YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24677, 21 September 1945, Page 4

YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE

- - ♦—: (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, September » . The disposition of the House of Representatives to hurry on with the business of the session was shown this evening, when seven classes of depirtmental estimates were passed in lea than two hours, after the Leader of die Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland! had explained his party’s attitude. After pointing out that there had been* good general discussion already, he said there was no point in talking for talking’s sake, and where the Opposition considered that reasonable explanations were given they would not delay the passage of votes. He repeated that the Opposition still felt that the War Expenses Account shown come before the House, and said he hoped it would be the last time that the estimates excluded expenditure of more than £100,000.000. Most of the votes for the Prime Sunister’s departments and those for departments administered by te ister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) will be taken to-morrow, and those M the Minister of Industries and Com* inerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) on Monday. The progress made by the House this evening was in contrast totne leisurely way in which the Seccn Reading Debate on the Housing Improvement Bill was carried on •*} afternoon. The principal benefit; » this was that the Minister of Wore , (the Hon. R. Semple) was able » make a typical and happy speech > reply at the opening of the sitting. However, a significant conna bution was made by the Hon. JS. • Tirikatene (Government. Southern Maori), who said Maoris should have the responsibilities as well as the P** vileges of equal status.