PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 148, 23 June 1923, Page 11

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GAIXERY. | (By Telegraph. —Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday. FROM BAD TO WORSE. A typical illustration of the danger of trying to explain was given in the House this afternoon by two members. The Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Railways, deemed it necessary to correct a newspaper statement that he, as the new Minister, had a very progressive railway policy up his sleeve. "I think, he said", "there is a little misunderstanding in that connection, but he got no further, because a roar of laughter j went up from the Opposition. "I do not mind being laughed at," said the Minister of Railways. "I have just received the portfolio "of Railways, and to be frank about it I do not know much about the matter." Mr. J. Horn (Wakatipu). whose name was mentioned by Mr. Coates, asked leave to endorse what the Minister of Railways said. He repudiated responsibility" for what appeared in the Press. "I do not think," he added with conviction, "that I am responsible for the complimentary remarks about the Minister himself." The House saw the funny side of the remark and Mr. Horn decided to sit down before he put his foot further into it. REFORM AXD SEDDON. Mr. Hockly (Reform), replying to Mr. Wilford, leader of the Oppositions criticism of the Government's treatment of backblock settlers, declared without fear of honest contradiction that no Government had done more for the backblocks than the present Government. When men rendered lip service in the House and their sympathy for backblock settlers did not go beyond the walls of the Chamber, and when they did not know the Governments procedure for settlers of lands, then, settlers would be able to estimate them | at their true value. The Opposition Leader had advocated roadinpr before settlement; that was exactly the Government's course in opening Crown lands, but under the Liberal administration settlers were turned on to land and allowed to sink or swim as far as roads were concerned. "Back to Seddon" meant back to bush tracks and pack tracks. WILY OLD TACTICIAN. The Premier smilingly declined tonight to wear honours as a wily old tactician over the Oamaru by-election. Mr. Atmore, who sought to pay him this compliment, said he laughed very heartily when he saw that Mr. Massey had declared in Oamaru that people must put aside all sentiment and elect his second strongest Minister. He was a good tactician in saying '-second strongest," because that left all other Ministers guessing who was the next strongest. He was a wily old tactician. (Laughter.) Mr. Massey: I never said it. Mr. Atmore: The newspapers said you did. Mr. Massey (smiling): Yes, I know. BACKBLOCKS HARDSHIPS. A main feature of the contribution by Mr. Lye, Waikato, to the Address-in-Reply "debate was a plea for backblocks settlers. He declared that the political position was very \msatisfactory. Nobody could say that the Government possessed the best brains and talent in the House, and it was in a minority. Xo Department of State was properly functioning. How could the Government claim to have helped farmers when, by its legislation, it had forced up the price of money, increased the cost of herd testing, raised rural mail rates and the freight on butter and cheese on railways. In urging that more consideration be given to the soldier settlers, Mr. Lye said that at the Te Miro Estate, near Cambridge, which cost £56,000, more than half the soldiers had thrown up their sections, while there was not one instance of any of the remaining settlers actually making good. He condemned the allocation of education votes to the neglect of the country districts. He had seen fowl houses under better conditions than in one school in his electorate. It was built of jam cases, tin, and strips of rubteroid, which flapped in the wind. Strips of sacking had to be nailed on the walls to keep wet off the children. The school mistress would never have held on but for the fact that she was the wife of a backblocks settler and well ueed to hardships. ONEHUNGA WHARF. Mr. Jordan (Manukau) has written to the Auckland Harbour Board offering to take action in the matter of the refusal of the Railway Department to supply and lay railway lines on the new Onehunga wharf. NEW SLOT 'PHONES. The Postmaster-General has notified the member for Manukau that his request for the installation of coin-in-the-slot telephone boxes at the Royal Oak and Greenwood's corner will be favourably considered early next year, when the cut over to the automatic service is made. CAN WE PAY THE PRICE? An interesting estimate of the cost ol pensions which the Labour party dc sires to introduce in New Zealand was given the House by Mr. .1. G. Anderson Minister'of Labour. The Minister cal culated there were 6000 laid aside siefc each day, of whom 3000 wore bread winners or mothers, who would pet pen sions costing £351 per day. He csti mated the pensions of cripples at f 100. 000 to £150,000, or if treated as soldier? of industry at soldiers' rates £832,000, pensions for blind £20,000, deserted families £211,250. The total of Labour's proposed pensions was £1,197,250. which with present commitments made the total pensions rather over four millions. The Minister did not think it wise at present to ask the House to provide an extra million and a quarter. Mr. 1 , . Fraser: What about the saving in charitable aid? Mr. Anderson: It would not come to within a good many thousand* of the figure mentioned. GO SOUTH YOUNG lLa>.\ An invitation in North Island newspapers to young men to go North aroused the critical comment of the member for Awarua. who spoke in the Hous<! to-c'ny. He ' suggested that as .Southland had 'a large amount of the finest r.griculturil land in New Zealand the advice should be "Young man. go South." (Laughter from Northern members.) Mr. dc la Perrello declared that they never Had a crop failure in Southland. Mr. Lysnar: Then why don't you ke.-p your young men? Mr. dp la Perrellc: They are staying now because land values have neier become so inflated as in thf North Island. He addpd that the South was unlucky In not getting its fair share of pui'ii.: grants. Its members should insist on getting the money. Mr. J. C. Thomson: You will set the grants, but jou won't jjft the aiottej.

THOSE ELECTION EXPENSES. Mr. Atmore: I want to know amount of money received by Minister*. Mr. Massev: Hear, hear. ofnr ; p - Mr. Atmore: And private secretar.es. Mr. Massey: Hear, hear. „„_.„... Mr Atmore : And "Hansard"' reporter,. Mr. Massey: Hear, hear. Sir. Atmore: During the time they were not doing public work. Mr. Massey: You will get it—e^ery C °mTAtmore: And when they were attempting to bribe constituents. Mr. Speaker: You must withdraw that expression. - Mr. Atmore: T withdraw, and substitute the word '-influence." It will Dβ an interesting sum when we consider it was the Government that reduced wages !on a low scale and found £16,700 for the Bank of New Zealand at the worst time the Dominion ever struck, and at tne best period the bank ever experienced. LAND AGGREGATION". . "Instead of being God's Own Country, this Dominion is fast becoming the land orabbers' paradise," a telling phrase or Mr. de la Perrelle to enforce his warning regarding land aggregation iv New Zealand.