PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18461, 26 July 1923, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

- 1 * housb in talkative mood , 1 a»LLS TAKEN- IN COMMITTEE. '-Y "0' - ■ ' ' — ,— : *' NOXIOUS WEEDS AMENDMENT :,V:v ■'-/ - v. . ■.-■ "- r - IMILD STONEWALL DEVELOPS A ■''' [BY ' TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL KEFOKTEB.] WELLINGTON, -Wednesday.; ~'Vv: 'After their 'close attention to business " .*-. " ' yesterday the members of' the House of, ' ./.Representatives suffered • somewhat of a j . relapse to-day. • ;r' I 7 'j* '••• -v The'afternoon was takan up in the dis- " ■'' cussion of Ministerial answers to questions, two batches of which were prev ;, " sented, . and thero was also .a considerable , amount of : talk on the subject. of the • action taken by Cabinet .with regard to •• : 'petitions, referred to the government or • : .favourable consideration. . .... . _ " In the evening the Rent . Restriction , • Continuance Bill was dealt with in Com mittee. There was a dreary discussion for nearly-. three; hours before, the measure was agreed to without amendment. Then the House settled down to business, tem- ' porarily and put the Immigration Hestric Ron Amendment Bill, . the - Insurance Co - ■* ■ names' Deposits 'Amendment BUI, and • - the Industrial and Provident Societies', • Amendment Bill through the Committer •• 1 bt ¥he. Noxious Weeds Amendment Bill was the next, on the . Order Paper and i- ' provoked another ' lengthy . discussion .which developed into a stonewall on a '.small scale by the Liberal ™mbers. ; They were still talking at midnight, .the V ' pririjpal subject being the powers of local bodies in regard to declaration of noxious • : %% The' Legislative, Council spent the whole 'V.: afternoon discussing Mr. Wilford s Bill for women , justices of the peace. When the Council: rose, for the day the . debate " . • was. not finished. , ...

v. THE GAMING BILL. INTRODUCED THIS SESSION. DEFINITE ASSURANCE. -[BX TELEGRAPH.-—SPECIAL REPORTER.] - - WELLINGTON. Wednesday. There appears to be some misconception , : "regaling the Prime Minister's intentions .-in respect ox the Gaining Bill. The Bill, • 1 it is stated definitely, will be introduced : by the Government this session. ' The "telegraphing of investments to race. ? ' courses was tiui subject of a question asked by Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) in ■ the; House of Representatives. _ _ The Post,waster-General, the lion. «J. G. Coat-as, replied to-day. ' The state- ■ ment that the department- loses a large amount of rovedue by the prohibition, he said, " is quite correct, but the Gaming Act is responsible for the prohibition. The Gaming Act, 1908, makes it illegal • •-- for any -officer of a racing club to act on -a- telegraphic request to invest, money on a,. •' a totalisator. ?It also prohibits the de- ". - i.' livery, ; on a racecourse of any .telegram relating to • investment. It \W>uld be - necessary, therefore, to amend the Gain- = ?.fog Act before - telegraphic investments • ■ .v-V could be accepted "at racecourse. ; -In the V event of the Gaming: Act bejug amended V - in that direction, consideration will be givon to the question of £ amending the ' •regulations to permit 1 of the opening of . telegraph offices at 'racecourses • and the >- •; transmission of telegrams thereto-" . NAVAL BASE'^whangabei :p.-."-.v -r:..].;: -:■ • :-S-v- . - HARBOUR NOT SUITABLE. REPLY BY Sift R. H. RHODES! "V [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL REPORTER.] , • . t '• WELLINGTON. Wednesday. • - "I am advised that Whangarei harbour is not suitable • for* naval defence," was ■i, .' the brief reply given by the Minister for It Defence, Sir R. Itealon Rhodes, in the House of Representatives to-day to Mr, 'A.: J. Murdoch (Marsden), : who had set forth in a question some of the natural advantages of the harbour, such as the depth of water and; safe anchorage. % v- Mr, Murdoch, siiid: that if the answer had to be • taken ]as Jfcal the only. con elusion was there j was no suitable Harbour •• "~ for" a naval • base lin New Zealand. Ha /-" . claimed that Whapgarei was suitable, and '"•» -he would ask the Minister to give the j : : matter, further consideration. - '.'.-.j ' SECRETARY OF MARINE. * - TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT. ' 4 EFFICIENCY 'NOT IMPAIRED. :, 7 , v ' ■ I • [BY •*-' TELEGRAPH.-—SPECIAL REPORTER.] ' '' ' '''" 7 ; WIJLLINGTON; Wednesday. A complaint as to the lack of a per- ' manent Secretary of .Marine was made in the House of j- Representatives by the y.k''._• "Leader. of the ; Opposition, Mr. T. M. .. Wilford. In replying to-day the Minister . 'iffor Marine, Hon. G. J. Anderson, , said . hi f:!.tbatthe Public Service - Commissioner adv:'•>..'vised that -in only temporarily filling the j t ■:. i position Tof • Secretary of Marine the sole • regard ; had been the efficient and economical management, of the department- The ' " s Public Service Commissioner further ad- ; • • t' vised that he woald appreciate an appeal I;.. from any • officer or group of officers who -. [consider their ; ; interests are being pre- 1 ■ •:» jndic'»d by , the present arrangement. j j ' : SOLDIER' SETTLERS. 7 : 1 /ditafting LEGISLATION. ' i•• s ■ 'V-''•''•V". • I j; - ** i* ' J *.; V • (/.■*• } • - •' [»*. ; TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL . HEPOItTER.] ' !■' ' . WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Cabinet has reached: the position of being . able to formulate its general policy iri 7: relation to the Soldiers' Advisory Board reports, and draft legislation has been put into 'the hands of the Crown law-drafting office. The matter is so invctlved, in order to meet the varied conditions of soldier -settlement, that the Prime '" ; Minister does ; not expect to be able to . make a public announcement * regarding , . the new proposals until early, next week.' v: v' : Pull information concerning the reports of the inquiry ..boards would be made .;available at an early - date, stated : the Hon. W. Nos worthy, acting for the Min- , r ister for Lands, in reply to Mr. E. A. Ran- • S som (Pahiatua) in the House ,of Repre- ;.. sentatives to-day. -The 'Minister said : V, " As previously stated, it is not intended C . to ' lay the reports , on the . table of the i . House, bat full • particulars regarding "the Views of the various boards, the percentage of failures, ; the reasons for such - failures, and the recommendations for assistance will be supplied. This information will be supplied at an early date."

s PBOTECTED MORTGAGES. HARD TO OBTAIN RETURN. -':\.^.r?X^..TBBEORAPU;-- ; SPECIAL-. REPORTER.] ••••■•' : '• WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Prime Minister does not expect that mUch: good would come from an attempt to ascertain the. total amount of all mortr.V gages; protected by the moratorium. Replying: to a question by Mr. W. H. Field V < (Otaki) to-day, he said he did not believe - • that liny reliable guide , could be obtained ; by calling upon mortgagors or mortgagees to make returns as the experience of i,' Government "departments"was that only a ..... small, proportion of the. public rendered ■•the Required returns unless compulsion : '■' wjwr«wt«i| to. l : k ty;?:-: '; , •' ' 1 •: ,