POLITICAL NOTES.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 16212, 29 September 1924, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

PRESS GALLERY NEWS.

A RECENT SUDDEN DEATH.

HOSPITAL’S EXPLANATION, \

A reply was given in the Legislative Council to the Hon. E. H. Clark’s question respecting the man who died a couple of hours after being informed that he was not ill enough to be admitted to the Wellington Hospital.

The Leader of the Council, the Hon. Sir Francis Bell, said that inquiry had been made with the result that the superintendent of the Wellington Hospital said that the man made no application for treatment as an in-patient, but as an out-patient for chronic bronchitis from which he was suffering. A post-mortem examination revealed a clot of blood on the heart, and that was what caused death. There was no reason for advising the man to become an in-patient at the hospital. It was a pure coincidence that after making application to be treated, for bronchitis, the man was seized with this disease. There was no reason for saying there was anything alarming in his condition when he asked be treated as an out-patient.

NO GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE “I fear there is neither authority nor inclination to interfere with the digestive arrangements,” said the Hon. Sir Francis Bell in the Legislative Council in reply to a question as to whether the Government will take steps to prevent the over-refining of flour, and encourage the use of wholemeal flour. SUNDAY POLITICS. The member for Gisborne, Mr W. D. Lysnar, suggested in the House political meetings on Sundays should be prohibited, and he hoped the Government would introduce legislation to that effect. The extreme Labour people made politics their calling and busithey had no other calling, and they were agitators. The Sunday political mefrtings should be' stopped. He knew of a member who occupied the pulpit one Sunday morning and held a political meeting in the evening. He described the Labour members as disbelievers of religion, who were prepared to desecrate the Sabbath. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) remarked that it would be all right, perhaps, if Labour spent Sunday night preaching the doctrine of Mr Lysnar, but he would be ashamed to do that even on Monday.

Mr W. J. Jordan (Manukau) objected to Labour members being referred to as of no religion, because the reference was not correct.

TIMES CHANGED. ; Voicing the claims of Wellington city jto a central railway station, etc., Mr •' R.\A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) said that the hon. member for Stratford (Mr R. Masters), boasting in his district of what he had beeh able get the Government to do for it, had' openly stated that if a member of . Parliament wanted to get anything for his district he must not support, but oppose, the Government. (Laughter.) At one time, declared Mr Wright, it might have been “spoils to the victors,” but now it was “spoils to the vanquished,” and Government supporters got little or nothing. (Laughter.) He could get nothing for his district; not even a post office for Karori. (Laughter.) He had got one little thing only, and must thank the Minister for Railways for that. He had started to run a train —the train known as “Field’s express” —five minutes earlier, at five minutes to six instead of at 6 p.m. (Laughter.) It had been a hard matter to get it, but it was nothing, he admitted, to what Mr Masters had got. (Laughter.) ' The Leader of the Opposition (Mr T. M. Wilford) congratulated Mr Wright on having, after twelve years in Parliament, got a train put forward five minutes. (Laughter.) Mr Wright: It was a hard job. Mr Wilford: I realise that, and that is why I congratulated the hon. gentleman. (Laughter.) He added that Mr Wright's speech was practically a tip to the electors that, if they wanted anything they should elect somebody ; opposed to the present Government, and that view was quite correct. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)

CALM BEFORE STORM.”

The Hon. J. A. Han an (Invercargill) commenting in the House of Repre* sentatives on the work of the present session, declared that he had never known so slow and uninteresting a session of Parliament. "I believe,” he said, “that this may be the calm before the storm, and that the next election we may have a big political upheaval. (Laud Reform laughter.) I notice that interest is manifested by hon, members whin <me speaks of the next general election.” (Hear, hear, and laughter.) ;