PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17222, 4 October 1927, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

NO FIREWORKS. ALLEGED BREACH OF FAITH. NEW BILLS INTRODUCED. (Special Parliamentary Reporter.) PRESS GALLERY, Tuesday. The House of Representatives last night in the presence of full galleries inaugurated Monday sittings. Contrary to expectations there were no fireworks, Labour’s protest against the alleged breach of faith on Friday being made without a scene. The determination, however, to defeat the object of the Prime Minister in calling the House together took shape in a debate on the motion to ‘go into committee on the Estimates, the chief topic of discussion being the position of the Wellington Education Board some years ago. . Two Government measures were introduced at the sitting—one relating to an amendment of the land laws, and the other to an amendment of the Apprentices Act. In committee on the Estimates the following votes were passed:— Lands and Survey, £169,532. Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement, £39 995. Lands for Settlement, £3441. Lands Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Account, £2G29. Scenery Reservation, £4BOO. Valuation Department, £49,421.

Industries and Commerce, £34,910. The Prime Minister gave notice of his intention to move that on and after Monday the House should meet on Monday for the transaction of Govern-ment-business.

SLOW PROGRESS. NUMBERS RESTLESS. BUSINESS TO BE SPEEDED UP. (Special Parliamentary Reporter.) PRESS GALLERY, Monday. There is increasing restiveness amongst a section of members -if the House at the rate of progress of the session. Parliament is in its fifteenth week, and the total legislative effcec is the passage of about half a dozen Government Bills; the House lias actually passed ten or a dozen Bibs, hut several of these have not yet been through the Legislative Council. Farmer members naturally are becoming impatient,- as the season develops, to get hack to their farms and prepare for shearing and the other really busy activities of the year.

It is understood that the Government’s programme of business is from two to three weeks in arrears, and that it is hoped to conclude the session oy the middle of November. In the next five or six weeks, however, there are some highly contentious matters to be dealt with, notably the Customs Bill, giving effect to the tariff changes, the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill, and the Gaming Bill, in addition to ordinary Government measures.

It is generally agreed that if the prorogation is to take place at the middle of next month the legislative machine will need to he speeded up considerably.