IN PARLIAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 19292, 10 July 1924, Page 5

IN PARLIAMENT

OVER THE SPEAKER’S CHAIR. YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS. (Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, July 9. The Winter meeting of the Wellington Racing Chib proved a bigger attraction than the adjourned debate on the Opposition noconfidence amendment to the Address-in-Reply. When the House assembled in the afternoon there were less than half the members present. Routine business was disposed of in five minutes. The three parties in the House were represented in the debate by two speakers each, but little interest was created until the evening session, when the Minister of Education made a humorous analysis of the Liberals and their prospects of forming a Ministry from a following of 19 in the House of 80. THE MAORIS. Dr Ngata pleaded for better consideration for Maoris on the land, especially in remote settlements. He reiterated his oft-rei>eated hope that the Prime Minister would divert some of the accumulated Maori interest in the hands of the Maori Land Board to the improvement of their methods of farming. Mr Massey assured him that he had no designs on the money, except for its original purpose. IN THE EVENT OF DISSOLUTION. During the last day or two it has been stated on good authority that one of the Prohibitionist members in the House would move presently for leave to bring in a Bill providing that in the event of a dissolution of Parliament and a General Election a Licensing Poll shall be taken. To-day, Mr Isitt gave notice to move for the introduction of the Licensing Poll Amendment Bill. This, no doubt, is the Bill referred to. THREE-PARTY SYSTEM. Profiting by his recent investigations into the formation of country parties in Australia, Hon. C. J. Parr urged that an attempt to follow that course in New Zealand would only be attended by further confusion of the direct issue in political life—that was the nationalisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange or a policy that was opposed to that of a Socialist regime. An interesting statement was made by Mr Parr showing the results of the amending legislation of last session in regard to housing.