POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 20556, 7 August 1930, Page 15

POLITICAL POINTS

WHOLESALE ART UNIONS INFORMATION SOUGHT [From Ouk Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 6. “Is the Minister of Internal Affairs aware of growing dissatisfaction with, regard to the apparently wholesale issue of so-called art union permits in a manner contrary to the spirit and intention of legislation dealing with lotteries and raffles?” asked Mr Downie Stewart ir. the House to-day. The member added that he would also like to know whether Cabinet had laid down any policy in connection with the matter.

Subsequently Mr Stewart followed up his point by giving notice to move for a return showing (a), how many permits for art unions other than ordinary bazaars have been issued since the Ministry took office; (b) the total amount offered in prizes: (c) the names of the clubs concerned in their promotion; (d) the expenses in connection with these art unions. * to « to . LABOUR’S POLITICAL FORCE. The suggestion was advanced by Mr Harris (Waitemata) m the House today that the Labour Party had lost its power politically, owing to the atti tude it had adopted towards the Government. “The division list the other night,” Mr Harris declared, “gave the clearest possible indication of an alii nnce that exists between the Labour Party and the Government. With fhe exception of Mr Lysnar, all the independents voted against the Government.” He added that the sooner they had a General Election the better. It ‘would clear the atmosphere, and let the public : see where they were. Mr Holland: “Hear, hear!” Mr Harris What we want in New Zealand is a stable Government. The people have no confidence whatever In the United Party. Mr Holland'. And none in the Reform Party. Mr Harris: I venture the assertion that there is not one member sitting on the cross benches who has any confidence in tho United. Government. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time. Lthink the people are waking up to this sort of thing. The Labour Party as it exists to-day is not a force in politics. Mr Holland; Why are you so worried, then ? * « * DUNEDIN CLAIMS A BANK DIRECTOR. There was a laugh in the House of Representatives to-day when Mr Downie Stewart (Dunedin West) asked the Prime Minister whether, in filling the vacancy in the directorate of the Bank of New Zealand, ho will appoint a representative from Dunedin, in view of the large number of financial and commercial interests that have their headquarters in that city. The amusement was duo to the fact that members from other cities are equally interested and are prepared to put forward similarly forceful arguments for consideration. « » » » GOOD FOR FARMERS—“ SHIL. LING PETROL TAX.” “ I only wish it was a shilling,” declared Mr M'Dougall, the member for Mataura, in the course of a strong advocacy of the increased petrol tax in the House to-night. He argued that if the 3d rise put some carriers off the road it would bo of economic advantage, because it was much cheaper to deliver within two miles by horse vehicles. If motor lorry drivers were put off they could drive horses, and this would mean more business for the farmers to grow feed, more work for farmers’ men. The country would benefit by cheaper transport within short distances. Mr Linklater: What about twentymile deliveries? Mr M'Dougall: You have the railway, and if you want to deliver goods ...way, and if you want to deliver goods twenty miles by lorry you ought to be in charge of a Plunket nurse. (Laughter.) He pictured improved conditions for farmers if they had to grow more chaff and oats. He would certainly vote for the increase, and only wished it was a shilling. Those who opposed it had to consider whether they were not voting for the big oil companies instead of tho farmer and the railwayman. » • * * A BIT CONFUSED. Making a semi-humorous contribution to the Budget debate, Mr M'Dougall affected to-night to bo greatly confused over tho speeches he had heard. He had listened to a super-tax lament from the Opposition, and heard how it was going to put tho farmers off the land and bring them to destruction'; but the bankruptcy, figures showed that there were eighty-two fewer bankruptcies of farmers in 1929 than in the previous year. Then there was the unemployed stunt. The Leader of the Opposition stated that if they raised the wages of relief workers it would take labour from the farms, but also told them that these relief workers were only getting 3s. a day, and that the conditions, according to another Oppositionist, were an abomination and no fit place for the working man. He felt befogged.