POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16882, 9 July 1920, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

(special to "tfie PRESS.") I "WELLINGTON, July 8. ' Tlie Elective Executive. In his speech this evening Mr Massey said Mr iStathnm's amendment meant | one or other of two things: that tho party should have the right of electing I members of the Cabinet, or, failing that, that the system of the elective execu- ' five should be brought into operation. Mr Dickson hau said that this system would do awav with party. On the conj trnry it wr-uld have the oppf.Sito effect. He pointed out that Mi" Statliam had jione the wrong way about testing tho. feeling of the House in this matter. He should have brought down a Bill embodying the principle. (An Opposition member : He.tr, hear."* On previous occasions he (Mr Massey) had voted for Sir William Steward's Elective Executive Bill, but lie had learnt Parliamentary wisdom since then, and had seen the defects of the system. It would be the cauci'« of the party that, would elect the Ministry tinder Mr Statham's proposal, and it would, under such a system, be to getunanimity in such a Cabinet, and sueli a Cabinet, therefore, could not do its duty to the country. The weakness of ' tho National Ministry in regard to 1 legislation apart from the ivar was that. ! it. could not earn - out other matters in tho interests of the country because ' members were opposed cn such matters . as the land question. The same thing ; would annlv to defence in a caucus- { formed Ministry. There would he some who would be in favour of wiping it out . altogether: others would be strongly in favour of keeping something in the way of a skeleton, and not wiping it out. Similarly, in such a matter as the Sen-ice of the country there would oa 110 unanimity in suolt a Ministry. Thus, on three of the most imquestions a caucus-elected Min- ; istrv might not bo .able to secure una- ( nimitv. If they came to caucus rule 1 thcv_ would have disaster, just as they had in Australia, where for many years < it- hod been the curse of their public j life. It would be the same here.

Duties on Sporting Goods. Replying to Mr D. G. Sullivan, Sir William Herries said he could scarcely remit the duties on sporting grods when there wcro so many demands for remissions on the necessaries of life. Burnham Industrial School. Mr Witty is asking what has been done with the Burnham Industrial School and the other buildings there, and -what the Government intend to do with tho land and timber. Attaching the LabeL In unusual numbws, members of the new House are taking advantage of the Adciress-in-Reply debate to label them* selves, and judging from thoir speeches and their actions in tho House, they aro in several unexpected instances inclined to fight shy of tli9 Liberal Party. Tho latest explainer to-night was Mr Kellett, tho member for Dunedin North, who stated that he was prepared to support any party in tho Houso that would do tho work of the country while in power. Ho would support either tho Reform Party, the Liberal Party, or the Labour Party, if they were on the benches and prepared to work in the interests of the country.

After this afternoon's divisions more than one old parliamentary hand was heard to remark, "That's the finish of the Liberal Party." Ono oxperienced onlooker, however, qualified this opinion with the statement that it might not apply if anything happened to Mr Massey, who at present towered above all the other members of the House. However that may be, it becomes more and more apparent that there is now more than ever room for only two parties in tho House. Compulsory Loans. Tho Prime Minister mentioned in the House to-night that money was still coming in as the result of the last compulsory loan floated in this country. The returns of income tax payers were still being scrutinised, and in cases whore it was found that certain individuals had not considered their duty to the State, the compulsory clauses were being brought into operation. Social Hygiene Act. In the Legislative Council to-day the Hon. Dr. W. E. Collins moved:—"That the Council affirm that it is desirable that tho Social Hygiene Act, 1917, should be amended to provide for compulsory notification by doctors and others to the Health Department of cases of venereal disease, and that this should be by numbers or symbols and not by name, except in cases where by failure to take precautions it may bo desirable in the interests of public health that identity should bo disclosed." Tho motion added that officers of the Health Department should be under an obligation of secrecy in respect to information as to individuals given them. Dr. Collins summarised opinion in other countries, and argued that) it was imperative that the Health Department should bo able to keep fully informed of the progress of venereal disease.

The 11-on. R. Moore seconded tho motion, urging that in tho interests of the innocsilt notification should be compulsory. Sir Francis Bell said, as far as ho know, the Government iva3 in accord with the idea. There would most likely bo an opportunity of achieving tho desired end this session, for there would be before Parliament a consolidation'' and a large amendment of tho Public Health Act. It would be easier to put ; a clause in that Act than in the Social Hygiene Act. I The motion was adopted. j j i Picture Theatre Pesters. I Complaints regarding thfe nature of j the picture theatre posters exhibited I have recently boon received by the I Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. , G. J. Anderson) from both Auckland , and Cluistchurch. The Minister ls talcing steps to ensure that offensive posters shall not be exhibited. Ho has . ' met the picture theatre proprietors, who have assured him that nothing calculated to offend public taste will be exhibited in future. The posters giving rise to tho complaints, they . stated, appeared by mistake. j Applicants for Land. j The Minister of Lands (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie) was asked to-day by Mr McCallum if there was any insuperable difficulty in the way of telling soldier applicants for land why their applications had been 'disallowed. Mr Guthrie replied that it was not customary for the Department to make public the facts in connexion either with the purchase of land or with the refusal of applications for sections. Tho publication of such information was not in the interests of the soldiers. In making application for land soldiers j were asked certain questions, and their ; answers were treated by the I>epart- j nient as confidential. In the same way I it w.as not desirable that anything ! should bo revealed regarding the rejeJ- j tion of properties offered for sale. j Words between Members. I , After the House of Representatives had indulged itself for some time this afternoon in discussing maDV aspects of the licensing question on tho first reading of a private Bill, it seemed reluctant to leave such matters alone. Mr 11. A. Wright was asking leave to i : introduce the Maori War Medal Bill. His only remark when the item was I called was "I move accordingly." j t Mr T. W. Rhodes then expressed re-

! gret that Mr Wright had not explain ed tho contents of the Bill, and put in ' a plea for tho Maori War veteran His view was supported by Mr* TV" T. Jennings and Mr H. Atmore The latter remarked that while Mr Wright had spoken to the motion retrardinnMr McCallum's measure, he had not seen lit to make any remarks explau a . Tory of his own. Mr Wright was apparently touched on the raw. and replied with some heat. The member for Nelson, he said never seemed to ri«o to sneak in the House without making a nersonal attack on some member. The onlv reiJ son why no remarks had been "mad* on the motion was that ho understood the convention was that this should not be done. He pretested against the re. marks npn'ied to himself. "The momKrir i'ov ought to know the Forms." said IN ft- Wright. "I believo ho has boon in the House before, and he ought to know that it is not customary fn sneik on tb« first t-eadinc n f n Bill but with all l ,; s wisdom n"d all h>« and all Me profundity, be wj|J find tKnt t 1, *""o are members on this s'.lo oF tho Houw who can sm*nk for i themselves, a."*l who can defend tliere- j selves when they are attacked." Votes Explained. ' An evTilanatioti of his abstention from voting on the two divisions that have taken place was given by Mr Kollott to-night. The first time, ho said, he was not in the House, and was not aware that the vote was being taken. He would havo voted with tho Government on that occasion. Ho refrained from voting on the second division because he considered it a matter t of party strife, in which ho was not interested. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) . Members' Salaries. The cotiferenco of the Now Zealand Labour Party unanimously decided to support the proposal of Labour mem- ? bers of Parliament to incre.aso salaries ; of members to £500, members to pay 1 income tax and superannuation levies. |