Parliament Adjourns

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 63, 16 March 1938, Page 6

Parliament Adjourns

After One of Shortest Sessions on Record Government not entering BAKERY BUSINESS P*r Presa Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. When the House met at 2.30 to-day Mr. H. H. S. Kyle gave notice to ask the Prime Minister whether the Government or any of its Ministers had received any advice to the effect that a resolution had recently been passed by the Waihi Miners' Union requiring that the Waihi gold mine be placed under State control or State ownership. Mr. H. Atmore gave notice to ask the Minister of Pensions (Hon. W. E. Parry) whether returned soldier pensioners who were proceeding to Aus tralia in connection with the forthcoming returned soldiers' celebrations there would be paid their pensions before they left the Dominion. The Minister of Pensions, replying by permission of the House, said he felt certain that several difficulties that were in the way of this being done would be removed and the pensions would be paid before they left New Zealand. Answering an urgent question by Mr. T. D. Burnett whether it was the intention of the Government to enter into the bakery business in New Zealand, the Prime Minister (Mr. Savage) stated that the Government had no intentiou to purchase or establish State bakeries in the Dominion. He was’glad the honourable member had given him the opportunity of contradicting rumours started by irresponsible persons for pel.: i 1 purpose-. AUer ihe conclusion of formal business the House adjourned for half an hoar awaiting the Royal assent for various Bills passed. It resumed again at 4 p.m. when Mr. Savage moved the formal adjournment of the House. In doing so he stated that owing to the change in the method of dealing with the Government’s proposals for the ualicual superannuation and health services this portion of the session had been comparatively short. The Superannuation Committee would be called together in two or three weeks, he said. During this part of the session it had been his job to keep down legislation to the minimum. All legislation was important, he added, but it had been his task to say which should and which should not be presented. The Government could have gone on legislation for two or three months yet but he had been forced to be a bit of a dictator and select which legislation should be presented. After expressing appreciation of the co-operation and consideration shown by the leader of the Opposition and those associated with him, the Prime Minister went on to thank the {Speaker (Hon W. E. Barnard), the chairman of committees (Mr. E. J. Howard) and the officers of the House and others who had done so much to make the work of the session proceed smoothly. Mr. Savage ’s motion was seconded by the leader of the Opposition (Hon. A. Hamilton) who warmly supported his expressions of thanks. He remarked that he was glad the Government had not legislated for another three months and said it would be generally agreed that the Opposition had worked in reasonably well with the Government. It was the duty of the Opposition to criticise the Government’s measures and sometimes oppose them but not, as was sometimes thought by people outside the House, to always oppose the Government’s legislation. He concluded by wishing everyone a very happy recess. Thanks were returned by the .Speaker and chairman of committees and the iime-honoured custom of opposing the motion to adjourn was observed. However, on a division the motion for adjournment was carried by 40 to 26 and ifce session ended with the singing of “God Save the King" and an impromptu Maori haka by Mr. Schramm, the House eventually rising at 4.47. This closed the second session of the twenty-fifth Parliament. The 1938 portion of this session, which was originally reserved for the consideration of the Government’s national superannuation and health proposals and important taxation revision, was cut down to 12 sitting days only through these provisions together with a number of others being deferred. It was easily one of the shortest periods for which Parliament had ever been assembled. The total length of the session -was 69 sitting days during which 58 public Bills were passed and 14 lapsed or were otherwise disposed of. In addition five private Bills were passed and 14 lapsed or were otherwise disposed of. In addition five private Bills received the Royal assent. One hundred and eighty petitions were presented, 252 papers laid on the table and there were 223 reports received from select committees. The hours sat before midnight totalled 356 hours 8 minutes and the hours sat after midnight 18 hours 14 minutes. The daily average number of hours was five hours 52 minutes. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ADJOURNS TRIBUTES TO SIR WALTER CABNCROSS Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Legislative Council resumed at 2 p.m. The Statutes Revision Committee proposed to amend sub-clause 2 of clause 17 of the Statutes Amendment Bill as follows: The clause originally provided that the limitation of damages recoverable for the benefit of the estate of a deceased person should apply whether eause of action arose before or after the date of the passing of the Act but should not affect rights of any person under any final judgment given before that date and the amendment added “or affect the rights of any person under any proceedings that before that

date have been set down for trial in the Supreme Court (whether or not the trial has been held).'* The Council adopted the amendment and passed the Bill.

The Reserves and other Lands Disposal Bill and Sharemilking Agreements Bill were also passed The amendment made by the Council was later adopted by the House. The Council adjourned for some time and upon resumption at 4 p.m. Hon. M. Fagan moved the adjournment until March 25. He paid tribute to the wav Sir Walter Carncross »ad presided over the Council and referred to the fact that Sir Walter had been in Parliament since 1890—twelve years in the House and 35 in the Council. Mr. Fagan said he could not say if Sir Walter Carncross would be reappointed when his term expired to-morrow, but he was satisfied the Government would have too much sense to interfere with the duel for length of Parliamentary service in the Empire between Sir Walter Carncross and Mr. Lloyd George who had been in the House of Commons 11 months longer than the Speaker’s service.

Other members of the Council paid tributes to Sir Walter Carncross. Hon. M. Fagan ar.d the staff of the Council, which adjourned at 4.30.