HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 41, 17 August 1917, Page 8

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House met at 2.30' p.m. Further petitions were presented, pray! ing for relief on account of the increased cost of living. They were referred direc! to the Cost of Living Committee. I Mr. Hornsby asked the Prime Minis-' ter if he had seen that the dairy com panics were going to wait on him andsug gest that he purchase all the butter at 1 per lb.—The Prime Minister said In hoped that by an interchange oE idea they might be able to place the butte industry on a better footing than at'pre sent. In any case/ he was going to'.tak over the butter that had been purchase! by the Government for the use of the people. j

In answer to Mr. M'Combs, the PrunJ Minister said that while he hoped tin time would not come for it to be neces eary to conscript labour, it might b necessary for Parliament to pass legisla, tion conscripting idlers. Replying to a question by Mr. Harris Sir Joseph Ward said ho had read thj cablegram referred to from England ii regard to raising money by way of pre mium bonds. Ho had heard; i discussed by men who had. studiec it._ New Zealand owed about. 18( millions, and could not hurriedly adop a system which might reflect on the Ol< Country, which was the chief source o our borrowing. He would take caretha the evidence given at the enquiry w.a< sent out here, and he would give it hi* serious consideration.

Mr. Sykes informed the Minister o Defence that a good deal of dissatisfac tion was expressed by the men at Tau herenikau Camp at the absence of bath ing accommodation.—The Minister sail he had received no complaints, bu would have enquiries made. ! Mr. C. P^&rata gave notice to ask th| Government to immediately move in fchi matter of supervising articles of diel subject to contamination or adulteration!

(Left sitting.)