PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16199, 8 October 1914, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM THE PRESS GALLERY. (Fbom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 7. It is a well-established practice in the Hoof 'Representatives that leave of absenoe is granted only for urgent private business, urgent public business, or in case of illness. Mr Russell wore a broad smile to-day when he applied for four days' leave of absence for Sir Joseph Ward "on aooount of urgent public business.", " Why don't you say electioneering?" asked a Government member, amidst smiles from both the Government and Opposition benches. ! WASTE OF TIME. A great deal of time has been -wasted in the House of Representatives this, session by the practice, winch has grown to an inordinate extent, of permitting questions to bo asked without notice. Such questions come almost entirely from the Opposition benches, and are obviously framed with a view to making party capital. The -waste of time might, however, be limited if the Speaker took a less lax view of the Standing Orders. Time after time members have been allowed to make statement®, in some teases almost amounting to short speeches, when they should have had their remarks confined more closely to the asking ot questions. In the same way members are frequently permitted to maike long rambling statements and to introduce new matter by way of personal explanation when they allege that they have' been misrepresented by a preceding speaker. A little more attention to the strict rule would lead to a considerable saving of time and money, and would also go a long way in the direction of stopping personalities and acrimonious discussion. FIRE BRIGADES. Inspector Hugo, in the annual report on fiho fire brigades of the dominion, states tliat the total losses throughout the fire districts last year amounted to £84,367—a decrease of £37.287, as compared with the previous y6ar. Of this amount £70,522 was insured and £13,345 uninsured. The losses throughout the dominion for the year ended December 31 are estimated at £645,949. The suggests the advisability of introducing legislation making it compulsory to insta! auto-detectors in certain classes of buildings. The reliability of such installations generally, he adds, is beyond doubt. After 10 years' working of the automatio fire alarm, the companies are able to show that the loe&es sustained bv the insurance companies on detector risks are less than 5 per cent, of the premiums paid, as against an average loss ratio of 52 per cent, in respect of unprotected property. ■