PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 162, 10 July 1924, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GAIIEBY.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Middle of the Road. Some amusement was created in the House this afternoon, when Mr. J. Edie (Clutha), armed with a sheaf of newspaper cuttings, criticised the speech made by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart. Mr. Edie declared the Minister's address was very poor, it was surprisingly low in level for an Otago man, and he was sorry because Otago men were clannish. The Minister had criticised the Liberah for keeping to the middle of the road, but evidently he did not know anything about driving, for the centre of the road was the best place to drive a buggy or a team of hor.=es. The metal was in the centre, and those who tried to throw mud at the Liberals for being there had missed the bus. Mr. Edie wanted the middle of the road every time. Mr. Bitchener: What about the other fellow. Mr. Edie: "I give him half when I meet him." Concluding, Mr. Edie said the Liberal party was united and happy. Its whips did . not go round saying this and that about their party. Housing Problem. "The utmost inconvenience has been caused to thousands of people because of inadequacy of the provision made by the Government to handle the housing question under its State Advances scheme," declared Mr. D. J. Sullivan (Avon) in the House to-day. He held that if there was one thing in the Government's history during recent years that merited condemnation and criticism, it was surely in regard to the housing problem. People believed the Government was going to lend sufficient money for homes, but if ever they were misled, they were misled in this matter. Thousands and tens of thousands had applied for advances, but the Department had barely entered into consideration of application received last September. The Basic Wage. Discussing the basic wage, Mr. W. J. ' Girling (Wairua), in the House to-day, said that the Arbitration Court's basic was quite inadequate for a man with four or five children, and he thought the Government would have to do something in the way of the Child Sustenance Bill introduced last session. A number of anomalies existed in public service wages, and he hoped the Government would see that its employees were all paid at least as much as the Arbitration Court basic wage. "That is the first word of sympathy from the Government Benches in regard to men in the public service who are paid the basic wage," was the comment of Mr. D. J. Sullivan (Avon), who subsequently replied to a statement by Mr. Girling, that there was little, if any unemployment in New Zealand. Mr. Sullivan pointed out that in Christctiurch there had been considerable unemployment. He believed hundreds of able-bodied people there had been unable to obtain employment. .It would be recalled that Mr. Massey and Mr. Coates had promised to go on with the duplication of the Lyttelton tunnel at the earliest possible moment: that was the phrase, but it had not materialised. If the job had been started it would have absorbed all the unemployed in ChrLtchurch and Canterbury. Farmers' Cabinet and Farmers* Government. To the numerous references to three parties to which the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, made his own contribution, be added a survey of the present Parliament, suggesting that farmers dominate it throughout. There were, he said, 31 farmers in the House, while the Ministry itielf contained a majority of farmers or men who had been farmers, si.v out of eleven in the Cabinet being of this class. In view of these figures, he suggested it did seem strange that a small misguided section of farmers were wanting a country party. In no Parliament of the world was there such a preponderance of agricultural and pastoral representation 0 as in the New Zealand House. When the interests of farmers required to be advocated, it was noticeable that irrespective of party, all the farmers in the House got close together. (Laughter.) With three parties in the House itTmiaht be truly said, added Mr. Parr, that there was one too many, but heaven help us if we added a fourth. Mr. Smith: It would be good-bye to you. " * Mr. Parr: And a long farewell to public life for the member for Taranaki. (Laughter.) Whalers Weed Protection. According to the member for Wairau, the whaling industry in New Zealand needs protection from foreign competition. He explained to the House to-day that the whaling industry formerly disposed of its product in Australia, as the Dominion could not absorb all the oil. Australia had, however, imposed a protective duty ill the interests of its own whalers. New Zealanders were left without this market, and facing competition mainly from foreign oils. He suggested the Government might fairly give this industry encouragement through the tariff. The Parliamentary Show. A breezy criticism of his political opponents was voiced by Mr. V. Langstone, Labour member for Waimarino, who referred to the reforms which had been stewing in the stockpot of Toryism for ever so long. He considered it regrettable to listen to the quibbling, the squabbling, the little tittle-tattle going on between Liberals and Reformers. First a Minister had not been reported correctly, then the leader of the Opposition had not baen reported correctly, and the reporters were blamed for misrepresenting these individuals on silly little things of no moment. It all reminded one of a Stiffy and Mo show, bill-foolery and torn-foolery.