AN INDIGNANT MINORITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10106, 13 October 1917, Page 6

AN INDIGNANT MINORITY.

WORDY WARFARE. (Special ('orresponck-nt.) WELLINGTON. Del. IF The purpose ami oft'wt oi tin- (‘tut: discs held on Tuesday were obt ions enough when the W tie -Pensions Hill came up foe its third reading, in t.iie House on the following; day. Member, s who had taken part in the intorwal oonfei'eueos with Alinlsteis. even those who jireviously inuT afdeutly supported the claims of the Sceotid Division League, wore con lout u> allow* the measure to pass without fiirD'ce debate; but. All- Hornsby mill M'vera! ol tne Labour members thought it tlt/’t’S-•*>.>' to make a final protest against wltaL (hey conceived to be tbe inadequm’.’* O' the pensions jirovkled in certain cases, and did so in an impassioned lasliioii 'scarcely justified by the circumstances. Mr Hornsby was allowed to /proceed without any serious intorniptidii, but Air ilindiuttrsh with bis overilowing tnklignation and sincerity soon found himself in a wordy wuriato with the member for Ratea. and betrayed into ;| . serious breach of order.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S PROTEST. The trouble between Air iliiidmarsh; and Mr Retiree was speedily settled m tin- customary way by the. member im Wellington -South withdrawing some offensive words ho had used, but a little side issue arising out of tbe- main affair was not so easily adjusted, and a lively display of listieuils, was among the entertainments provided n> tho lobby during the adjournment. H was after Mr Witch's comparatively mild allusion to Air Obey as .some back-blocks insignificant creature, however, filial the Prime Ai blister intervened with a. protest against "scenes which were “disgracing the New Zealand Rarliament.” Air Massey spoke with considerable force 1 and feeling, and brought the Speaker to his i-et with bis familiar admonition to members not to interject when speeches were being .made, an admonition, of course, which ; s consistently, ignored. COST OF LIVING.

The Prime Minister has promised, in ■eply to .‘i question put to him by Dr. Newman. that the report of tlio Cost ol Living Committee will bo brought clown on Monday next, but ho cannot underoake that it will bn circulated before it comes up for discussion, Aknnhers n;l p orally are a little disconcerted at the prospect of being mjuired to tall; about the report without having seen it', but this will not deter some of them from saying a. good deal on tile, subject tilth ,vliicli it deals. It is believed that portions of the report, and larger portions ,q : tin 1 evidence by which it is accomoanied, will show that exploitation oi • v<*ry flagrant character has been ming' on since the commencement ol he war, and that the Government has lone by no means all it might have lone id arrest the constant upward Icu!cncv of ’prices, if this really is the use, “the debate will he a •distinctly micresting one. ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES. It is not unlikely that Air liornsbyc Electoral Boundaries , Commission Amendment Bill, of which notice nas: been given, is the forerunner of a whole host of more or less valid protests against the' disturbance of the doctoral boundaries. The magnitude jf the drift northward during the quinlUennial period lias necessitated changes if a very far-reaching character in both slnnds.‘and there, arc heart-burnings in the North as well as in the .South, -til I ’die old schemes for the less frequent reid, just mont of boundaries for the maintenance cf community of interest and 50 forth are being,- re-discussed. but there is no. probability of anything being done during the present session to vary the operation of the electoral laws. Dissatisfied■ individuals and dissatisfied public hollies will have an opportunity to' submit their grievances to the Commissioners, hut judging from previous experiences thorn is little chance of any material alteration being made.