POLITICAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1919, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS.

WOMEN N PARLIAMENT,,, '-H» (By Wire.—Own W&M Wellington, Last Nigts|iM If Mr. Massey's Women'* Piraufl mentary Rightb Extension Bill, may be proceeded with this passed intc law, women will bo for seats in the Council as well bSiJotmH House. The Government under present system would have the rigfylSH appoint women ty the Council, and believed that their first appearance Vflß be in that branch of the LegUlajmiß Whether this possibility will toducytllH Council to pass the Bill remain* fcfr AM seen. Some Councillors are strongly dSBM posed to the admission of women ta>t&H Legislature, and they may be tbtii.jßH defeat the Bill. The Government'"Sß pledged to introduce the Bill, hutifjH not pledged to fight very hard fofViuH passage into law. ' / '.jflm THIS WEEK'S WORK, \ k 4 The debate on the Board of TndiJßjjj will be resumed to-morrow by the |{j3 W. D. S. McDonald, under whoee &# tion the Bill was originally formed,T " The debate on the Industries Gogmlfc tee's report will be resumed on Wfjhw day. The House will hear a goMHH about the cost of living till week, '*s' SEEDY WOOL SCOUBJWQ. ■'• Mr. Jennings is asking the MinltW 4tf Industries and Commerce whether « has noticed the evidence of Mr. E. Adto|j son, of Waitara, given before the lodajj tries Committee, wherein he pointed (Jnf the great loss the Dominion fttffWFlJ through the cheap buying of seedy and sending it Home for treatment;"aw the evidence of Mr. Purves, of Canto l bury Freezing Works, who pointed ttti that New Zealand' exported, per M|s 428,657 bales of wool in grease and «A|jr 40,503 bales were scoured. What intaett ment can be held out by the GoveruMti' to encourage the erection of plant* able for the work being done in.t£f Dominion, thereby providing work ttfcs extra labor, saving of freight, and le*Mßv ing the deterioration that now goes onl-i under the present system? :.*J THE WASHING-UP BILL, , 'M

Replying to a suggestion by Mr. W. T,Jennings, the Prime Minister said tbat it would be a good idea to introduce tb« J major part of the Washing-up Bill fc»V. fore the end of the session, leaving remnants to come on at the clow., Trf. facilitate the passage of that mewurt,! it would be beßt to give the HouM ani the country to understand that all' tin ' J clauses of the Washing.up BUI must be of a son-contentious character, and that any clause objected to would go out. '

THE GRATUITIES. ' .-J The decision of the Government i *#• garding gratuities is to be announced'to .% the House this week. The matter W*» '<* further considered by Cabinet on Satnr* \i day. The money required for the mj*t& ment of gratuities is included in the war « Loan now being raised, but authority for * the expenditure will be Tequlred. ' .} THE BUTTER ARRANGEMENT, , ;f : The members representing dairying <U»- \ tricts are still without detailed infoma- .■ tion regarding the arrangement that fa '.; to be made between the Government and - the butter producers. The Prime Mhll« ~' , ster has stated definitely that the fae- '•' tories which are supplying butter to tto local market are going to receive the full export price, and that the price to the '? local consumers will not be incmaaed. ■''■! This means that the difference between '* the local wholesale price And the export '] price must be made good by the Govern* .V ment in some way.

A LITTLE STORM. The usual calm of the House, m ruffled (the correspondent of the Wang** nui Chronicle relates) when Sir JoMph Ward sought, and was given, permiaiiOß to make a personal explanation. Ha wished to complain of a statement made by Mr. Wilkinson tit the effect that *tb» ' recommendations of the Cost of Living Committee in 1917 got short ahrift from the Leader of the Opposition." Hn statement, made after his depaitdl* from the House the previous night, WW contrary to fact, and to prove his con- - tention he read from Hansard hit t* marks made when the recommendations ' in question came down. "I have learn*}' to realise what political humbugs are/', . said Sir Joseph, after reading his extract, "and the member for Egmont it on* of them." Members: Oh, oh. The Speaker said he must ask taa lion, member to withdraw that remark.Sir Joseph Ward withdrew the remark • and went on to contwert the wg- : < gestion that he had not been sympathetic with the endeavors to decrease the coat of living. '; Mr. Wilkinson said it was not his in- - . tention to cast any reflection on Sir ' Joseph Ward, or to make any attack upon him. Had he intended to do so he would have given him warning. Ha : felt that he had. made fair commemnt, ~ but if Sir Joseph,still had any feeling .a. of resentment he.would like to tender " him an unqualified apology. As he mad > Hansard, howevlr, he could only infer.' that the Leader of the Opposition had '•' not been in favor of the recommenda-. tion of the Cost of Living Committee. ■ He admitted that Sir Joseph had as- . sisted to keep down the cost of living. He ■'■ did not intend to be unfair to Sir ■ J Joseph, to misrepresent, or main political capital out of the matter.

Sir Joseph Ward unreservedly accepted the statement, and the House W«Ot' again on the even tenor of its way. •