IN PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1231, 13 September 1911, Page 5

IN PARLIAMENT.

DAILY SUMMARY. DEBATE ON THE BUDGET BEGINS, Matters of' secondary importance occupied the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. An opening incident was a slight breeze between tho Prime Minister and the member for Wakatipu. Mr. Fraser complained that tho Budget had been withdrawn from circulation, with the result that many members had bton unable to obtain a copy from Friday night nntil Monday at noon. Tho Prime Minister protested against the implication that his Statement had been withheld from members and concluded with a proposal, eventually adopted, that the debato in the evening should bo confined to a speeoh by Mr. Massey and a Ministerial reply. The greater part of tho afternoon sitting was devoted to consideration, in Committee, of the Hauraki Plains Amendment Bill. Messrs. Herries, Poland, and oth*r members united in protesting against tho Government rating settlers without giving them representation upon a body controlling expenditure of the money. The Minister eventually undertook that no rates should lie imposed, under the Bill, nntil after March 31, 1914. The Bill was then reported. Tho Administration Amendment Bill was read a. second time, and the second reading debate upon the Tramways Amendment Bill was commenced, but was interrupted by the opening of the debate on tie Budget. At 7.30 p.m. Mr. Massey rose to criticise what he described, in effect, as tho long-winded but unoriginal policy statement of the Prime Minister. Tho Leader of the Opposition dealt with the financial methods of the Government,'' with their signal failure to establish and maintain a vigorous and progressive land policy, and with other Bins of omission and commission on the part of the Ministry^ Tho Hon. D. Buddo replied in a speech which may be charitably described as ex r ceedingly weak and unconvincing. The Minister for Internal Affairs skipped gaily from a story about the prodigal son to remarks about the flight of population to Australia, and went on in an almost equally inconsequential fashion. Even the supporting remarks and npplause of Government members seemed to be more than' half ironical. The House adjourned at the unusually ' »arly hour Df 9.30 p.m.