PARLIAMENT’S FALTERING STEP

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 18, 16 October 1930, Page 12

PARLIAMENT’S FALTERING STEP

No End-of-Session Hurry LITTLE REAL PROGRESS MADE

Government Suffers Second Reverse

A sitting until 4 o'clock yesterday morning prompted the Acting- M™ Minister, Hon. E, A. Ransom, treat the House of Reoresentatives with more leniency as fat as sitting hou concerned yesterday, and although the session has reached a stage XKpiUrt is usually applied, the Government agree,to aka (he adjournment at midnight. New business ? appear makes it an impossibility for the session J" ?"' 1 * as Mr Ransom had hoped, and thus another of the three weeks of the life lie gave to the session after <he Wine Minister left for the Imperial Conference on August . 26 will have passed. Little headway was made in the afternoon, most of the being occupied with the consideration of reports from 2£ls ? ng XS'S to toe nrpqpnt ition of the report upon the Arapuni hydio-electiic woiks Professor P. G. Hornell, the Swedish engineering expert. °P^ tunl ‘ J i« to be given to the House to discuss the report, which beats out previous predictions, showing that Professor Hornell does not considei tint Arapuni should be abandoned, but that, on the contrary, he is of the opinion it can be made to operate up to its full anticipated capacity upon the carrying out of remedial measures which he icconi ine " It'occasioned some surprise that the Government agreed to spend the whole evening upon Mr. W. D. Lysnar’s Meat Export Control Amendment Bill. While Mr. Lysnar, elected as Independent Reform member for Gisborne, has been ill lowed to give his Bill what was probably a better “Siring” than any other private measure this session other members have had to witness the slaughter of then Bills. lie was gratified bv a lengthy debate, on the second reading and again when the BUI came'back from the Stock Committee, so that the object of giving the Bill another opportunity to provide material for Hansard was questioned last evening on the floor of the House. The whole night was spent on an aimless discussion and the Bill was talked out by the midnight adjournment. . The Land Laws Amendment Bill had a stormy passage on Tuesday evening, and the House did not dispose of it until 4 o’clock yesterday morning, urgency for its passing having been secured. Several amendments were made to the Bill before the House rose, and the early hours of the morning saw the second reverse suffered by the Government this session and. incidentally, since it' took office. The House divided upon a suggestion contained in the Bill to abolish the Hutt Valley Settlement Account, and the clause giving effect to this proposal was defeated by 31 votes to 21. . Government Bills will be taken to-day, the order being Local Legislation (washing-up), Census Postponement, Tramway Amendment and Native Trustee.

WAIRARAPA LAND Properties in View REPLY TO PARTY CRITIC •‘Notwithstanding the speech made by the member for Wairarapa, the Government is not going to be stampeded in regard to land purchases if it is not satisfied they will be in the interests either of the Government or of the individual,” said the Acting Prime Minister, Hon. E. A. Ransom, in replying in the House early yesterday morning to an attack upon the United Party's land settlement methods the previous day by Colonel T. W. McDonald, one of its own members. Mr. Ransom said he thought Colonel McDonald had been carried away by hia own enthusiasm in regard to land settlement, he, together with others, being anxious to see more land settlement in his district. Everyone would agree with his enthusiasm in that respect, but Mr. Ransom said he could not subscribe to the attack made upon the Lands Department, tiie Land Board, and the Land Purchase Board, as well ns upon Cabinet itself. The Government was at present considering six properties in the Wairarapa, and although they were not under offer it was negotiating with the owners with a view to purchasing these areas for closer settlement. Mr. F. Lungstone (Lab., Waimarino): That will keep him quiet ,now. Mr. Ransom said no land would be purchased unless the Government could bo assured that settlers would have a reasonable chance of success. Without this assurance no land settlement would be undertaken. UNEXPECTED CALL Member’s Queer Dress The ringing of the division bells often calls members of Parliament into the House at unexpected moments and in unusual garb, but the appearance of Mr. D. McDougall (U., Mataura), in the early hours of yesterday morning in a long gown and high boots was proclaimed by Mr. P. Fraser (Lab., Wellington Central) as the “Sensation of the day.”

By no menus an easy passage was accorded the Land Laws Amendment Bill in the evening, and indications were not lacking that amendments would be moved in committee. However, as the debate on the motion for committal was not particularly bright, a few members did not Xemain in the chamber. Among them was Mr. McDougall, who was literally caught napping when the bells rang early in the morning. As Mr. Fraser announced in loud terms, Mr. McDougall created a mild sensation by appearing in a long gown buttoned up to the neck and high' boots. He went to bis bench amid a certain amount of laughter, obviously disturbed from a sleep. His reception when he returned from voting in the lobby was more boisterous, and members clapped and cheered. Maintaining a solemn look, he wended his way through members who crowded close. However, on reaching his seat Mr. McDougall exchanged a broad smile with another member nearby who was endeavouring to make himself comfortable on a bench almost wholly monopolised by a bench-mate who was settling down again nt full length after being awakened by the division. RAILWAY CONTROL No Piecemeal Legislation “It is not proposed to deal piecemeal with the recommendations of the Railway Commission.” said the Acting-Prime Minister. Hon. E. A. Ransom, when asked by Mr. D. .Tones (Ref., Mid-Cnnter-bury) in the House of Representatives yesterday whether he intended to introduce legislation this session giving effect to the decision of the Railway Commission to appoint a board of directors for the management of the railways. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Progress of Bills Five Bills were .passed by the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon. These were: —Apprentices Amendment. Statutory. Land Charges Registration Amendment, Reserves and Other Lands Disposal. Stock Amendment, _ and Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment. The Arms Amendment Bill and the Canterbury Agricultural _ College Bill wore each read a second tune pro forma and referred to the Statutes Revision C °Tlm 1 Land Laws Amendment Bill was rend a second time n£P forma and referred to the Lands Committee.

KEEPING A PROMISE Preferential Treatment MR. LYSNAR’S BILL Curiosity as to why Mr. IV. D. Lysnar (Ind., Gisborne) should be given preferential treatment by the Governmentfor consideration of his Meat Export Control Amendment Bill was expressed in the House last evening, when the ActingPrime Minister, Hon. E. A. Ransom, moved the postponement of earlier business on the Order Paper to give Mr. Lysnar a further opportunity. Mr. Lysnar contested the last election ns an Independent Reformer, but he has been voting consistently with the Government recently. He explained in the House the other day that he had always given his vote to the party which in his opinion was acting in the best interests of the country, while some weeks ago he spoke appreciatively of the Government's action in allowing him to proceed so far ns the second reading with his Bill. Speaking in the House last evening, the Leader of the Opposition. Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, pointed out that there were several important reports yet to be considered. Were any other private members to have similar opportunities for the discussion of their Bills? Mr. Contes thought the country expected Parliament to get on with the really urgent business. What reason was there at this stage of the session for giving Mr. Lysnar’s Bill pride of place? Mr Ransom said he recognised the importance of the reports yet to be discussed and he gave an assurance that they would be considered. The Prime Minister had given very definite promises with regard to several private members’ Bills, of which Mr. Lysnar’s was one. Mr. Ransom said he intended to honour those promises. Mr. W. J. Jordan (Lab., Manukau) : What are the others? Mr. Ransom: There are one or two others. It may seem unusual to take this Bill this evening, but we sat very late last night and it may be necessary to claim urgency to-morrow, so this seemed a fitting opportunity for an easier night. The House then went into committee to give further consideration to the Bill. MEAT EXPORT BILL Measure “Talked Out” With one exception Reform members were the only speakers during the debate in committee on the Meat Export Control Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives last evening. The Bill provides for the election of a New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board of producers and the removal of the Government nominees until such time as the Government is financially interested in the board. A prohibition on overseas companies acquiring further interests in freezing works ,in the Dominion is provided for. A certain amount of levity was displayed during the discussion, particularly when the sponsor of the Bill. Mr. Wi D. Lysnar (Ind.. Gisborne) re- " to the points raised. “They say I am playing up to the United Party, but I'm playing a proper game,” said Mr. Lysnar. “1 say the people on the Reform benches are not playing cricket. I am playing cricket. The Leader of the Opposition has said that when the trusts reared their head lie would cut it off. (Laughter.) 'What did he do? He simply put a prop up behind it. A lot. has been said about me playing up to the United Party; it is doing good work and is going to get my support. When this crowd (pointing to the United benches) came in we could see daylight. I am for picking the best political party in the Dominion outside the extreme Labour Party. (Laughter.) I’ll leave the Reform Party without a feather to fly with.” Mr. Lysnar said that last session he had agreed Io withdraw his Bill and after 13 members mid himself, including the Minister of Native Affairs, had waited on the then Acting-Prime Minister Hou. G. W. Forbes, he had promised to give the Bill a hearing this session and treat it as non-party. “I simply asked this party to stand up to this promise.” said Mr. Lysnar, “and that’s all about it. Those people on the Reform benches are not playing fhe came. They are not playing cricket. The United Party is doing better than Reform ever did.” Mr. J. A. Nash (Ret.. Palmerston) : You won’t say it to-morrow. Mr. Lysnar: I will say it on every platform in New Zealand. Shortly before midnight Mr. Lysnar snid he could not appreciate the steps taken by the Reform Party to talk the Bill out. He had an assurance that time would be given to deni with the Bill and the longer Reform members talked the longer it would take to finish. The Bill was "talked out” witli members still discussing the short title.