THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 15, 18 July 1923, Page 5

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Members of the House of Representa- • tives were in very.', talkative, mood yesterday. The.business of the day started off very, well, from the talking point of view, with the asking of several ques- .""'. tions of Ministers without -notice, and ..'.." then .[came an 'excellent opportunity" to enlarge the. bulk of Hansard by a dis- ■•'•'■ cussion.on the annual report of'the Peti- ' sions Department.' jft> may ' be that members have in view the possibility!'of U;;, gaining support; oh the 'hustings" if 'fiiey advocate increases in 'pcnsions^-atTaiiy :..''.'. rate., they -never declare in favour" of-•.■■-Reductions or maintaining, the status ijiol ■'-!•- , The general, idea is that pensions-should ' '■ b° made more liberal,'althouali the modus ': ': :op'erandi is nof always made perfectly :clear. Yesterday's discussion was iiiiiu-, unous on the point that there. 4h6uia"ia"™':.^ an increase .in the penßious scale, ■ aiicl------'that. anomalies' should be removed with- - '- -: ;out further delay. The Minister?.'ml:"•' 'M thar K eof Pensions (the Hon. G. J.-An- ■ - :derson) was Tjuite eynipa&etic, "but stated""'- - ;most definitely that nothjnj:"c.buld- W".~" iioped for this, session. He Would ''do lus",";"' beat in the recess to go' into' th'ei matter-•-•'-'" iwitli a. view of bringing down W amend—-v. - Inf Bl'l next; ye ar. 'That declaratibfi'w.ak";'"'" noj, at all acceptable to certain members; • ■ aiid^ they ; s tated. so emphatically. Ha'n-"-'--sara records 'their opinions. In the"evea-""-'"': ins: there came fonvurd'another debatable."-" ' : ,. subject This was the proposal. tovim^:;'::" ; pose a duty on refined sugar, which was-:„ :: stated to be necessary in order 'that thfe^ 1' al Sugar ComiJahy's refinery at ',' .Auckland'miijht continue running.. La- ■ bour and Liberal members ' hda tmite contrary views on the'subject, arid-the ■■ .oußar Company, was called to' eriSiire ■" " much hard verbarbuffetinjr. Tlie-Gbv-""'''' ;ernment carried the day, however j^ut-v - :by the usual microscopical :niaj6ritybT'""!' :.three. . °«'me to the discussion-being-,-.:; ..taken in Committee of Ways and Means,'. "": tut; .Labour PartySwas outmanoeuvred On i:. a 1 tacticalpoint Vith respect to a'pro^"--posal that the Govemment should.take ;'.-." over the. sugar works in :Ure event oltlie'--"': bug-ar Company closing them down Tliis- - amendment %ras Tuled out of order upon attention beins drawn to its infornial- "' | ity by thePnme Minister, but Labour ": I came at the attack with another, amend--'-. ■ ment in favour of. abolishing all duties 1 -: on-sugar. The amendment was defeated" ' " by, 55 .vptte to 32, Mr. .H. Atmore^and. . s .. i. -V bwey voting with the Government.' • • Had their votes gon e the other, way the " rnme Minister.mijrht have been expected"to make an interesting announcement an--ent.tha. political-situation. • The reeolu'-; '' tions amending the Cnslbmß TaTifi to" allow of the introduction -of the 'duty ' were agreed to, and the House rose at '' 1:23 a.m. .: ■ . .