THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 5, 6 July 1923, Page 7

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT.

The House of Representatives had S comparatively light day yesterday, and members were not called upon by the Government to exert themselves unduly. Some of them did so, however, by expressing their opinions in the afternoonon replies given by Ministers to questions. Some Ministers were absent from the Chamber when members were thus disporting themselves—other Ministers slept, or appeared to be otherwise engaged. Discussion, on Ministerial replies terminated about 4.30, and then the Leader of the Opposition (Mr, T. M. Wilford) moved the second read< ing of his Bill providing for women being appointed Justices of the Peace. Mr* Wilford lamented the fact that this< Bill had been thrown out by the Legislative Council last year, and he almost bespoke the same fate for it this session, but other members urged him to take a more cheerful, view of the situation, and gave him a Eubst&ntial modicum of encouragement by orrying the second reading of the measure unauK moudy, meanwhile placing on record their opinions that the time had arrived when the gentler sex should have granted to them the right to dispense justice. One member, Mr. F. N. Bartram. (Urey Lynn) declared that if the Legislative Council, treated thle Bill tliis fyear in the same way as it had done last year they would find that the ladies were indeed a very stern sex. Before the dinner adjournment, the House car-' ned the second reading, pro forma, of the Dairy Produce Export Control Bill which was immediately referred to the Agricultural, Pastoral, and Stock Committee for consideration. In the e'ven;ing, the Prime Minister initiated a debate upon the Imperial Conference, ana gave an interesting review of the sub* jects which were likely to come before^: that assembly. Incidentally, Mr. MasseV mterated that he was not going to gS to the Conference with his hands tied, ihe Leader of the Opposition and thd vtZ T\°r Labour. 11??' ,1- Holland > took Part in thef debate, which was adjourned at 1115 p.m. until 2,30 p.m. to-day..