POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3128, 5 July 1917, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

NO SECRET SESSION BUTTER AND OTHER PR OB- ■ LEMS . .;' "Tho .Government do not consider a lecret session of Parliament necessary," laid tho Prime Minister in answer (o a question put by Dr. A. K. Newman, ■n'ho wished Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward to "show.tho actual state of the yar, so that members of Parliament may bare-data, upon which to act'during the KSSSioi)..'-'-- ■ . ■ . . / THE SHIPPING MERGER. \ Answering a question regarding the now commercial agreement between the Union Steam Ship Company and the P. nnd 0. Steamship Company, tho Prime Minister stated yesterday that the Government's intentions in this important matter would bo made known "as early S3 practicable." PRICE OF BUTTER.

The Primo Minister was asked if tho Government would place tin export duty on butter in order to prevont it being "rushed on to, tho Sydney market at Is. a pound when its retail price here is Js. Bd." "The quantity of butter exported -from ' New Zealand to Australia in April, May, and Juno of last year -was 22,491 boxes, whereas for the corresponding months of this year it was only 2154 boxes, said Mr. Massoy in reply. "Shipping space is not available for any considerable increase in tho near future. Careful inquiries' have failed to reveal any foundation for tho statement that New Zealand butter has been sold at Is. a pound for export to Australia, and as a matter of fact sales at that prico fjvonld mean a heavy loss to owners with butter now in store, tho nnantity of which is about 230,000 boxes. The Government does not see any.need at present to propose the imposition of an export duty on butter to Australia."

i 'SEDITIOUS UTTERANCES. Air. J. V. Brown, member for Napier, was interrupted in the reading of a. notice of a motion with a long explanation and statements of what purported to be facts embodied in it. It had to do with the number of men Now-Zealand had sent, and the number New Zealand ouglit to send, to,the war. The question 6eomed to suggest that New Zealand should Jiot go on with the mobilisation of the Second Division. When- Mr. Brown was still reading, The Prime Minister rose to a point of order. Mr. Speaker/' (he eaid, "i should like to draw your, attention to the character of the document the honourable member is reading. -I'have received a copy of the believe other members also have received it— and if I; am not mistaken it contains seditious utterance*.

An hon. member; "Maoriland Worker." ' ;.'■'■

Mr. Massey: Thesmatter is of such n nature that I do not think the Parliav inent of the country should be used for circulating it broadcast. ■ " ' Another hon. member: They wouldn't dare circulate it except anonymously. Mr. Speaker said that he had/not noted what the' honourable member had said. All he could say was that any •- statements or explanations contained in notices of questions must conform to the rules of the House.- ' '.

Mr. Brown: "I don't want to make seditious utterances here' or elsewhere. I was not aware of.anything wrong with the document; I was asked to present it to the House, and I have done 50. , 1 don't wish to go on with'it if it is in any way seditious." Mr. Brown said he ■would wthdraw the 1 question jneantime, and would submit it to Mr. Sneaker for his opinion as to whether he ought to bring it before the House later... :

THE BUTTER LEVY: Y The.member for Waikato asked if-the Government proposed to refund to the dairy farmers of the Dominion "every penny of the tribute known as the butter-fat tax," and if,, in ..the''alternative, the Government proposed "to ask Parliament to. validate its action in en■forcing ■ and collecting wliat was' really a tax-imposed without, the authority of Parliament." "The. intentions of .the. Government in regard--to- all' financial matters will be laid before Parliament in due course," replied Mr. Massey. "I may remind the hon.- member ,that the Supreme Court decided that' the levy was a' tax." -.- ...-■'

.'ALIENS AND LAND. , Mr. Ok'ey (Taiianaki) asked the Government if its attention had been drawn to'the fact that a considerable number of enemy' subjects were purchnaing farms and houses in New Zealand. "So far as Crown leaseholdsiare concerned," replied Mr. Massey,-"the Land Boards and the Government havo: : already dis-" couraged such transfers, and approval has not been given in the few'cases that! have occurred. To prohibit all- such dealings with freehold' land would, however, require special legislation, and the matter is now under consideration."