POLITICAL GOSSIP

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11045, 31 October 1921, Page 5

POLITICAL GOSSIP

PRESS CALLERY NOTES FINANCIAL STATEMENT. DUE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. The Financial Statement was posted to the various papers throughout the Dominion on Saturday, and this the Prime Minister estimates will enable him to bring down the Financial Statement about the middle of the week. The system of posting, instead of telegraphing, the statement to all parts of the Dominion saves the Government some £2OOO. an economy by no means to be sneezed at in these days of financial stringency. Both the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council meet at 2.30 to-morrow; but, beyond the above intimation with regard to the Financial Statement, the Prime Minister was unable yesterday to state definitely the proposed order of business in Parliament this week. The matter is to be decided by Cabinet at its meeting this morning. WATERSIDE LABOUR. QUESTION OF HARBOUR BOARDS Is it the intention of the Government to bring down legislation this session dealing with the problem of waterside labour? is a question in regard to which Mr G. Mitchell (Wellington South) desires information. If a bill is to be introduce, Mr Mitchell is anxious that it shall be circulated for consideration bv the harbour boards and other bodies in*'teres ted, so that their views may be made known before the committee stage of the measure is reached. FOR THE BLIND. STATE ASSISTANCE. The A. to I*. Petitions Committee recommends the Government to givo honourable consideration to Hie petition of Charles A. Bloomfield and 20,852 others praying for legislation this session to provide for assistance to blind people throughout the Dominion. DEAFENED? “I CAN’T HEAR A WORD.” Mr R. A. Wright, Mayor of Wellington city and member for the Wellington suburb* electorate, is noted aa an open-air speaker, with A voice of almost megaphonic carrying-power. In the head of the debate on Friday night he was addteMjng. the House of Representatives in stentorian outdoor tones when Mr S. G. Smith (Taranaki) interjected: “Speak up. Can’t bear a word.” “I am sorry the hon. member is so deaf,” retorted Mr Weight, in a still loader voice. “You’ve made him so,” commented Mr R. Masters (Stratford), amid loud laughter. COMPULSORY SHORTHAND. MR MALCOLM’S SUGGESTION. That shorthand should be made a compulsory subject in our primary schools, was urged in the course of the education debate on Friday by Mr A. S. Malcolm, M.P. for Ctutha. The suggestion was greeted with a ripple of laughter by the House, hut Mr Malcolm, aa is his wont, stood to his guns, adding that he looked forward to the time when our hooka will all be printed .in shorthand. Practically all our thinking was done by 'means of written and spoken word, he stated, and it was a huge mistake that the written word should be presented in such a way as to be difficult of understanding. The great difficulties of the Chinese script were blamed by many historians of today for the stagnation of China for so many centuries past. Mr H. Atmore (Nelson): Are yon not quoting the cause as the effect? Mr Malcolm: I am quoting the opinions of the leading historians of the day.