Parliamentary Notes.

West Coast Times, 7 November 1904, Page 4

Parliamentary Notes.

[Fkom Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.]

Wellington, Nov 6 mr g. j. muller'3 pension. In the House last night the Gerhard John Muller Enabling Bill (dealing with the position in the Civil Service of Mr G. J. Muller, until recently Commissioner of Crown Lands at Auckland), met with a good deal of opposition on the grounds that there we're "other cases of a similar nature which bbould be dealt with, and Mr Millar moved a hostile amendment that thi Bill b 9 read a second time that day six months. Eventually a motion to adjourn the debate was carried by 33 votes to 25. AN EXHAUSTED HOUSE. The House was utterly exhausted last

I night after the heavy work and :ont| hours of the early portion of the nk.! I and members were physically and men- 1 tally unable to properly discuss the pub'ir tforks estimates. The result was that 1 thousands of pounds worth of vit:S were passed without t c pli^hhst pr< te t or comment. By tbe time t li e publiu buil.iings vote was reached there were nioete.-n members in tho House and the proceedings were of the driest description. Three v of the nineteen were palpably snoring aad a fair proportiou of the remainder were in a semi-somuoleot condition. The handful of members who were alert enough to attempt any critic sn said what they had to pay in subdued tones as though their vocal chords hid suffered through the s.rnio put upon them during bue four or five months that the session had lasted.

No wonder that under such conditions the public buildings vote, amounting to £177,000, was passed without any trouble. Subsequent votes representing still larger sums wirzzed through with still greater o-tlfrity, and even members whose districts were alleged to be getting less than ;tioir fiit share of the £345,000 voted for roads and bridges had only strength for one or two languid protests.

At 2.30 a.m., just betore the curtain fell on the snTy farce, seven out of the 22 im tubers wore a«leep and one was noisy, and the end of lie session was c v ideatly in view. ]M o one appeared to be listening to what wao *aid. Thus with a few to talk and none to listen, the whole of the public works estimates were put through almost blindfolded at a Bingle sitting. INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE. A report on certain industries was made by the Ex tec sion of Commerce Committee of the House on Friday. In regard to the woollen industry, the committee reported that; it had taken evidence on that. Whilst it desired to promote the use of New Zealand manufactured goods it could not recommend an incieaae in the duty on imported materials.

The committee, however, expressed the opinion that moi no ported cloths and garments should have tickets attached specifying the materials used, and that garments made in New Zealand of imported cloths should have a similar ticket attached. In regard to the tobacco industry the committee reported having taken evidence from the representatives bt three tobacco company's and also endeavoured to procure evidence from retailers, but found difficulty in prrcuring evidence .from them. The committee was therefore unable to submit a final report this session and recommended that the investigation be prosecuted next session.

The committee also asked that it might be permitted to enquire into the candle industry next session and that it bad been nnable to complete the inquiry into the various petitions praying for an increase of import duties on American and o her foreign timbers.