HOUSE AND LOBBY PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12483, 26 June 1926, Page 4

HOUSE AND LOBBY PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

“We stand placidly by and take these things lying down.” —Hon. G. J. Garland in the Legislative Council. • » • • THE DEPUTATION KING Mr W. H. Field is one of the deputation experts of the present Parliament, but it is an open secret that not all ministers relish the prospect of meeting one of his mass attacks. Usually lie has a big list of speakers to state the one case. Yesterday he broke his own record by calling on seventeen members of an Otaki deputation to address the Hon. Mr Young. TEN YEARS OLD While appreciating the value of scientific research in industry, the Hon. G. M. Thomson asserted in the Legislative Council yesterday that the information contained in the report of Sir Frank Heath had been in the hands of the Government for at least ten or twelve years. About 1915, he said, a movement on this line was commenced, in all of the centres, and he could only assume that the time was not then considered right for the application of what was then considered desirable. OTAKI HOSPITAL About forty residents of Otaki waited on the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister for Health, yesterday to ask that the existing general hospital at Otaki should be kept open and brought up to date, and to protest against the proposal to transfer by motor ambulance to Palmerston North Hospital all patients, except emergency cases, for which four beds would be maintained in an annex to the sanatorium. The Minister, in his reply, 6aid he would treat the matter sympathetically. He would take the various representations into consideration, and lie hoped he would be able to give a satisfactory decision. • * • • A 808 A BUCKET Speaking in England someone who claimed to know New Zealand referred to it as a land where the only tax was the land tax, where wine was sixpence a bottle, and grapes a shilling a bucket. “Oh take me to that part of the country where grapes are a bob a bucket,” was the fervent prayer of Mr Howard who read the quotation to the House. “Go north,” advised Mr W. Jones, from Marsden. “I am afraid,” said Mr Howard, “1 would go right over the edge before I found those grapes.” MORE DISCRETION? “I am so loyal to my country that I would sooner pay £1 for an article made in Britain than 5s for an American article.”—The Hon G. J. Garland’s own statement in the Legislative Council. “I have no time for the Americans,” he went on. “They might breed a lot of "Woodrow Wilsons over there, but 1 have not come across them.” BACK ON THE FARM When the Agricultural College is finally ; established the Hon. .G. M.

Thomson wishes to have it placed in a country district, where the student* will be completely removed from what he termed the seductive influence ot the town. “Give them their holidays to go into the city,” he said in the Legislative Council yesterday, “but while they are being trained for scientific farming let them remain in the country and lead their own lives.” * • * • FRUIT AND FORTUNE Tiie fruit industry was the only agricultural industry which had not benefited by the war, Mr R. P. Hudson, who hails from Motueka, told the House. On the contrary, he said, that industry had suffered severely. J. G. MUSSOLINI? Apparently Mr Howard is one of those who think the bulk of the Reform Party rode in on the broad shoulders of Mr Coates. “The only one of them,” he says, “who is entitled to crow is the Prime Minister; the others are here because he is here. The cry was, *a vote for So-and-So is a vote for Coates.* They are the passengers in the coach behind the Mussolini of New Zealand.” • * • • FISHING EXPORTS The extensive development, to a point of considerable export, of New Zealand fishing grounds was advocated by Hon. G. M. Thomson in the Legislative Council yesterday, when he stated that proper organisation and utilisation of these fisheries would provide for a big export business to Australia and other places. In spite of the controversy that had been raised, the introduction of quinnat salmon was a valuable acquisition to our fishing industry, while a great deal of good work was being executed on the oyster beds around Stewart Island. He predicted that in the not too distant future it would bo possible for New Zealand fishers to migrate to other waters—so great would the industry become in this country. **• • • TRIAL BY JURY The Juries Amendment Bill, introduced by the Hon. J. MacGregor, was read a first time in the Legislative Council yesterday The measure provides that a majority of five-sixths may be accepted in all criminal cases, ana also that a trial may bo continued notwithstanding that the jury may be reduced in number. This Bill has been passed by the Council six time* Last year, when it was reached on che order paper for the first time by Hie House of Representatives, it was rejected there. • • • • LIKE THE MODERN WOMAN One of yesterday’s Otaki deputation: “Right down the ages for the past 35 years.” Exactly. It is indisputable that antiquity is becoming alarmingly youthful. • • * • LICENSE TATTERSALLS That New Zealand could derive a revenue of .£IOO,OOO a year from licensing bookmakers, and that 80 per cent, of the people were in favour of licensing Tattersalls here were two views expressed by Mr V. H. Potter.