PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 17

PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION.

NEW ZEALAND BRANCH. WELLINGTON, Jane 30. A meeting of the New Zealand branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association was held to-day. The Speaker of the Legislative Council 'the Hon. Sir Walter Carncross) presiding. One of the principal subjects of discussion was the invitation from the Commonwealth branch to New Zealand to send a representative to the Empire parliamentary delegation to visit Australia in September next. It was decided that four delegates should be appointed, one each representing the Legislative Council, and the three parties »n the House of Representatives. Nominations will be made at a later date. The provisional -itinerary of the visit pro poses that the tour snail commence m Queensland towards the end of September and that each State of the Commonwealth shall then be visited in turn, the programme concluding about the end of November, or the beginning of December. The Common wealth branch is arranging a programme which will give the delegates the opportunity of seeing as much as possible of the country its resources, possibilities, and problems. One of the central features of the visit will be a general meeting of the association in the new Federal Houses of Parliament at Canberra in the Commonwealth territory. On this occasion the Speaker’s chair —a replica of that at present in the House of Commons at Westminster—which was presented to Australia by the members of the United Kingdom branch of the asso ciation will be presented to thq Commonwealth House of Representatives. This meeting will be the first of any kind to be held in the new Federal Parliament House. Meetings will also be arranged with each State branch of the association to discuss problems of importance to the Empire in general, and to Australia in particular. The following office-bearers were elected: —Presidents, Sir Walter Carncross and the Hon. C. E. Statham; vice-presidents—Sir Francis Bell, Sir Heaton Rhodes, the Rl. Hon. J. G Coates, and Mr H. E. Hoi land; treasurer, the Hon. A. 8. Malcolm, hon. auditors, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart and Mr J. S. Dickson; hon. secretary Mr A. F. Lowe; Executive Committee—the foregoing, with the Hon. J. Craigie, Sir William Hall-Jones, the Hon. E. Newman, the Hon. Gi J. Smith the Hon. K. S Williams, Sir Joseph Ward, Messrs Forbes, Howard, Savage, and Sidey. The Reform Party’s caucus this morning appointed Mr J S. Dickson (chief Whip of the party) as its representative on the delegation to Australia. The members of the New Zealand delegation will leave on September 15 for Australia, and will be away for over two months.