PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 21 September 1929, Page 13

PARLIAMENT.

DULL lay in house.

SLOW RATE OF PROGRESS.

PAY ON THE ESTIMATES.

MEMBERS' LONG SPEECHES.

[BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTIfjI. ] WELLINGTON. Friday.

Under tho threat of losing their train and steamer connections this evening, members of tho House of Representatives workod with a surprising will this afternoon and tho astuteness of tho Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, in seizing tho psychological opportunity for issuing a warning secured the swift passage of four classes of Estimates which ordinarily would have been debated at length. After tho Houso had spent two hours discussing the Police Estimates, tho Prime Minister issued an appeal to members to expedite tho business. Sir Joseph Ward faid he did not wish to dictate to tho House, but to point out that tho progress on the Estimates so far meant that thry would not be disposed of within a reasonable time. Members, if they wished to facilitate tho business of Parliament and enable it to bo completed in a reasonable time, would require to limit tho number of speeches on the Estimates.

New Hours Threatened

Many, of tho questions raised could lie quite easily settled by personal interview with the Minister concerned. The present rate of progress was so slow that within the ordinary limits of time tho business could not be overtaken with sufficient expedition to enable tho session to conclude in a reasonable time. The Prime Minister said he made his statement in tho interest of the new Standing Orders and not from a"hy party considerations. Agreeing that the business could bo tho Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, said*the problem was to get the work through without interfering with tho rights of individual membors, although tho object could b« accomplished by tho threo parties coming to a mutual arrangement. "As we are going, tho new Standing Orders must break down," ho added.

Shortly after the resumption of business in the afternoon, when members showed no immediate sign of abandoning the discussion on the Police Estimates, tho Prime Minister rose to issuo a sterner warning. He said ho was going to ask the House to put through the Estimates appertaining to the Printing and Stationery, tho Mental Hospitals, the Health and the Tourist and Health Resorts Departments before tho Houso rose for the day.

An Eye on the Clock.

' The significance of tho warning, with its prospect of an evening sitting, was not lost on members, and tho much-do-bated Police Estimates were allowed to pass a quarter of an hour later. Tact on tho part of (ho Hon. P. A. de la Perrclle, Minister in charge of tho Printing'' and Stationery Department, secured the quick passage of""thab class, but members were inclined to speak fnlsomely on tho Mental Hospitals and Health Estimates. However, as the fateful hour for the normal adjournment drew near attention was switched to the Tourist and Health Resorts Estimates, upon which members again dwelt. However, tho Prime Minister was able to move the adjournment of the House fivo minutes before the usual hour. Replying to Mr. Coates, Sir Joseph said the Estimates would again be considered on Tuesday. Further action to accelerate the business of the House was taken by the Prime Minister to-day. Sir Joseph .Ward gave notice to move that on and after Wednesday nc.\t Government business should take precedence on Wednesdays. The effect of this motion is virtually that there will bo no moro privato membors' days this session.

EXPENSIVE WHISKY.

SALE IN NO-LICENCE AREAS,

" SLY-GROGGING " ALLEGATIONS,

[bt/ TELEGBAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Friday.

Sly-groggitig activities imputed to Southland brought tho Prime Minister, Sir Joseph W.aru, to his feet in the House to-day to declare that the extent of the activities had been exaggerated by Mr. I). Waite (Reform —Clutha). The matter was raised by Mr. Waite during the discussion of the Department of Justice estimates.

"This is not a new industry in Southland," said Mr. Waito. "It is not an industry in which I pretend to be an expert. I think the police should take more energetic measures. A great many outlying 'plants' have been cleared up, but thero is reason to suppose that the principal distilleries have not been discovered and the work is still going on. ft is said whisky has been selling for £1 a bottle. I do not think the polico should get money for tracking down these distillers. I think the plants ought to be run down."

"I represent a district in Southland which has no-licence," said Sir Joseph Ward. "The member for Clutha does not represent a district in Southland. I do not believe that members of a Scottish 'immunity would pay £1 a bottle for immature whisky. (Laughter.) They can get the bona-fide article for less money. That makes me tliiuk tho member for Clutha must have had a portion of his own/ electorate in mind. People can imtort liquor regularly under the law. There as been a tremendous clearing up lately of any attempts at evasion of the law. If the member for Clutha had confined his remarks to his own electorate it would have been better."

Mr. Waite: But it is made in your electorate and comes into mine. Sir Josoph Ward: Then it shows bad taste on the part of your electors. (Laughter.) In Southland the evasions of the law are not going on to anything like tho extent that has been suggested. The people there are a law-abiding community, apd I could not stand by and let an undeserved reflection be cast on them.

The Alinister of Justice, tho lion. T. Wilford. said ho was satisfied that practically no ''sly grog" activities were now. going mi in Southland. As a result, of last year's prosecutions and the tremenfines imposed on offenders tho bulk of the illicit trade had been stamped out. Constables employed on tho work of detecting "slv grog" were paid a reward because of the unpleasant nature of tho work..and the difficulty of detecting offen.To describe Southland as a "sly grog" manufacturing district was not fair.

Mr. Waite returned to tho subject lftter. "I know quite well that in every rfo-licence town in Southland and South Qtago taxi-drivers are offered £1 for a bottlo 9f whisky," ho said.