HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 70, 20 September 1927, Page 11

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. *

Mr. H. Aimbre (Nelson) presented a petition from Bishop Cleary against the Eeligious Exercises in Schools Bill. The petition was referred to the Education Committee.

Mr. Atmore gave notice to ask the Prime Minister whether in the interests of the settlers especially and of the Dominion generally he will place manures on the same railway freight level as lime.

' Mr. T. M. Wilfoid. (Hutt) gave notice to ask the Minister of Health whether he would assist the workers in that industrial centre of New Zealand, Petone, by providing a' dental clinic, for the parents of the children in Petono conld not send their children to the Hutt clinic, and consequently had to either go to the expense of sending them to the local dentist" or to Wellington, which was a great financial strain on them.

Notice was also given by Mr. Wilfqrd of his intention to move for a return from the Government relating to the Forestry Department showing: (1) The area of .each species planted in the years 1921 to 1926 inclusive, each year's figures to be shown separately. (2) The details showing the number of trees planted per acre iii the years abovementioned, setting, out separately the spacing distance provided in each year. .Mr. Wilford also gave notice to ask . Minister of Customs whether, seeing that the British cream separator Was now perfect in every respect, the time had not arrived in order to help the British manufacturers for a preferonce duty to be placed on foreign cream .separators., . , '....Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) gave .notice to ask the Postmaster-General /whether tenders for cleaning departmental buildings are sought from charwomen,, and if this was so whether the practice would be abolished. MASSEY MEMORIAL. Mr. E. P. Hudson (Motueka) asked the Prime Minister if there was any truth in the rumour to the effect that the Massey Memorial Monument was to be erected in marble imported from Italy, and if so if there were not beautiful stones that were available in this country and could be used. The Prime Minister replied that the' Massey Memorial Committee had retained the services of a very prominent architect, who had at his disposal another firm of architects. A very definitei' recommendation had been made concerning the type of material which should-be used. The recommendations at the moment were in the direction of definitely favouring certain imported marble. Certain inquiries were necessary, however, in connection with the particular material which had been recommended. In the.meantime the architects had been asked to consider a possibility of being able to utilise local •material. At the moment he\could say that the local material was not favoured,'but imported. . Mr. Wilford: "Prom Italy?" . Mr; Coates: "Yes." It was necessary, however, to make , further inquiries. Mr. • Wilford: "Keep the money in the family." FERTILISER AND STOCK BILLS. Mr..J. G.. Bliott (Oroua) a3ked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in .view, of the urgent and insistent demand by the farming community, he .could give a definite assurance that amendments to the Fertiliser and Stock Acts would be introduced this session. The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. O. J. Hawken) replied that a new Fertiliser Act would be introduced immediately. An amendment to the Stock Act would be.introduced, a little later on in the session. He was not sure whether the whole of the Stock Act would be brought down this session. •THE SAMOAN COMMISSION. . ' The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) gave notice to ask the Prime Minister a question in regard to a difference between newspaper reports as to when the hearing of evidence by the Samoa Commission will be commenced. ■ In accordance with notice, the Prime Minister moved that the Standing Orders _ should be so far suspended as to permit the supply'confidentially to the members of the Boyal Commission appointed to report on certain matters relating to the Administration of Samoa of printed copies of the evidence adduced before the Joint Committee (to which was i eferred the petition from Samoa), -together with a printed copy^of the address of counsel for the petitioners. . The Leader of the Opposition said he had hoped the Prime Minister would have given some reason for such an extraordinary motion, which he describ.ed as a back-door, method. • He hoped the House would insist upon the re.pbrt from the Committee being made available to the House. He asked how it-was that the Primo Minister had put into public print a recommendation by the Samoa' Committee. How did- the Prime Minister get to know a decision of the : Committee which the members of the Committee themselves were not permitted to give. Mr. Holland said he was referring to a statement made by the Prime Minister in a reference he had mads in regard to the Samoa Commission. If the motion were carried it would defeat its own purpose. The Commission was to sit in public, but tha evidence of the Committee was to be submitted.to the members of the Commission confidentially. He asked if it was proposed that every document submitted to the Committee should be -placed before the Commission. No de- . cisipn had been made by the Select Committee authorising the evidence to be transmitted to Colonel Hutchen at Samoa, under seal until released to be handed to the Commission. Mr. Holland asked if the evidence to be handed over "was corrected or uncorrected. If it was corrected, how was it that members of the Committee had not been able to secure copies? If the uneorre«ted evidence had been sent to Samoa what would its value be to tho Boyal Commission? ■ <

Much of the ovidence taken by the Committee, said Mr. Holland, must be

valueless, because the Prime Minister had stated that the Eoyal Commission conld not go into the question of the deportation of Europeans. What was it afraid of that the Government was asking the House to take the course proposed? There was something at the back of the Government's mind. It was stated that the Government did not want a discussion in the House, but discussions could not be prevented. He suggested that if the Committee's report was presented it would result in the recall of General Eichardson.

The Prime Minister: Sheer and utter nonsßnse."

"Nonsense.

The Minister of External Affairs (the Hon. W. Nosworthy): "I say it is nonsense."

Mr. Holland said that whea the matter came before the House his suggestion would be found to be correct. He urged that when a Select Committee was set up and enormous expense incurred it should not be scrapped in favour of a- Eoyal Commission. The Committee should have been allowed to report. He wanted to find out what was the fear in the mind of the Government of the report of the Select Committee reaching the House. In all the history of New Zealand's Parliament there had never been such a motion put forward as that being put by the Prime Minister.

Mr. H. L. Tapley (Dunedin North): Has the Select Committee finished its proceedings yet?" Mr. Holland: "I am not permitted to say what resolution the Committee has come to."

Mr. Coates: "What is tho fear in the hon. gentleman's mind?" Mr. Holland said there was ho fear m his mind, but he wanted to know what the fear was in the Government's mind.

The Hon. W. Nosworthy: " There is none in ours."

.Mr. Holland: "Why is it, then, that the Government endeavours to do by a back-door method what it can do by the front door?"

-Mr. Coates: "Is the honourable member a member of the Committee?" Mr. Holland: "Yes."

The Prime Minister: "Perhaps the honourable member could give the best answer."

Mr. Holland: "I could give an answer, but Mr. Speaker would not permit me. Possibly I know as much as the Prime Minister of what happened in the Committee."

Mr. Coates: "I know nothing about what happened in the Committee." Mr. Holland: "If tho Prime Minister knows, nothing about it, how did he give that information to the public Press. Did the Minister of External Affairs tell him?"

Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said he did not like the motion at all. It was a reflection on the Committee, and created a dangerous precedent. The Chief Jus^ge would refuse to accept evidence in confidence wMch he could not liso in the Commission. The Committee should complete its report to the House.

Mr.' E. J. Howard (Christehurch South) asked whether the Prime Minister was pursuing the right course under the Standing Orders of the House. It was not right that evidence should be given to the Commission when members of the House, other than those on the Committee, could not peruseit. It was unthinkable that the New Zealand Parliament had sunk so low as to do such an unsporting thing.

(Proceeding.)