PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18772, 28 July 1924, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

■ ■■■■■O" , ~ . . PAST WEEK REVIEWED. REFORM BILL. lAJBomi os\ view: | THE FWANCIAI/ J MIBATEI [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPEC2AL REPORTER. J ' . 'WELLINGTON, Sunday. ' The financial debate will occupy the.; £i?.entlon of the House of Representatives almost exclusively during the coming week and thereafter untu it is disposed cf. : Mr. Massey's Bridget -was not a very exciting document, and contained little that was controversial, bat. as it embraces practically tha whole field; of national affairs* members will not be, at a loss in choosing material for iho; hour's speech, which is their privilege. However, the Budget follows dos« upon' the Address-in-Reply, and that closet, conjunction may not prove unhappy in. eliminating some of the* humdrum, speeches. , ■ ■ It is- likely that there will bo a good deal Of discussion on book-keeping probIsras. Whether members art* expert accountants or not, they will not be abashed by actuarial, intricacies. The interest, totalling £540,000, outstanding from the disch;irged soldiers' settlement account and tho method of accounting is bound to receive somti attention. Actually the sum has been disposed of .in' providing 700 hous<!S i for ; discharged noldiers and the • Prime Minister is inclined to consider that this achievement rises above any difference as to book entries.; . At any rate Tuesday evening will witness the commencement of the debate on this and ether financial questions. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. T. M. Wilford, will open and he will be followed by the Minister for Education, Hon. 0. J. Parr. , '

• stormy Passage Likely. i The past week contains no outstanding event. Tuesday's sittings were curtailed a3 a tribute of respect to the late Sir Walter Buchanan. Progress with business an Wednesday came to a sudden halt on Mr. Massey's motion to introduce the Legislature Amendment Bill. The atti- 1 tude of the Labour Party which blocked the bDI on this and the following afternoon, is easily understood. _ Obviously proportional representation in grouped electorates m the cities is likely to make effective the Reform and Liberal vote where it is swamped in single constituencies, and Labour members think it just as obvious that preferential voting in single constituencies will not help to give their vote in the country representation. It is a game to them of "heads we loso and tails you. win;" ; Hence these tearar—, or rather, this vigorous and sustained opposition. The Liberals, meanwhile, are complaisant and the Reform benches silent. At the same time not all Reformers relish the supposed proposal! in the bill. It; :is due for a stormy passage. The Standing Orllws.

Tv:[r. Massey vraa sot dismayed by the recoption of the bill, as was shown by the; fact that'lt was placed at tho head of the j Order Paper on the second day. Labour took up sie gauntlet eagerly Jinc'l discovered too late that they might have invoked the protection of the Standing Orders. The Speaker, in giving this decision, spoke of the difficulty of reconciling the Standing Orders and previous rulings with the customs, of the House. These latter, in fact,, admitted the placing of the bill first. There was immediate agreement to the Speaker's suggestion . that the Standing Orders were in, need of.complete and careful revision, although no action was taken. . Although Mr. T, &. Sidey's Sumpier Time Bill passed its second reading by a three to one majority, the result does not foreshadow an early experiment in daylight saving. First of all the opposition is by no means done with, and is of the sort that will he unrelenting to further progress. . In the meanwhile it has .been relegated to a committee and • it Was to that; end,. and out of the affec- • tion the House bears Mr. Sidey, that the second reading was carried by 36 votes to 24. / Mr. Sidey had his committee ready." hut" the personnel was unaccept- . able tfl; Mr. Massey. _ "No you don't," he said, and wazs on his feet at once. So t,he committee is still a . matter for agreemeat between the Prime Minister and Mr. Sidey.-

lUood Finish to the "Weals,, The smooth way in which Mr. Massey managed the House on Friday was uncanny. The Order Paper looked formidable until, on Mr. MasseyV motion, all other business was stood aside to. allow, of consideration of "the Rent Restriction Bill. Its proposals were commended by -all parties, although a great deal of tim« was ;lo3t> in these cbmraendations. > In the committee stage the Hon. 6. J. was sympathetic to.-a proposal that an. "undue hardship" clause (allowing for a plea of lack of alternative accommodation) should be inserted. Thus the bill passed. The Imprest Supply Bill had almost an unobstructed passage. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) was the only speaker and pressed Mr. Massev harti regarding the duplication ol ; the Lyttelton tunnel. That is one of the most remarkable things in the HG|tt!se, in season oiit oi season 'Ohi'istchurch members,, of whichever party, [plead their city's cause. It_ must have an effect even as dripping

wears away a stone. If Auckland's many pressing needs were put forward by memJjera in the same importunate fashion, backed as those needs are by being first in order of urgency, the claims of the North should ba much* earlier conceded. Mr. Massey.. jit any rate, had, cauiie for the smiles fie bestowed on the House when at 8.40 on Friday; evening he found his urgent' programme despatched. He :: might almost have said: "You have been good boys. You can go home now." Atony rate that was the early and happy ending of the week.