NOTES FROM THE GALLERY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20000, 16 July 1920, Page 6

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY.

PARLIAMENT day by day. DOINGS IN THE HOUSE. j (Special to the “Slur.”)' . ' WELLINGTON, July 15. ! PUBLIC WOKKS. STATEMENT. In a casual remark made iu the House the other day the Prime Minis- • ter suggested that it would be three ' 'nonths before the Public 'Works Statement came down. Some mem- ' i lOl ’ s thought this statement was made jocularly, but it was not. In ordiui ary sessions the Statement is nevot ■ brought down until the bulk of tho routine work has been done, but there ' have been so many sessions, lately, i when business has been so hurried that \ the end has not been far from the beginning, that members have forgotten what is the established Parlia- ! mentary practice. > FLOOD OF DEPUTATIONS. 1 As is usual at the commencement of i a session Ministers have been met lately with many requests to see deputations before the session began. The ’ Minister of Education, next to tho Prime Minister, had a record for the number of public bodies calling to see him on various subjects, but apparently tho Hood of requests for schools and other educational works is now on tho ebb. This week the Minister of Public Works was the recipient of ■ most requests. Yesterday be had at 1 least half a dozen deputations, all dealing with matters of importance to districts from which tho deputations came. To-day wid the .same, and from ten o’clock onwards the Minister was given no rest. 'The Prime Minister also had an exceptionally busy morning, even for the Prime Minister, which is saying a great deal. Some say that the races have brought deputations here, and public men are killing two birds with one. stone, or at least having a shot at two. “ STATE COAL. “ Why should tho Government continue to sell State coal at il’ a ton less than tho price charged by private dealers Y" was in effect tno question atj.eed by Mr J. It. Hamilton of the Prime Minister to-day. Mr Massey said the matter referred ' to was under consideration by the Government at present. Taking the sales as a whole, he said, they were not making any loss. It was quite true, he believed, that they were making a slight Joss iu connection with sales iu Wellington, but they were anxious iu every way to keep down the cost of living. .Mr Hamilton said that was not quite what he meant. The low price was net haying the effect of bringing down the price of coal generally, and onlv those fortunate enough to obtain State coal derived the benefit. Mr Vigor Brown: It lias prevented the price from going up. Mr Massey: I think it is having the effect of keeping down the price to some extent. (Hear, hear.) Even if only a few people were affected, it would be something done..

MR WILFORD’S FIRST APPEARANCE. The member for Hutt, Mr T. M. Wilford, took his seat in the House for the first time this session, and marked Iris arrival by a characteristic little passage with the Minister of Customs. Sir William Merries was referring to the Customs Amendment Bill. “ Who told you that the sovereign was worth 4.66d0l in America?” asked Mr Wilford. Tho Minister replied that the statement had been carefully checked • by the chairman of associated banks, and the figure given was the mintage rate. The member for Hutt was understood to say that ho did not .get that for the sovereigns he took to America. “The honourable member had hotter not say too much about tho gold ho took out of tho country,” retorted the Minister. “ I had permission,” said Mr Wilford. “ 1 expectedyou woftld say that, and I have a permit here signed” by the Prime Minister.” Ho displayed it.” DIVULGING PRIVATE BUSINESS. Later tho matter was referred to by the member for Wanganui (Mr Veitch). He said there was a habit growing up in the House of referring to matters of a private nature and private transactions between Ministers and members. It was not only the Minister of Customs, but the Prime Minister. ;; Hive an instance,” said Mr Massey. “ I could go on until I am pulled up,” replied Mr Veitch. He mentioned Mr Massey’s statement, made the other evening, that Mr Hnnan had been willing to join tho Reform Cabinet. “And you have no right to refer to ii You don’t know what happened,” said Mr Massey. “ Weren’t you in it yourself?” asked Mr Vigor Brown of Mr Veitch. “No, 1 was not,” said Mr Veitch. “ It is getting this way, that a member will not be able to go into a Minister s office without taking a. witness.” The Speaker called Mr Veitch to order. DESTITUTE PERSONS ACT AMENDMENT. The member for Waitemata (Mr Hniris) had a Bill before tho House, which he described ns a simple one. Air Ngata. (Eastern -Maori) did not agree with him. He said that it was the Bill of a simple person. It appeared that m 1915 Mr Harris had secured the passage of an amendment to tho Destitute Persons Act enabling the appointment of officers at Magistrates Courts to bo responsible for the collection and disbursement, of maintenance moneys. However, tho Government had made no appointments on account of the expense involved in placing an officer in each Court. Mr Hams now proposed to make tho ap.pointments mandatory so far as the. Courts in tho four centres wore concerned asd optional in other oases. This ho would do by altering the word “may” in the principal Act te “ shall ’ so far as tho centres were concerned. Mr Ngata was rather amused at this simple expedient. What penalty was there if the Alinister of justice' said, filter the passage of this amendment, that tiie same conditions obtained as in 1915, and neglected to make any appointments? It might be effective, it the Bill provided that the Minister should lie put out of office if he failed to nififke the appointments bv a. certain Mr suggested that the Bill should he referred to flic Statutes Revision Committee any day that committee had not verv much to do ami could occupy itself m thinking how it could compel-tho Govern men tto do what it was not disposed to do. The Minister of Justice said the Department would consider Air Harris’s proposal. Of course, ho added himany, if the stipulation were made that he should have to retire, ho would have, to consider it. Mr Harris agreed to refer the Bill to the Statutes Revision Committee, and the second reading was agreed to