POLITICAL NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14774, 13 October 1921, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

YESTERDAY'S PARLIAMENT.

A POSTPONED STATEMENT

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS

(Ry Telegraph.—Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

Mr Massey was expected to make his promised statement regarding the work of the Imperial Conference and otne." matters that engaged his attention in London to-day, but he postponed his remarks in order that he might have lime to prepare certain papers. The House therefore reached private members' Bills early in the afternoon, and spent the rest of the day upon them . Rating Native Lands. The first was Mr Reed's Native Land Amendment Bill, which proposed that if native hand is fenced and occupied, and if the native owner neglects to pay rates, the local authorities, after 12 months, may distrain upon any stock that depastures on the land. Tt also proposes that a European purchaser or lessee of native land shall be liable to pay a share of the cost of any boundary fence or drain of which the native owner did not pay his share. Mr Beer! argued that this Bill did no injustice to the natives, and was a reasonable concession to the local bodies and white settlers. It, was referred to the Native Affairs Committee. Financial Statement. Asked to-day when he would bring down the Financial Statement, the Prime Minister replied: "As soon as possible"; .but he added that his time had heen so fully taken up with deputations and other matters that he had not been able to bestow on the Statement the attention it demanded. Restriction of Deputations. Mr Massey said he would shortly make an announcement that he would receive deputations only once a week. Members of local bodies and other organisations came to Wellington, and all at once the Prime Minister was informed thai they wished to see him for a. few minutes, which generally became something like three-quarters of an hour or an hour. His work was consequently impeded. Decrying Country's Credit. "The country is perfectly sound," said Mr Massey in the House to-day; "let there be no mistake about that. I would say to the members of Parliament and lo the public of the country: 'Do not become unnecessarily alarmed, and, for goodness sake, do not cry down the credit of the country!' Nothing hurts me more than to hear the credit of the countrycried- down, as it has been several times during the last few weeks, not only in Wellington, but in several parts of New Zealand. - ' Racing Commission's Report. Members of Parliament met to-day to again discuss Lhe (laming Commission's recommendations. Only a fair number were present., and il was decided to wait on Mr Massey to discuss the position respecting lhe eliminated clubs and trotting permits particularly. The meeting did not arrive at, any scheme or suggestion to place be fere the Premier. Some members state pri- ' vately that they are in a quandary, o\v- ' ing to representing districts standing ' both to lose and gain by adoption or ' rejection of the report. J