IN THE HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20361, 19 July 1934, Page 16

IN THE HOUSE.

Tariff Commission Debate Still Unfinished. EXTENSION OF PARLIAMENT. (‘‘Star ” Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, July 18. Contrary to expectations of the Government, the debate on the Tariff Commission’s report did not end to-night. The original plan the debate should finish at the dinner adjournment, but when the final adjournment came it still was in progress. In announcing that the debate would continue to-morrow so that it could be finished, Mr Forbes expressed astonishment that it had not yet ended. However, it now is expected that it will come to an end to-morrow afternoon and that private members’ Bills will take the rest of the day. Friday will be devoted to Government Bills, the House making a late start in the morning on account of the funeral of the late Mr E. W. Kane, former Clerk of Parliaments, of whose services suitable expressions of appreciation were made in both Houses to-day. The tariff debate to-day followed ordinary lines, city members again verbally assaulting the Government for reduction of duties on goods that are made in New Zealand. Mr Poison set out the attitude of the farmers, declaring that, they stood for free trade,/with subsidies for economically sound secondary industries.

It is expected that the Bill authorising the permanent extension of Parliament’s life to four years will be introduced within a day or two, Mr Forbes saying in an interview to-night that he expected to have it ready shortly. This measure was introduced in 1932, but not gone on with, owing to pressure of more urgent business. The Sustenance Question.

The House will have an early opportunity to discuss the position of sustenance men in Christchurch. Mr Sullivan had intended to move the adjournment of the House to enable the issue to be debated, but he was prevented by the procedure from following that course, because the sustenance question had previously been discussed this session. He now proposes to introduce an amendment to the Unemployment Act providing for payment of sustenance allowances in accordance with the scale prescribed in the 1931 enactment. Although the measure is unlikely to be acceptable, its introduction paves the way for ventilation of the grievance. Examination of Milk.

The attitude of the Auckland Milk Council towards the bacteriological examination of milk was not directly commented upon by Mr Forbes in the House to-day when asked an urgent question on the subject by Mr Kyle (Riccarton). In view of the statement that the council would not undertake any expense in connection with such examinations, Mr Kyle asked the Government to take steps to eliminate the tubercular cow from herds in New Zealand, and thus guard the • health of the people and improve the. purity of dairy produce. “It seems evident,” the Prime Minister replied, “ that the question is still the subject of discussion, and it is desirable to await the result of this. The Department of Agriculture, in the course of its inspection of the dairy herds supplying Auckland city and suburbs, has during the past twelve months subjected forty-two samples of mixed milk from selected individual herds to biological and bacteriological examination for the presence of tubercular infection, with negative results in each case. I understand the Dairy Commission is giving some consideration to this aspect of the dairy industry.” “ Arrogance.”

“ Arrogance not becoming to a great Church ” was the comment made by the Hon R. McCallum in the Legislative Council to-day, regarding the title of the Church Property Trust (Canterbury) Amendment Bill, sponsored by Sir Heaton Rhodes. The Bill authorises the pooling of certain funds. Mr McCallum said that from the title of the Bill a foreigner coming into the country would think there was a national Church in New Zealand. If the Presbyterian Church had a private Bill its name was always included in the title, such as Presbyterian Property Bill. lie did not think it would be tolerated in Wellington, where the Presbyterian population was greater than the Anglican. It was arrogance not becoming to a great Church, and in committee he would move that the title be amended t.o Anglican Church Property Trust Amendment Bill. Bookmaking.

Beyond the bare statement that the Government would give consideration to the matter there was little information in *the reply which the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon J. A. Young, gave to Mr Armstrong (Christchurch East) in the. House to-day, when Mr Armstrong asked a series of questions seeking to have bookmaking legalised. In asking the Minister whether his attention had been called to the sentence of one month’s imprisonment imposed in Auckland on a bookmaker, Mr Armstrong said he did not wish to reflect upon the magistrate, who only administered the law as he found it. He asked the Minister, however, whether seeing that the bookmaker was a product of horse racing,*that he was born to it and could only be eliminated by the elimination of horse racing altogether, the Minister would bring down legislation removing the absurdity of trying to make the business of bookmaking illegal while legalising other and worse forms of horse racing gambling. In another question Mr Armstrong wanted to know if the Minister would bring New Zealand into line with “ all other civilised countries in the world, which legalise, control and tax the business of bookmaking,” thus removing this anomaly in the gaming laws. The Minister said the first question should be referred to the Minister of Justice. Mr Armstrong: lam asking for legislation. The Minister: But it should be referred to the Minister of Justice. Mr Armstrong: You are the only one who can remove the anomaly. The Minister said that the matter would receive the consideration of the Government. Bills in the Council. In the Legislative Council to-day, j the Hon R. McCallum gave notice to introduce the Education Amendment] Bill, giving the Minister power to al-

low school buildings t.o be used for religious and moral instruction and compulsory attendance at Sunday Schools, and giving power to Church schools to appoint truant officers. The lion C. J Carrington gave notice to introduce the Contraceptives Bill, forbidding the sale of contraceptives to persons under eighteen, and authorising sale by registered chemists only. .