THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 87, 9 October 1920, Page 6

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

When a man in the 6treet talks about borrowing money his audience generally moves off; but when the Prime Minister introduced the subject yesterday meiabera settled down for a long sitting. It seemed that the discussion of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Bill was commenced an hour or so earlier than tlie Government expected, for the House proved unusually silent at question time, and it did not show :iny disposition to discuss one or two committee reports that were presented. Even the Board of Trade's report on the woollen prices failed to excite discussion. Tha Prime Minister, in moving the second reading of the Bill, made two important statements, one dealing with the progress of soldier settlement', and the other demonstrating the entire solvency of the country. It was shown that State assets were within about fifty-five millions of our liabilities, though those are over two hundred millions. The Opposition agreed that the country was financially sound, but it commenced a discussion of the compulsory purchase of estates, and criticised the Government for not taking steps in this direction. Government members felt bound to reply, an-d it was 1 o'clock when the House adjourned, having put the Bill through all stages.