WEEK OR TEN DAYS WILL END SESSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17647, 21 September 1925, Page 6

WEEK OR TEN DAYS WILL END SESSION.

ESTIMATES PAST, NOTHING ELSE MATTER (Special to the “Star.") PRESS GALLERY, Saturdav. When the Public Works Statemen makes its appearance in the House th end of the. session is only matter of days off, and that appears to be the position this year. Members are now thinking of the time when they should be getting away to make their calling and election sure, and the general opinion is that another week or ten days will see the session of 1925 a thing of the past. 1 he Public W orks Statement was pre-

sen ted on Tuesday, but the debate was not taken until yesterday. As usual, it was the occasion for a vigorous working of the handle of the parish pump in an endeavour to draw forth copious draughts of grants, and if members did not receive all that they wanted—well, , at least, they had promises that the various matters raised would receive attention, and if they could not be satisfied with that, then they arc not members of Parliament. The death of Major-General Melvill, Commandant of the. Forces, cast a gloom over Parliament on Tuesday night. General Melvill was a popular figure in the legislative precincts, but the memory of his passing is made more poignant in view of the fact that his last appearance in the House was marked by an undignified outburst from the Labour benches against staff officers and what they were pleased to designate “ tin liats“ “ Brass hats ” are probably what they meant, but as through this session the Labour members have been like sounding brass and tinkling cymbals any reference to brass would probably be eschewed b- them as likely to bring forth a rebuke which would not be welcome. Che Public Debt, and the means of its repayment, came in for a considerable degree of attention during the week, and much propaganda has been made by all parties as to what thev have thought of one another's fiscal policies. However, the most pertinent question of all was raised lm- Mr Savage. “ Where shall wc be when the Public Debt is paid ottr” he asked. Under the daisies” was the prompt i response from some member.

"We know where the Ministers will be,” interposed Mr fHolland, and Mr Howard, who is by far the best humourist in the House, capped the interlude by beseeching Mr Holland “not to make it too hot.” Thursday’s proceedings were characterised by a brisk attack on Ministers for alleged absence from the House, • and the Prime Minister himself came in for a severe castication, especiallv at •he hands of Mr M’Combs. The Minister of Lands, however, whose remarks seemed to have a special significance for the Labour members, pointed out when defending the Ministers that thev found it hard to sit for hours on end listening to propaganda. Undoubtedly the Minister is right so far as his allusion to propaganda is concerned, but the Labour members Lave not had a lion’s share of it. Mr 1 pates has “put in a good word” for his party when the occasion has demanded it. In the Public Works debate lie made a real electioneering speech, and it must candidly be admitted that it was a good one. Speaking at half past twelve in the morning. Mr < oates was in good form for the hour he was on his feet, and some of his replies to interjections were very neat and apt. The point is. however, that he wss out fnr propaganda, too, and he made a good job of it so fa*- as Hansard was concerned, though that may not be saying very much, as a return presented to Parliament this session shows that that tome does not show an increasing circle of readers. Mr Howard entertains a very poor opinion of the Estimates. “ I look upon them as the annual comic cuts of the House,” he remarked, when complaining that sums of money voted were not always expended. To give point to his remarks ho complimented the Government on various items that appeared in the Estimates, and concluded: “I gave the Government a bouquet, but I trust they won't miss the brick that followed it.” Weil, bricks or mortar, the Government has got its Estimates through, and that is all it is going to werrv about tor this year at anv rate.