ask the Government to make further provision for school committees on the Supplementary Estimates. This was in response to requests by Mr. Witty, supported by a number of country members, that school committees ought to be more fairly treated. Mr. Parr said that the grants in 1!)14 totalled £48,000, but were now £110,000, but as he recegnised there were some exceptional cases not met by ordinary allowances, (he would take the action he hod indicated. He gave credit to the school committees, particularly in Canterbury, for the excellent work they had done, quite independently of the grant, in improving the school ground?. IMMIGRANT IN TROUBLE. An immigrant named Robb, who failed to declare certain goods at Auckland j and consequently had the same confiscated and a £25 fine inflicted as a fur- | ther reminder of his breach, has had the I goods, his wife's wedding presents, returned, tho Minister of Customs informs Mr. J. R. Hamilton, Awarua. He states also that each member of the creiv was warned to enter all dutiable goods. Mr. Robb first declared half a pound of tobacc. and later, after a warning, ho etn-ed that ho hau a second-hand motor cycle. He was again warned to declare all dutiable goods, ami failed to do so. The question of remission of the fine is under consideration. j LEADEIt OF OPPOSFITGIy. j Pending the return from Gifiborno of several members of the Liberal party, w%o are attending the funeral obsequies of their late leader, the Hon. W. D S ; Macßonald, no steps will be taken to ' , appoint; a successor. Though the gen- I era! indication points to Mr. T. M Wilford's elevation to the position, there is ' at present a divergence of opinion. AtfTERMATH OF STRIKE. Tho Minister of Labour was aeked toI day if legal action against the Wellington waterside workers was to be the ! sequel of £he recent strike. Sir Win. Herries replied that nothing' > lh*d *«sn decided yet, but that the I taattfer-wasr before-fcao LaTr»Offlco. 1

QUESTIONS ANSWERED. It would be impossible, says the I Minister of Labour, in reply to Mr. I Poland (Ohinemuri), to consider this I session the proposals of the New Zea-'la-nd Freezing Works Federation of I Workers for remodelling the Workers' i Compensation Act, as they -would, in- ' volve an exhaustive inquiry and alterI ation of the principle upon which the ' present Act is based. ! The Minister of Lands, in answer to 'Mr. Rhodes (Thames), states that the timber regulations of March, 1019, are ' essential, because prior to their iesuc foreign syndicates wore negotiating for the purchase of native forests for the purpose of exporting New Zealand ' timber. in moet cases where licenses are granted a condition is imposed prohibiting the export of the timber to be 'cut, and thus local requirements are protected. Where a license is required the procedure is simple, and no fee is charged. It ie not considered advisable to revoke or amend the regulations at present. J DIVORCE LAW AMENDMENT. Two amendments of the divorce laws 'are proposed in the, Divorce and Matrij monial Causes Amendment Bill introi duced by the Hon. J. MacGregor in the Legislative Council to-day. One clause of the measure restores the repealed provision that disobedience of an order for the restitution of conjugal rights should be a ground for divorce. The other provides that where a decree of judicial • .separation has been in force for more than three years it may be converted into a decree of dissolution of marriage on the application of either of the parties. SUPERANNUATED MEN. "The question of granting a bonus or allowance to ex-oflicers of the Public Service who are at present in. receipt jof small superannuation allowances ; was recently considered by the Caoaiet, ! and it waa decided to take no action regarding- such allowances." Mr. Mitchell asked to-day if this decision applies to all retired Civil servants. The Prime 1 Minister stated that Cabinet had not yet I dealt finally with the question of the superannuated railway men. He would make a Mm'sterial announcement in a day or two.