THE SESSION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 228, 30 October 1914, Page 5

THE SESSION.

YESTERDAY'S WORK. A MIXED DAY. THE END APPROACHING. tFrom our own Parliamentary Reporter/] WELLINGTON, October 29. Practically the whole of this afternoon 'a sitting of the, House of Representatives was taken up with a rush of ■"questions without notice" on subjects -connected with the war and otherwise, and the discussion of the reports of committees on petitions. Considering that members- are supposed to be trying hard to get the business of the session finished, the waste of time on trivial matters was lamentable.. Nevertheless, before the sitting was finished a good deal of business was transacted.- :■: OFFICIAL TEAR BOOK. Mr G. W. Russell (Avon) asked what was causing delay in connection with the publication of the Official Year Book. Usually throughout the whole of the session advance sheets were sent to members and the whole of the publication was completed before this. He believed that only one or two of'the advance sheets had been sent out. It was absolutely % necessary that this publication should be available during the elections. The Prime Minister said that he had heard a day or two ago that it was not intended this year to advance sheets. He did not know the -reason for that. He could only put down the delay —without-.sufficient knowledge—to the fact that paj)er was very short in the printing office. There was-no reason why the Official Handbook< should not be published. ._'■■ SUBDIVISION OF RUNS. Mr _G. W. Russell asked why the Otago Land Board had received no reply to a resolution passed by that body on June 4 regarding the purchase for subdivision of the freehold of the Omarama pastoral run, which comprised'lß4,ooo acres lease- _ hold and 2000 acres freehold. He also enquired if the whole of the Omarama and Glenmore runs were to be cut up into small grazing runs. Mr F. H. Smith (Waitaki): Put your L question on the Order. Paper. Mr Russell: There is no Order Paper. The Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey said he had to thank the -hdn. member for giving him an opportunity of answering the question and refuting slanders which had been circulated. , >,^ Mr Russell: Be dignified: : Mr Massey: The lease teminated in March, 1915, and he had refused, as Min- -»-. ister of Lands, to agree to any extension. The land was now being subdivided —four survey parties being at work. Jf it was possible.to make all the subdivisions small enough, the whole of the land would be offered as small grazing runs, but any over 20,000 acres would > have to be classified as pastoral runs. TATERI DRAINAGE BILL. In reply to\ Sir Joseph Ward, the ■ Prime Minister stated that the residents of the Taiefi who. were opposing the passing of the Taieri Drainage Bill evidently did not understand what was provided by the present law. The Commissioners haft the right to raise up to £ISOO without taking a poll of the ratepayers. The Bill only provided for an alteration of the security for the £ISOO. He had "«• received a telegram from half a dozen people, and had replied that if the district asked him to withhold the Bill he was quite willing to do so. But if the Bill did not pass this session there was: not the slightest chance of raising the money, and an intolerable state 1 of things would exist in the Taieri district. ELECTORAL ROLLS. Sir Joseph Ward asked the Prime ..Minister if he would bring under the notice of the Minister in charge of tbe Electoral Department the condition of the electoral rolls. He still continued to receive complaints from people whose names had been improperly removed, v and it happened that every one of them ' were Workers. In Wellington Central-j : last year the main roll had 9878 names; ; now it had 5965 names. On the sup-; >• plementary roll last year there were 1558 names. i» Mr 'Massey: There will be more than v ' that this -time. Sir Joseph Ward, continuing, said that the country ought not to go to an election before the rolls were reasonably ready. He had a letter from a resident of Christehureh who voted last year, and because he had been absent from his address for a week or ten days ;» his name had been removed from the * roll. On making enquiries he was informed that a letter had been sent to nis address, but he never received it. >■ He was receiving similar communieations from all over, the country. He was satisfied as the result of an impartial investigation that the system in operation, was going to disfranchise thousands of people. A responsible man had telephoned to him that morning that he had enrolled thirty people who ought not to have been struck off. The ' H matter called for the closest consideration. The Department was doing its "best, but the system was wrong. H~ Mr Massey said he was sorry the Minister in charge of the Electoral Department was not present, but he could > assure the Leader of the Opposition "i that everything possible was being done and would be done to place the rolls in a thoroughly satisfactory condition. , ■ In the purging of the rolls mistakes would-occur. He knew of a case where a man was actually elected to the -v House without his name appearing on aay roll. This>was owing to a clerical t error. % Sir Joseph Ward: He was not on ~" our side of the Souse. S Mr Massey: The Government wanted a clean roll. His information was that t Wellington Central would have a much i larger roll this year than before. \ THE HUNTLY DISASTER. t, REPORT OF THE" COMMISSION. The Hon. W. Fraser stated that he ; had been informed' that tlie report of r . the Commission on the Huntly disaster ' . would be ready the following day, and * it would be at once laid on the table 'l, of the House. It was a lengthy report of 24 pages, with 400 pages of evif ' dence. The report would no doubt con- ' tain certain suggestions on the Coal Mining Bill, and it would be convenient to consider it in connection with that i , ' Sir Joseph Ward suggested-that on T Account of the great importance of the % Comsaission's report it should be conh . fcidered separately. T" • Mr Fraser was doubtful whether *. there would be much debate on the Bill £ ' itself. .| . Mr Masseyj I thiak tha Minister of

Mines has made a very fair suggestion, but if the House wants to consider the report of the Commission after it has been laid on the table I will ask the Minister of Mines to delay the Bill. Mr Fraser: Certainly. Mr Massey: I think'it a great pity that criticism should take place as to what has happened at Huntly while the matter is sub judice. Mr G. W. Russell raised as a point of order whether the Prime Minister was in order. If he was to be allowed to refer to matters outside the House other members should have the same right. Mr Massey said that in the circiimstances he would not say anything further. CLOSE OF THE SESSION. IF POSSIBLE THIS WEEK. Sir Joseph Ward: May I ask w;hen the Prime Minister is going to bring the session to an end? Mr Massey: I propose to bring the session to an end, if members will assist me, on Saturday evening, but I can't do it without assistance. An Hon. Member: You can't do it. Mr Massey: Well, then, I am prepared to go on for another week.