BUSINESS OF THE SESSION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16377, 23 November 1918, Page 6

BUSINESS OF THE SESSION.

STATEMENT BY rRDIE MINISTER.

"What legislation is it proposed to submit to tho House this session?" asked a member as Parliament was on tho point of adjourning on Tuesday. "Financial proposals and Estimate® will have to bo passed," the Prime Minister replied, ' as well as Supply, to cany lis on during tho recess, however long the tccoss may last. I do not Bay anything on that ]>oint. Tho Licensing Bill has been printed, and will be referred back to Cabinet in its present form. It may possibly ho amended, and, 1 will then be submitted to Parliament to be dealt with. I hope we shall get it through in a day or two, and pl;icft it on tho otatuto Book. Bills of that character are usually tedious as to the course to be followed, but I think this will be an exception to the rule." Mr J. Vigor Brown, in urging a fortnight's adjournment, said that almostl every member had somebody crown with the disea.se, and there were not 2(3 members in "Wellington, He was informed that the firemen of oversea boats had refused to go to sea with passengers from New Zealand so long as the epidemic continued. This would prevent Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Massey from going Home. "In that case wo will have to swim," said Sir Joseph Ward. Mr Brown said that ho did not blame the firemen for refusing to spread the disease. The firemon on the Niagara, had refused to go to sea, and therefore passengers wcro not carried. "Members aro anxious to go on with, the session," Mr Massev replied. "Yesterday I informed members by telegram not to come to Wellington, but if the notices had. not gone out there would have been a very mur.h larger attendance than there 15 to-day. By eleven next Tuesday things will be very different."

"It- will ho nothing short of .a serious misfortune,'' the Prime Minister added, "if New Zealand, after the splendid! part she played in the war, were unable to be present at this great Peace Conference, and I am speaking advisedly when T say the most important conferonco the world has ever swn. How it will last, or when it. will eomlncnoe, I cannot say, but arrangements are being made, and I have not the sii.fill test dopbt it will ho bold in due course, and that New Zealand will be represented."

Mr Vigor Brown: Who by ? rVlr Nosworthy: Not by you. Mr jVlaiscy: By the proper individuals. Mr Brown: "\Vho are tiiev? Mr Massev: The hon. member does not think I am going to answer all questions tinder all conceivable circumstances. Ministers will do their duty, but every word said in Parliament carries weight, and I do not think it was right to repeat that the crew of the Niagara refused to take passengers from New Zealand. A great deal of what was said was absolutely incorrect and even untrue. It is the first I have heard of it. I knew she was held up. The Australian passengers communicated with me, asking that no New Zealand passengers should be allowed to go by the vessel, and the Union Company acceded to their request, Mr Brown: The sailors and firemen did it.

"I have some experience of sailors and firemen, and of the crew of the Niagara," Mr Massey replied, "and I have never seen people so anxious to do their duty under difficult circumstances as the crew of tho Niagara were when the epidemio broke out. A very great number of tho crew, including" the stewards, were suffering from tho epidemic, and tho trouble seeinedl to ho that, while there were a number of passengers able and willing to work, ihe orew would not give way to them, and some of them were endangering their lives by sticking tp their posts. ■This* was only on a par with what British seamen have been doing all through the war, and I cannot believe that the crew of the Niagara would go hack on their duty, or that the seamen of ships trading to this country would) isolate New Zealand in tho manner | suggested.

"If the opportunity offers, and before it is too late," Mr Massey concluded, "New Zealand will he able to get its representatives away to the Peace Conference, and I think the representatives of New Zealand will be as successful there as on all other occasions."