PARLIAMENT

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1932, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

ART UNIONS. WELLINGTON, May 2. In the Legislative Council, in reply to a question, the Minister of Education (Mr Masters) said: “Art unions are not encouraged for taxation or revenue purposes, as this form of public finance is considered unsound. The matter of issuing further permits is at present under consideration by the Government.”

COMMUNIST LEADERS. Mr Carrington asked the Government whether in view of the activities of Communist leaders in New Zealand, it will take into immediate consideration legislation on the lines of the amendment to the Immigration Act recently introduced into the Senate of the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia, in order to provide for the deportation of undesirables. Mr Masters replied: Details of the legislation recently introduced into the Commonwealth Parliament have not yet reached the Government. There is power under the Undesirable immigrants Exclusion Act, 1919, to deport any person who is dissatisfied, disloyal or likely to be a source of danger to the peace, order and good government of New Zealand, provided that such person is not permanently a resident of New Zealand, or has not been permanently resident therein for at least twelve months, the question of introducing further legislation on the subject is receiving consideration.

Asked if the Government will take into its immediate consideration, the legislation to provide machinery to break up unlawful associations, dangerous to the State, Mr Masters replied: “If the existing law proves ineffective to deal with unlawful associations, provision of further legislative machinery -will receive consideration.”

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Mr Collins asked the Leader what steps had been taken in regard to the motion carried last year objecting to the use of the term Australasia. Sir J. Parr replied that on November 11, 1931, the following resolution was passed by the Legislative Council: That in the opinion of this Council the Government should instruct the High Commissioner (1) To take such steps as may be necessary to draw the attention of the English publishing houses, particularly those which are responsible for the issue of standard works of reference, to the fact that New Zealand is one of the self-govern-ing Dominions of the British Empire that it is not, and has not for some ninety years, been governed from Austraia (from which it is separated by’ twelve hundred miles of open ocean) and that the term Australasian, as including Australia and New Zealand, is both obsolete and geographically misleading; and (2) to request those houses when referring to the Commonwealth and the Dominion collectively, to use the phrase Australia and New Zealand. ’ ’ A copy of the resolution was forwarded by the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, with the request to give effect to the terms thereof, and I am advised a reply has now been

received from the High Commissioner stating that action has been taken by him in the direction desired and that the terms of the resolution have been conveyed to forty publishing firms in Great Britain.