SESSION NOTES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2031, 18 August 1920, Page 15

SESSION NOTES.

JOTTINGS FROM THE GALLERY. HOUSE MAKES GOOD PROGRESS. (From Our Own Parliamentsry Reporter. J WELLINGTON, August 17. The House of Representatives made pood progress to-night. After gettiug clear of the Gaming Amendment Bill for the time beiug. it put light through an Acts Interpretation Amendment Bill, which is to remain in force for only months, its purpose being to allow the Hon. Sir William Fraser, M.L.C., who is a member of Cabinet without portfolio, and so not a responsible Minister of the t'rown. to. administer the Department of Internal Affairs in the absence of the Hon. G. ,1. Anderson, through illness. The Masseurs Registration Bill was read a third time and passed, and a complicated Statutes Repeal and Expiring Laws Amendment and Continuance Bill was reported from committee, with certain amendments, before the House rose at (Ml' a.m. Pacific Mail Services. Replying to-day to Mr L. M. Isitt (Ohristehurch N'orth), the Hon. J. G. Coates ('Postmaster-General) said that the question raised by southern business men last .Session with regard to the desirability of a uniform freight rate to all main ports, in the case of goods brought l.y Government subsidised steamers from Vancouver ami San Francisco, was now under consideration. He had not considered the proposal made by the lion. member that the boats should call at northern and southern ports alternately. Mr Isitt: There are mails to Vie considered too. .....The Minister said that the mails were now brought down by the Main Trunk express, which was faster than the boat, and Auckland was the nearest port to America. Hard-wcrking Prime Minister. A reply to ilie general criticism that he is carrying too many portfolios was made by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey ) in the House of Representatives to-night. While the Acts Interpretation Amendment Bill was being considered, Mr W. A. Veitch (Wansjar.ui) made the ]ipint that Mr Massey, although undoubtedly a strong man in both physique and mentality, was carrying too heavy a load. t . ''l am sure 1 don "t look like it!" observed the Prime Minister. ''No!" agreed Mr Veitch. "And we are all glad of that.'' "I do not think that 1 am carrying too many portfolios," added the Prime Minister. "'What portfolios am T carrying that I am not able to carry?" Mr Veitch: Railwavs!

Mr Massey explained that the portfolios which he held were Finance, Railways, and Mines. There were also several smaller ones, but they did not matter much, The Department of Imperial Supplies, for instance, did not occupy his attention for more than 10 minutes in the day. He did not feel that he was carrying too much. He did not feel that he was overworked at all. He rather enjoyed it. He had not realised until the beginning of the present year how splendid a_ thing it was for a Prime Minister to get acquainted with the administration of various departments. Since he had had them under his charge he had learned more about some of the departments than in all of hi* previous experience in Parliament. Hon. members would recognise that when their turns came, but that would not be yet awhile. (Laughter.) Rural Mail Service. Replying to-day to Mr F. F. Hockly iEotorua), the Hon. .1. G. Coates (Post-master-General) said that rural mail contracts were not being renewed for a longer term than 12 months, the reason being that Mr B. Morris (Secretary to the 1'0.4 Office i, who is at present on his way to the Geneva Conference, had born instructed to visit Canada before Lis return, and to make exhaustive inquiries into rural mail services there. Canada, added the Minister, led the world in the matter of rural mail services, and the idea was that, after Mr Morris's study of the position there, New Zealand would be able to institute :; now system, giving better and cheaper mail facilities to back country districts in this Dominion. Housing Contractors' Complaint. A complaint against the business methods of the Housing Branch of the Department of Labour in regard to its payment of contractors was made in the House to-day by Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon.'. The hon. member asked why contractors who were engaged in building houses for the department were experiencing difficulty in obtaining their money. He had heard of one or two cases in Ohristehureh in which application had been made for giants for work doue —such applications having been endorsed by the Superintendent .of Workers' Dwellings in Christchurch—but the money applied for was not made available. In one case, a sum of £250 had been applied for, but only £IOO had been paid; in another case, £205 had been paid to a contractor who claimed £350. ''What is the explanation of that?'' asked Mr Sullivan. "Cannot payment be speeded up?" The Hon. Sir Wjliam Herries (Minister of Labour) said that he had heard of no such trouble in Christchurch. but, if ; the hon. member supplied him with particulars, he would have the matter looked into. Legislation for Samoa. It will not be possible to legislate finally with regard to Samoan affairs this Session, since the necessary correspondence with the Imperial Authorities and the League of Nations will not be completed in time. The Statutes Repeal and Expiring Laws Amendment and Continuance Hill, which was put through committee to-night, contained a clause proposing to extend indefinitely the Treaties of Peace Act, which was ].-used last Session, to deal with Samoa. As there will be some legislation dealing with Samoa later on, the Prime Minister agreed to drop this clause in the meantime, and to incorporate it in the later Bill; but he added that they would not be able to complete the legislation in regard to Samoa Ihis Session. What he would ask was that the present law should be extended for one year to enable correspondence with others interested lo be completed. Cashmere Military Sanatorium. The Defence Committee of the House of Representatives has satisfied itself that the handing over of Cashmere Military Sanatorium to civil control will not deprive the soldier T.B. patients of ativ of their present privileges. In particular the committee is satisfied that the patients' present right of appeal to the Director-General of Medical Screes for tiie remedying of their grievance-', will nut be withdra\v*. Because of this, the committee makes no relommemlaiion regarding the patients' petition that the institution be not handed over to civil control. Foreign Investments. Certain enactments, as appearing in Part 4 of me Finance Act 10U>, regelating banking rates of interest and restricting th« investment of moneys beyond New Zealand, were proposed to be continued indefinitely by tl*e Statutes