PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21775, 14 October 1932, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

NOTES FROM PRESS GALLERY (From Oub Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, October 13. PRISONS’ DEPARTMENT AND QUARRY OWNERS. “ There is no objection to a representative of the Prisons Department attending a conference to discuss matters concerning the sale of metal,” said the Minister of Justice (Mr J. G. Cobbe) in the House to-day, in reply to an urgent question by Mr W. J. Jordan. The question was whether Mr Cobbe would arrange for a conference of a representative of the Prisons Department with the quarry owners of the Auckland district to discuss the prices charged for metal and metal chips, and if possible arrive at an agreement under which sales may be made at prices which will allow the payment of satisfactory wages to the quarryifaen engaged by private employers. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM.

The suggestion that the House should be given an opportunity to discuss the policy to be followed in reconstituting the Legislative Council was made by Mr A. J. Stallworthy (Eden) in notice of a question in the House to-day. The question was as follows: “In view of the opportunity offering for the reform of the Legislative Council, the necessity of reducing administrative costs and the over-burden 1 of taxation upon the people generally, and the deep public resentment against any distribution of political favours at the expense of taxpayers at a time when thousands of people are on the bread line will the Prime Minister before any fresh appointments are made to the Council give the House an opportunity of discussing and voting upon the question of an elective Upper Chamber, or failing that will he give the House an opportunity of discussing the policy and personnel of any further appointments at the present time? ” Mr E. J: Howard (Christchurch South): You are rocking the boat. ARMISTICE DAY PARADES. A request that the Minister of Justice (Mr J. G. Cobbe) should forbid the holding of military parades on Armistice Sunday was contained in an urgent question which Mr C. L. Carr (Timaru) asked the Minister in the House to-day. Mr Carr asked if the Minister would take steps to prevent the holding of military parades on Armistice Sunday such as was being arranged in Christchurch at the moment. The proposal, he said, was meeting with strong opposition from the local clergy, the Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist in particular, and by various associations interested in the maintenance of peace and the advancement of disarmament, such as the League of Nations Union, the Student Christian Movement, the W.C.T.U., Y.W.C.A., the National Peace Council, No More War Movement, and Labour organisations. The Minister replied that before the suspension of compulsory military training church parades had always been held on the Sunday nearest to Armistice Day. The parade this year would represent merely a return to this former practice, and it was to he held in Hagley Park as a Divine Service. He, therefore, proposed not to take any action.