PARLIAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 September 1924, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. (ey TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.') WELLINGTON,. Sept. 25. The House of Representatives met at .2.30 p.m. to-clay. . In - reply to Mr. J. W. Munro (Dunedin North), the Plon. Sir M. Pomare, as Minister for Public Health, said it was not true that any articles offered for sale at Dunedin recently, when Govei'nment stores were disposed of, had been exposed to infection when in use at the quarantine island Replying to Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) with regard to certain charges made Colonel McDonald concerning certain soldiers who were committed il mental hospitals without the usual statutory preliminaries. Sir M. Pomare " said, it was true that this course had been followed, but it had been done in the interests of the soldiers, themselves* who by this means avoided leaving, their names recorded in the books .among the insane. Replying to Mi’. G. McKay (Hawke’s Bay), Mr. Massey said that no financial relief could be given to Hawke’s Bay settlers who had suffered by the flood by way of gift. It would have to be by w r ay of loan. Money had been set aside for this purpose some months ago, and he did not know -why there had been any delay. The precedent followed was the Raetilii fire some time ago, when £70,000 had been advanced to settlers, every .penny of which had been paid back without the slightest trouble. a The following Bills were introdued and read a first time: Footwear Regula. tion Amendment Bill (Hon. G. J. Anderson) ; Dairy Industry Amendment Bill (Hon. W. Nosworthy); Scaffolding and Excavation Amendment Bill (Hon. G. J. Anderson); An amendment made by. the Legis-' lative Council in the Engineers’ Registration Bill was, on the motion of the Hon. J'. G. Coates, agreed to. The Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill was committed, read a third time and passed. The Imprest Supply Bill (No. 4) was introduced by Governor’s message. The Leader of the Labour Party (Mr. H. E. Holland) protested against the manner in which the House conducted its business. The House was without system, and as a result members became exhausted by long hour's, rendering them physically and mentally unfitted for their w r ork. He that the work of the House be done during daylight hours, as was the growing practice in Australia. The House should, on four days a week, meet at 10 a.m. and adjourn at 5.30 p.m., giving one full day a week to- committee work. The Bill, authorising an appropriation of £1,763,428 was then put through the committee stage. On the third reading Mr. Massey said he agreed that- some reforms might be majle in Parliamentary procedure, but it would be unwise to adopt the system followed in Queensland, because there was no comparison between the work done there and here, because the Queensland Parliament only dealt with State matters, Federal matters being managed from Melbourne, while we in New Zealand had to deal with matters of national and provincial importance. He agreed that a revision of standing orders was necessary if the business of the House was to be carried on satisfactorily, and something of the nautre of a closure was necessary. He did_ not think they had much to complain about as far as hours were concerned. Personally he was in bis office at 8.50 every morning, otherwise he could not get through his work, but he did not feel much the worse for it. Presently, when the committee work was completed, they would be able to meet in the morning, and so conclude the work of the session. They seldom sat after midnight, and that was, he admitted, late enough. Mr. Massey read a cable from the High Commissioner on the subject of the Wembley Exhibition, which gave a most satisfactory account of the New Zealand Court. He also promised, in reply to a question from Mr. Wilford, to inquire whether Chinese, Japanese, and German stalls were open at the exhibition. The Bill was read a third time and passed. The House rose at 10.20 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. On the motion of the Hon. G. M. Thomson, the Council placed on record fti> opinion that it is desirable that the Tongariro National Park should be kept for aIP time as a reserve for native plants and birds and as a reerea. tion ground for the people of New Zealand, and that it should not he permitted to anyone to convert it into a preserve for imported game or plants. The Local Bodies Loans Amendment Bill and the Seddon Family Burial Ground Bill were read a second time. The Police Offences Amendment Bill was read a second time pro forma and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Council adjourned at 3.45 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.