HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17935, 31 October 1918, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, October 30,

AFTERNOON SITTING. Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. LICENSING PETITIONS

Mr Harris said ho had received letters from several of his constituents, stating that they had signed the liquor trade petition in mistake for the prohibition party’s petition, and lie asked for guidance ns ho how their names could be expunged from the petition. The Speaker replied that ns the poti--1 ion had been presented direct to the Government and not to the House, tho names in question should ho sent on to the Government. Mr Buick said he had several requests of a similar nature from constituents of his.

Replying to Mr Harris, the Prime Minister said ho had discovered that the- petitions presented to the Minister of Finance and himself by tho New Zealand Alliance and the liquor- trade were really intended for the House, and it, therefore, would be his duty to present them to the House, probably to-morrow. If it was desired that a scrutiny of the names attached to the petitions should take place, the responsibility for allowing such scrutiny to take place would rest with the Speaker'.

QUESTIONS. Mr Witty gave notice of his intention to, ask’ the Minister of Defence it’ the Pt'fonco Commission's report contained a clause adversely criticising the Chief of the General Staff, and, if so, by whose authority the clause was expunged. Mr Brown gave notice of his intention to ask whether it was possible for a, man of German descent to enter tho •Flying Corps in New Zealand. Sir °Downio Stewart asked whether tho Government, in view of the fact that a general election had been deferred, would submit to tho House the names' of individual members of Cabinet for approval or disapproval. Ho held that by such procedure tho House would be liot only able to pass judgment on Ministers individually, but it aould test tho efficiency of the elective executive principle. In reply to Mr Veitch, the. Hon J. A. Hnnan said lie hoped a little later to submit proposals to ease tho financial embarrassment of Friendly Societies regarding their liabilities for sick pay to returned soldiers after discharge by the military authorities.