PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 13905, 5 November 1919, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

i-'ER Pkess Association. legislatiye councii

WELLINGTON, November 4. The Council resumed at 2.30 p.m.. when the Finance Bill was put through its final stages and passed. The Council agreed to the report of the managers of the conference on the Divorce and Mafcrimonal Catfees Amendment Bill. This provides for the acceptance of the amendment proposed by the House with certain machinery additions. The amendments proposed by Gover-nor-General's Message in the Housing Kill. Post and Telegraph Bill, Shearers' Accommodation Bill, Police Force Amendment Bill were agreed to. The Washing-Up Bill was passed, with minor amendments. The Council rose at 10.50 till 10.30 a.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WELLINGTON, November 4. The House resumed at 2.30 p.m. Referring to the report by the Public Petitions Committee, relative to a man who had been detained in a mental hospital, which the Committee recommended should'be referred to the Government for inquiry, Sir Joseph Ward said that the cases of all soldiers who returned to New Zealand suffering from temporary mental trouble owing to war services, should be inquired into by a public tribunal. The Minister of Defence said that no soldier patients who had come back were put direct into a mental hospital. Every case was sent to Karitane. or similar institutions for treatment. A man was only transferred to a mental hospital when such a step was found absolutely necessary. He did not know the details of the case quoted, but he w ; ou!d have it, or any other that might be discovered, investigated fully. Mr W. A. Yeitch, who had presented the petition, said that- he was satisfied with the report, but he hoped the inquiry would be public. The facts in his possession indicated that this case possessed features making it one of the most scandalous disclosed in connection with the New Zealand Forces. He asked that the inquiry tribunal'should be outside military influence, as was desired by the Returned Soldiers' Association in all similar eases^ Mr Massey, speaking for the Minister of Public Health, with whose department the matter rested, said that he would see that the fullest public j inquiry should be made in this or anysimilar case. Mr Semple said that he was satisfied that this man was the victim of cruel circumstances. He asked that the pay sUipppj during the man's detention would be made up to him. Mr Dickson. Chairman of the Committee, said that the evidence before ir did not discount the statements made by members of the House. The Committee di:l not feel very justified in recommending more than had been done in leaving it- to the Government to take further steps after inquiry. The Hon. D. H.. Guthrie moved the second reading of the Reserves and Or-iur Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering (Washing-up). Bill. In doing so the Minister said he would reserve any explanations till in Committee. The House immediately went into Committee on the BUY. At dame 25. authorising the acquisition of foe simple by licensees of residence and business sites in Te Aroha township. Mr Witty objected to such, matter providing for the sale of Crown lands being included in the Washing-up Bill. 'lhere were too mauv things wronglv included. ' ' ■ " The Hon \Y. H. Hemes pointed out that all that was asked by the people concerned was permission to convert a mining lia.se- into a freehold. This clause «as the result of a Royal Commission's finding. '" Sir Joseph Ward objected that the clause meant the introduction of free; held vtrsus leasehold ...issue.e which should be kept out of such a Bill as this. . -,-.-. . :■ ;

After considerable criticism the clause- was struck out with the Minister's acquiescence.

M-r -Yeitch opposed the' proposal in clause 49 to nermif the conversion of a portion of Queen's Park Domain reserve. Wanganui. for purposes of a schcel site, which the change in the trend of population rendered unnecessary. In addition the clause empowered the Crown to confiscate a scenery reserves., which the Wanganui people objected to.

The Minister said that he would let the Committee decide the matter. The clause was struck out on the voices and the Bill reported with its amendments, read a third time and passed. The Rotorua Town Land Bill was introduced by Governor-General's Message and read a first time. Replying to Sir Joseph Ward, the Minister of Lands stated that the concession oraiited to chemists aucl others who had been on active service in connection with the evamina-tions would apply to survevors also. •Sir Joseph Ward asked if the Prime Almister would have a full inouirv made info the causes* of the falling' off of fade with flu- Cook and other Islands, The inouirv should include matters rebitiusT to the administration of the Islands. Mr Massey said that the Government would have, a full inquiry made in the direction asked. He thought the inquiry should compare the possibilities of trade with the whole of the Pacific Islands

.Mr Veiteh urged that in connection, with ihe reorganisation of the railway service, the older men .should he retired as early as possible and the younger men given an opportunity to .formulate a policy whieh they themselves "would ' have an opportunity of carrying out. The Railways Committee reported mi the petition of A. M. Longton against his degrading, recommending the. 'petition to the Government for favorable- consideration', and that the Minister's power of veto over the Railway Appeal Hoard's decision should bo abolished. Replying to a question by Mr T. M. Wilforu, the Hon W. H. Herries-stated that he. as .Minister of Railways, at the time, saw no documents except those that, came before the. Appeal Board in the KongtoU case. Alter rhe supper adjournment, the House went into Committee of Supply to consider the Supplementary Estimates, totalling CM.228,030. Jn reply to Sir Joseph AYard. Sir James Allen said the amount exceeded theEstimai.es by £700.000 to £BOO,OOO. When the Post, and Telegraph Estimates were, under review the Hon. J. 0. Coates in reply to a question by Mr P., Fraser. said the. question of the bonus to the Post and Telegraph Service was still under consideration, and a statement would be made later. On the vole lor the Registrar-Gene-ral's office. Mr McCombs urged that greater attention should lie given lo the work of the Statistician, whoso work was invaluable to the Administration. The Hon. A. T. Ngata,. referring to the Museum, pleaded for early provision for the proper housing of the priceless collection in the present oid building. Complete records should also be secured of Maori songs and legends. Mr Isitt said he would protest against, the proposal to spend £IOO,OOO on a national war memorial about which there was nothing utilitarian. The Hon. A. T. Ngata. defended the proposal, whieh would provide a monument for New Zealand that would mean [ as inucli to us,as the Arc de Triomphe meant to France or the Nelson Column meant to England. Or Newman, Mr Holland and Mr P. Frasor supported the idea that the monument should have syrme utilitarian qualities such as an art gallery, library, hospital or educational institution. Mr Ell pleaded for something with a sentimental value. . The vote was passed. In reply to it question regarding the recent disaster to.Ulie .steamer Taimii, the Hon. W. H. Herries said the Government was considering the question of prohibiting the carriage of benzine cargo in wooden ships. In the case of the Taimii, the Government was endeavoring to get the responsibility fixed. If the owners were responsible, no doubt they would be prosecuted. Replying to further questions, the Hon. AV. H. Herries said that no news had yet been received that. Captain

Hooper had selected a ship to replace the Amojiura. It was the intention of tile Department next session to introduce an amendment to the Shippiug and Seamen's Act, when the question of crews' quarters would be considered. Mr Semple asked for particulars of £l(?,000 voted for the purchase of a coal mining property in Huntley district. He understood this property had oeen purchased by a syndicate for £12,000 a few months before they sold' it to the Government- for £35,000. 'He objected to the country being rooked in this way. The Hon. Sir William Eraser said the purchase was made before he took over the portfolio of Mines. It was not a question of what the syndicate paid for the land, or what they sold it for, but whether the State got good value. The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald said the ground had been most carefully examined by the Government experts before' the purchase was made. ,f the experts were wrong, then the Government was wroug, but if the experts were right, then the Government was right. . Replying to Mr Yeitch, the Hon. Sir William Eraser said the solution of the coal trouble was not more mines, but more miners, and the production of more coal by those miners.

Mr Massey, in the course of a epeeeh, deprecated "the "go-slow" policy. If the miners would only indicate on what points they differed from the owners, then they might arrive at a settlement. He asked the Labor representatives in the House, to use. their influence with the miners to increase the supplies. Mr Holland declared that if the miners' demands had been granted they would have reaped a benefit of only one shilling per ton. Then, he asked, how could ccal cost the people £1 per ton extra, as stated by the owners. It- was the owner, not the miner, who was exploiting the people, and the remedy was the nationalisation of the mines. The vote was finally passed at. 1.35 a.m., discussion in Committee having occupied three and a- half hours. On the question that the House, adopt the resolutions of the Committee, Sir Joseph Ward said that the amount.of the Supplementary Estimates was .the largest in the history of the Dominion, and was £772,892 in'excess of the Minister's estimate srive-n to the House on: September 23 He wanted to know how this large discrepancy had arisen in such a short period between then and now. Mr Massey said it was,due to the cleaning up after the war. Sir James Allen, replying to Sir J. G. Ward's question re increase in Estimate, twitted Sir Joseph with asking; for increases to the Post and Telegraph Service and soldiers' gratuities. He also twitted Sir Joseph Ward with shirking the responsibilities, and asked if he left the National Government because of that. Although it appeared from the Estimates that there would be a deficit at the-end of March next, he had faith in the country. If the people did their best to increase the productions of the' country he believed there would be a .surplus instead of a deficit next March. The resolutions of the Committee were, agreed to. . The House agreed to the amendment made by the Legislative Council in the Expeditionary Forces Voting Bill. The House put- through all its stages the Law Practitioners Amendment Bill, enabling young solicitors to count a war service period as part of the five vears required to qualifv as barristers. The House at 2.29 adjourned till 11 a.m. ,