THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 55, 13 September 1928, Page 10

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Wiih the passing of the time of the ssession and the near approach oi' the General Election, members of u)l parties in the House, of Representatives are not letting slip any opportunities of indulging in any propaganda which they think might appeal' to the electors. How best to get votes is now the al-absorbing problem, and everything calculated to produce them is seized upon with avidity. The presentation of the annual report of the Public Trustee yesterday afternoon was a case in point, and the Labour Party launched an attack ou the activities of the 1928 Committee, it being- asserted that that organisation, in association with tho Welfare League, v,-as out to subvert the operations of the Public Trust Office and other State institutions. It was claimed that members of the 1028 Committee were supporters of the Reform Party,, and suspicion was cast upon the Government's altitude to tho Public Trust Office. The Prime Minister, who is also Minister ia Charge of tho Public Trust Office, contended that he had administered the office sympathetically, but he voiced some doubt as to whether all the members of the ID2S Committee were going to vote for the Government, although he expressed tho fervent hope that'they would all be "on side' 'on the fateful day. lie submitted, however, that any body of citizens such as the 1928 Committee had the right to approach him at any time if they felt that they had a grievance, and ho said that any representations would be welcomed, although it would not always be expedient in. the public interest to accede to every request made to the Government for tho removal of restrictive legislation. In the evening, the House passed the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, Amendment Bill and the Auctioneers Bill, and the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Bill was read a second time. In regard to the latter measure, the Minister of Health (the Hon. J. A. Young) said it had been found in practice that the police were better qualified to lay informations in regard to opium smoking offences than medical officers of health, who were empowered to lay informations under the present law. It wa« desired to enable the police to lay informations, as well as medical officers. The House rose at 12.32 a.m. Sitting in the afternoon, the Legislative Council put through their final stages and passed the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill, the Post and Telegraph Bill, and tho Magistrates'Courts.Bill. The latter was amended in one slight respect, the clause being approved subsequently by the House. .• . - WHERE DO THEY STAND. Whether the Labour Party does or does not believe in all business being transacted by the State as against private enterprise was a point which was discussed to some extent in the House of Representatives yesterday. The labour Party, said Mr. 6. W. Forbes (Leader of the National Party), said that all business should be done by the State. , "We do not say that," interjected Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central). Mr. Forbes replied that he would like to know what the Labour Party stood for with regard to the functions of the State in relation to private business. Mr. J. A. Lee (Auckland East): "You don't know where you stand." _ Mr. Forbes said that when an election was pending the Labour Party became very.enthusiastic.about State institutions and any criticism, of-these institutions from outside was regarded almost as a personal affair. When criticism was offered the Labour Party got into a state of fury and one had only to listen to the Leader of the Opposition to get the impression that a French Revolution was about to take place. Mr. Parry questioned whether. Mr. Forbes knew where he stood politically until the United Party met : on Friday. Mr. Forbes did not know .whether he was to be the leader of the "Upopos" or not, nor what the policy of that party would bo. Mr. Speaker: "Tho hon. member had better say something about the Public Trust Office." (Laughter.) Mr. Parry said that he had been led off the track, and so far as the Public Trust or any other institution was concerned the Labour Party was not sensitive about criticism. It only became sensitive when it saw organisations being formed to undermine those institutions.