PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1909, 18 November 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY.

Monday night in tho House of Representatives is supposed to bo devoted to the tomperate and dispassionate discusB|on of non-party subjects, but last night was devoted instead to an exhibition of party splcon. Tho Opposition set up obstruction on the Board of Agriculture Bill in Committee. At first this action seemed inexplicable, but later on it was indicated that the undoriyjng reason was tho refusal of tho Primo Minister to state what business ho intended to put through this session. In some quarters the obstruction was regarded as a sequel to the events of Saturday morning, when Sir. Joseph Ward, at the end of a long sitting, was pulled up short in an attempt to discuss tho session progrnmmo. Soon after the House mot the Leader of the Opposition, in accordance with his announcement last week, when ho was refusod permission to discuss certain grievances of tho officers of the Post and_ Telegraph Department against the Commissioner, gave notico to introduce the Public Service Amendment Bill. In taking this step the Leader of the Opposition has copied the tactics of several Labour members, who have during ' tho present session introduced Bills which have no chance of getting past their initial stage, ■in order to pave the way for discussions which otherwise would be out of order.' The opposition offered to -the Board of Agriculture Bill was unexpected. Sir Joseph Ward moved an amendment giving l , the fruitgrowing, beekeeping, poultry-raising, and flax-milling industries direct representation upon tho board. ' For ovor an 'hour tho amendment was seriously debated, tho Prime Minister and Government members pointing out that all classes of farmers would have adequate. representation on the board through tho A. and P. Associations. Interest soon waned, / and Tiefore long tho. Opposition frankly resorted to obstruction. Speaker after speaker repeated the same old arguments ad nauseam, and the challenge of tho Primo Minister to go to a division was ignored. The attendance was poor when the sitting commenced, less than forty members being in their: places. Less than thirty, wore prosent when the House resumed'after tho supper' adjournment, and Sir Joseph Ward let the cat ,out of the bag . by complaining that the Prime Minister had refused to. extend the usual courtesy of informing the House what business ho intended to put through this session.

The Prime Minister curtly, intimated that the House would not rise until a. reasonable amount of work had been done. A little later he said that he was prepared to sit until June next if necessary. , Shortly after midnight a division was taken upon Sir J. Ward's amendment, and it was negatived by 2G votes to 19. The House now settled down to actual work upon tlie Bill, and its clauses were . considered and put through in a little over half an hour. The Prime Minister accepted a number o£ minor, amendments and the Bill was reported; The Footwear Regulation; Bill) providing for the branding of shoddy boots, was put through Committee in five minutes, a number of technical amend--1 ments being inserted', besides one providing that the Bill should come into force on July 1, 1914. Progressiva? reported at 0.47 a.m. tad the Bills dealt witli in Committee came up for third reading. The Board of Agriculture Bill on this occasion, was before the House for an hour and a half, but it was finally read a third time on the voices. •/ ■ , | The Footwear Regulation Bill ; j. was j Bad a third time without discussion. The House rose at 2.15 a.m. .