POLITICAL NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14769, 7 October 1921, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

' INTERESTING QUERIES LICENSING LAW AMENDMENT. HIGH COMMISSIONER AND POLITICS (By Telegraph.—Special to Times.) WEL I.IN GTO N, T imrsday. | Some interesting questions were j asked and answered in the House tin's | afternoon before the resumption of the i Address-in-iteply debate. Tiio Shearers’ Award, i The Minister for Labour, referring to I Ihe Shearers’ Award, said there was not i 1 lie least doubt that Hie award applied I lo all districts except Nelson and WeslI land. There was an award for each j district in [tie same terms, and he held I copies of all of them. Meat in Store. Hon. \V. Nosworl.iiy undertook to ini quire if it would lie possible to issue ! monlhly reports of beef, mutton and j lamb in the stores, as was done during j the commandeer period. He said ill is j had been easy when Hie meal was owned by Hie Imperial Government, hot he was not sure that lie could take Hie same course now Hint private individuals owned Hie meat. The High Commissioner. Early in the session the loader of the Labour Party asked the Government to'reprove Hie High Commissioner for suggesting, in an article, that the Labour Party in the New Zealand. Parliament did not stand for constitutional methods- To-day Mr 11. E. Holland rcI newer! his question. He asked if the ! Prime Minister would instruct the High I Commissioner lo refrain from using ids j I office for partisan propaganda. .Mr I Massey replied that he had not read i the article, and lie was not prepared to admit at present that the paragraphs were misleading. Mr Holland: He says wc do not approve of constitutional methods. Mr Massey: If the honourable member will give his assurance that he and Hie people, with whom he was working approve of constitutional methods on every possible occasion I shall lie glad lo give his statement all the publicity possible. (Laughter.) Mr Holland; That is not flic point: the fact that, wo are here proves that / we approve of constitutional methods. The Minister said the question had better go on the order paper. Licensing MattersThe Prime Minister stated fast session that he would provide an opportunity this year for examination of the licensing question by a committee of Hie House, with the object of laying j down lines for an amendment of the ! licensing law in Hie event of prohibition not being carried next year. When this matter was mentioned to-day Mr Massey said members would have an opportunity of going” before Hie committee and making suggestions on licensing matters. The financial side of Hie licensing question required attention, and some other aspects were even more urgent. He could not predict what would happen at Hie ncxl licensing poll, but there was no harm in saying that if prohibition was not carried in 1*.)22 it would he Hie duly of Hie Government to make some very important amendments in the licensing la w. A Supplementary Loan. Replying to a question regarding loans, Mr Massey said (here was pro-, vision in one of Hie statutes that if Urn Government was authorised to I borrow a certain sum in London and : had lo issue debentures at a discount, i it might raise an additional loan in order to bring the amount of money actually received up Lo Ihe full total of the authority. The discounts and other costs in connection with the La,000,000 loan had amounted lo about £380.000, and a supplementary loan for this amount had been raised.' The money had been secured at £O9 ss. That was a highly satisfactory Iransaction. Although the amount was only 1 a small one, it proved again I hat, the credit of the Dominion was particularly good. Addrass-in-Reply. The Address-in-Rcply debate was completed in both Houses to-day. The Council adjourned early, and will not work again until next week. The Labour members had the door in the House of Representatives most of Ihe day. Mr 11. E. Holland moved ids wini-of-confidenee motion and devoid most of his time to a discussion of [he coal question. He 'complained that Hie Government was paying £0 and £7 per ton for imported coal, while life Now Zealand mines and miners were idle.

Mr ‘Poller (Roskill) retorted, and in the course of his speech said the miners had brought their troubles on their own heads. By their “go slow” policy and strikes they had forced (he Government to import coal in order to protect Ihe community. Other members condemned the Government’s financial arrangements, and blamed it for unemployment. The amendment eventually was defeated by 10 votes to 9.

Messrs Atmorc, Horne, Poland and Willy voted with Hie five labour members. Wlr Statham Explains. After Hie discussion Mr C. E. Statham, the leader of the New Party, made Ids appearance, an(d explained that he had not voted on either wanl-of-conlldence motion, because lie did not approve of cither Liberals or Labourites. He proceeded to 101 l I it o House about the Progressive, Liberal, and Moderate Labour Party, which inlended to become the official opposition; it was out to defeat revolutionary labour and lo kill the Liberal Party. An Argument.

Mr Veileh (Wanganui) followed an I complained Unit Mr Statham tut stolen Ids title of Moderate Labour. Mr Statham had never been a member of a union and had no right to Hie name. Mr Veiteh also complained that Mr statham, after being associated with other independents, had lefl them without consultation and formed a new party. Mr Statham retorted Inal at Hie end of the session ir March the Independents met and agreed to go separate Ways. The two members argued the poim lo the amusement of the House.