THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 36, 11 August 1920, Page 8

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Parliament has strange moods. At the end of last week the Prime Minister complimented members on the expedition with which they had dealt with business. Evidertly members felt they ■ had been too well-behaved, for yesterday they showed an entirely different disposition. A debate on a. first reading is (under normal conditions) an unheard of thing, -unless, the Bill is.one of. those' private member's : measures which is, read a fiist time and then forgotten—till next session. . Usually the Leader of the Opposition stands up and says : "Will the Prime. Minister ' explain what this Bill contains?" The Prime- Minister does so very briefly—always emphasising that it is Important, but on lines that ■will meet the wishes of all members. He conveys by his manner that he will bevery much disappointed if members do not pass it without any discussion —beyond praise, of course. Yesterday, however, several Bills were introduced by Message from the Administrator. The first was a Magistrates! Courts Amend-, ment. When an explanation was asked for, there was a. little consultation between the Prime Minister and the Minis-< tar of Justice, and the House expected something big. It was. to appoint a magistrate to the Chatham Islands. A brief discussion took place on the-Bill to enable Te Aroha lessees to acquire Hhefreehold ; but the real debate commenced on the Land and Income Tax-Bill, ■ an sonual measure which the Prime Minister explained empowered the collection . of taxes for last year, and contained nothing new. When the House was in Committee to consider the recommendation that such a BilL should be introduced, members went over the whole ground of taxation ; and when the House (out of Committee) was asked to confirm the Committee resolution, they went over the ground again. They said some things they had forgotten to say before, and some things they had said before and forgotten that they had said. Both debates were a series of cross-chamber arguments. Mr. Jones said something, and immediately Mr. Fraser had to reply to Mr. Jones; then several others controverted the statements of . Mr. Fraser. When' the second reading debate began.Mi. Jones replied to all his Labour critics (there was some amusing sparring), and then his Labour critics replied to him. Fortunately, the second a-eading was not taken that day. Up to 11 -p.m. the House: had managed to,..iiH, troduce and read a first time these Bills, and amendments of the,. Hospital and Charitable Institutions' Act and the Nelson Harbour Act (both of local application, only). Nothing that usually passes for business had been done, and Mr. Massey, with the statement that he had expected to deal with four Bills on the Order Paper, rose to move the second reading of the first. It was the Statutes Repeal and ■ Expiring Laws Amendment and Continuance Bill: It proved an unhappy selection, for it dealt with restriction, . ' dumping, : mineral .leases, and all kinds of-other things. Mr. .Holland discovered that it perpetu-'. iited Order-in-Council rule for Samoa, ta he attempted to perpetuate the indentured labour question. Mr. Massey gave an assurance that there would be.Samoan legislation later;, but other'members discovered other topics—and it was..not uni til 1.30 a,m. that.the second reading\waß_. passed. During the day notice to introduce Bills was. given as follows :— Master and Apprentice Amendment(Hon. W. Noaworthy), Immigration Restriction Amendment (Right Hon;. "W. ■' F. Massey). The assent of the Administrator to the New Zealand Institute Amendment, the Judicature Amendment, and the Imprest Supply Acts, was noti-! fied.