Legislative Machine Beginning to Move

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 419, 30 July 1928, Page 13

Legislative Machine Beginning to Move

WEEK IN PARLIAMENT MR. RHODES TAKES LEAVE (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Ec porter.) WELLINGTON, Saturday. In the dying hours of Friday’s rather futile debate on the monthly Imprest Supply motion, a feature of the proceedings was a graceful tribute paid by Mr. W. E. A. Parry, the Labour member for Auckland Central, to Mr. T. W. Rhodes, who had just made his last speech in the Lower House. This, a change from the usual party conflict, was immediately followed by a virulent attack by Mr. H. E. Holland on the Parliamentary staff of the Wellington morning paper.

In popular interest the summer-time debate surpassed all others during the week. Thus in a few brief hours was decided the measure that for Auckland would have meant longer hovrs at Milford, evenings on tennis courts and bowling greens, late dinners, and overworked wickets on Eden Park and the Domain. Auckland members who did not vote were Messrs. Potter and Jordan, who were both absent from Wellington, and Mr. J. A. Lee.

Meanwhile a number of measures less spectactilar than summer time, but of much importance to_ various sections of the community, are in the legislative melting-pot, in which the predominance of Reform elements jjs so pronounced that with Government backing most of them are sure to emerge safely.

From surveyors there has already been a hint of antagonism to some ofthe proposals in the Surveyors’ Registration Bill. One of the principal objections of private practitioners appears to be that on the proposed survey board they will be entitled to only two members, against three, including the chairman, nominated by the Government.

The Auctioneer*’ Bill has already been assailed by farmer-Reformers. who fear that its stipulation that auctioneers shall establish trust accounts for the proceeds from sales will raise the cost to the vendor, but in spite of these protests the Minister in charge, pointing out that stock auctioneers were not the only ones affected, showed little disposition to recede from his position. REGISTER OF MUSIC-TEACHERS Unlike the Surveyors’ Registration Bill, the Music-teachers’ Registration Bill is a private measure, introduced by Sir John Luke. It further differs from the Surveyors Bill in that the proposed board set up to undertake the registration ■ of qualified music-teach-ers, shall have only one Government nominee among its nine members. In the Rabbit Nuisance Bill, sponsored by the Minister of Agriculture, the only clause of outstanding interest is that providing for importation of rabbits under special circumstances. The suggestion that this might allow introduction .of special fur-bearing types, such as the Angora, to be followed by breeding for profit within enclosures, was hailed by several as extremely dangerous. Thus moves the legislative machine, which, by comparison with other sessions, is at present getting things done with efficiency and rapidity. During the past week, the only debate savouring of electioneering was that on the Imprest Supply Bill. Here were raised the usual political catchcries. Labour devoted itself largely to a criticism of the Government, based on recent financial policy as it had affected the Post Office Savings Bank.

In his reply the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, mentioned that he had noticed the Labour weekly, “The Worker,” featuring this line of criticism, but without touching his replies. In reply the Leader of the Opposition undertook to see that “The Worker” would publish the Minister’s side if the "Wellington Reform paper, “The Dominion,” gave more space to the Labour side.

TRIBUTE TO MR.. RHODES Different was Mr. W. E. Parry’s tribute to Mr. T. W. Rhodes, a Reformer. Mr. Rhodes, leaving for Canada iri a day or two, and leaving his seat (Thames) to be contested by Mr. A. M. Samuel, of the Ohinemuri electorate that is so soon to vanish, had delivered his last speech in the House, pleading particularly for more assistance for those working the Thames goldfields. Following him. Mr. Parry, formerly a working miner himself, said miners and the mining industry alike would never have a better friend than Mr. Rhodes.

Toward the close of Friday evening, with the House getting very tired, the Hon. R. A. Wright livened things up with a defence of the “Railways Magazine,” which Mr. Veitch had said was printing Reform propaganda. But, said Mr. Wright, the quoted example, “Travel by rail, and vote for Mr. Coates,” was only the answer of a ten-year-old child in the magazine’s competition—“ What did the parrot say?” And Mr. Veitch might as well have quoted the answer of another youngster. “Travel by rail. I am ten years old, and it is raining to-night.” This week the House has the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill to look forward to. First on the Order Paper lor Wednesday, the Bill is sure of a run; but it is doubtful if members of Parliament are as intensely interested as many outside the House. For them, with an election looming, it is more troublesome than interesting . Next week, almost for certain, the Budget will be brought down. The dav of its presentation will probably be Tuesday.