PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18459, 24 July 1923, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

. .t ; T ■*»" V • . LARGE otmbeb of BILLS. ~ UNIVERSITY LEGISLATION. ' NOXIOUS WEEDS AMENDMENT DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. [BY ' TEX.EGRAPH.-SPECIAL REPORTER.] . WELLINGTON. Monday. . A large number of Bills was dealt with ill the House of Representatives,this . evening. ' The - following new Bills wore : ; ' introduced:-Registration of • Aliens ■ Suapension Bill (Hon. R. F. Bollard); Fisheries Amendment Bill (Hon. G. «T. An« derson), R,angitaiki Drainage Amendment. .. Bill (Mr. Bollard), Auckland University -College' Amendment Bill (Hon. 0. J. Pan), , and the Victoria College Amendment Bill (Mr. Parr). • i . The second reading of the Insurance Companies' Deposits Amendment : Bill (Hon. .W. D. Stewart) was agreed to ; without discussion. The . Stamp Duties Bill, which is largely of a consolidating nature, was read a second time on th:. Prime Minister's motion, and was, referred to the Statutes Revision Com- ' v mittee. The Cook Islands Amendment ! Bill (Sir M. Pomare) was read a second •.•Vj • .time pro forma, and was referred to tho .Native Affairs Committee., • A long discussion took place on tlio second • reading of the Noxious Weeds . : . Amendment Bill (Hon. W. NosWithy), and' the Minister concluded his reply at 31.30. ' The second reading was then agreed to, and the House adjourned, until to-morrow. V

M."'; MASSEY IN FORM'. REPROOFS TO LIBERALS. "NOISE FROM MR. WILFORD." [BV TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] ' -WELLINGTON. Monday. The honourable member's imagination iis becoming more fertile than ever, said , Mr. Massey in the House of RepresentaStives to-night. He was referring to Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South), who nad i.quoted from Hansard with the object of " : showing that the Prime Ministers views r rm stamp duties had changed. •• • . "'I honestly believe be spends nil the recess in studying my old speeches," Mr. • Massey said; "This time he- ha? Miis back to 1908. The Leader of the Opposition and his firs', lieutenant lire trying to imply that I tried in a despotic way to force the Bill thro'aah the House/ last year. That is impossible." Mr. Wilford: It is now. (Laughter.) Mr. H. Atmore (Nelson): There has ' been a change for . the better since then. ' Mr. Massey: There would be if there were a change in the . representation of Nelson. (Laughter.) V . .. . ". The Prime Minipter went on to deny "any knowledge of alleged emphatic pro- ". tests. - ■ Mr. Wilford (ironically): Noise is not necessarily protest. ~ Mr. Slassev:. No. ; I often think that when I hear you speaking._ (Loud -laughter.) There 'was some opposition, - but the., opposition as not unanimous about it. - There was no vote'against'.the .i Bill. . s ; :": Mr. Wilford: We declined to take re- j /sp&nsibility for it. V': \ ' Mr.. Massey: Then the hon. member :.was not doing his duty. • f 1 : ,* ' -_

REASONS FOR CLOSING. DEFENCE MEDICAL STORE. QUESTION AND ANSWER. [BY TELEGBtPH.—-SPECIAL REPORTER.] , • WELLINGTON. Monday. '•„ A reason. for the proposed closing of ; the Defence Medical ' Stores, Wellington, was sought by the Leader of .the Opposition, Mr. Wilford, from .the; Minister for Defence, Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, in the - -House of Representatives this evening. Mr. Wilford stated that the stores had . been supplying a large number, of Government departments, including mental hos- ■ pitals .and prisons* A week ago its stock •• was valued •at £40,000, and last year the .. profit made was £3000. It employed 17 ' married men, all ex-members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. In the last few days since the notice of closing had been; issued, the Mental • Hospitals De- . partment had' made a raid upon the stock • and carried off practically a year's suppiy. . Was the Minister aware of this? Would he state -why this self-supporting and ?,uc cessful business enterprise was ; . to be 1 - -closed ?• . Mr. Wilford added that the department cut into the business of com- •: mercial importing firms but it had effected a saving of fully 25 per cent, to the def partments which dealt with it.. "If the.-' hon. member had ■ had the - courtesy to give me a little notice of his question according to .the usual custom, . I could have given him a number of facts ; and figures about this department " said' V : the Minister. <• As it is, I will content : myself _ with • saying that, after, due' con- • sideration, .it has been decided to close - the stores.: ' The Defence Department now has no hospitals and it is not considered • that it is part of its functions to run a medical store." \ ' • •

NEW SCHOOL . BOOKS. SCHEME FOR NEXT YEAR. - ' A STANDARDISED LIST. [by telegraph.— reporter.] • . # . WELLINGTON. Monday. "I desire to -remove some misapprehension regarding the department's proposals in respect of new school books " • said the Minister for Education, the Hon. .• "• Parr, in the House of Representatives to-night, It had. been suggested, said the Minister, that, parents would have to go to the expense of purchasing new bonks at once. - That was not the case. There would be no new book?; at • all this year, but after that the purchase •of books for next year would have to be made from the authorised list. This . would cheapen the cost, not add to it. department was ; endeavouring to , ' establish the standardisation of text : books, and it had been found that 71 text - - ■ books were employed in the teaching of Latin m secondary schools throughout the .Dominion, about 80 in French and • he forgot how many in English, • What r the department was endeavouring to do v now was .to. standardise -the books in Primary schools. The authorised list had been submitted to the inspector and the , a " d bad agreed it was the best that could be got from the points of view of methods of and cost. In regard •; to booksellers who had considerable stocks of books, the department a3 v quite prepared 'to meet them ..... an far as it was able. BETTER,, RAILWAY SERVICE. AUCKLAND AND WAIKATO. [BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL REPORTER.] * ' WELLINGTON. Monday. The following question to the Minister for .Railways was given notice of by Mr. J. A. Young (Hamilton) in the House ki; of Representatives this evening (1) v Whether he will when revising the railfiV way. time-table on the Auckland-Welling- . ; ton . section send a responsible officer of the • department to Hamilton and other "Waikato towns to consult with the local [J '.representative bodiej.f (2) Whether he will take, into • consideration the need for ~ reinstating the eocoid North Island Main {Crunk express? ' ,„. ,