POLITICAL NOTES
(SPECIAL TO -THE MESS."')
WELLINGTON, July 3,
Labour Attack on Mr Coates. The Labour members are evidently vcr y touch perturbed at the genera 9 ciamatiou with which the election of t he Hon. J. G. Coates as Prime Mm. • tcr was received throughout the length ~ ♦ & «-.« "like a Chinese cracker—that he wafc J "£ .„ Mr Munro, tin: -_r.il fizz and no burst. -•-' > labour member for Dun prim N"rth> i hnfl lis "die" -it - Mr Coates, alKl ' ? b °-Sf Mr Parrv. the aggn^ivc - Kffite'rom Auckland Central, folPir ry described as a colourless WoolfrS document. He referred to Mr Stes a_ having been puffed up 1" fhfclouds bv the newspapers ot he immtA- In re.poi«c to Hint fooling SSSctured b/lhe Press, hj, said, wo Sd have had something very much was some laughter when Mr Tarry expressed himself as very pleased trith the result of the recent i rank!it Selection. Mr Coat™ _ laughM w.th other members, and eont.nued the work he was. engaged upon, dealing with a file of Departmental papers When Air Parry was upholding his oWtlFarfV, Mr Jsitt interjected: "-.hen w hy- write to Kussia?" There was a laugh. Mr j-nrry n aus ed and then said: "I heard n voi.-e Fn the wi'derness. It has been m the wilderness for the last three or .our ye "Then answer it," said a Bcform ""Hf can't," interjected another member.
Insufficient Boad Grants. . Speaking ill the House to-night, Mr J. C. Bolleston 3aid the assistance which County Councils were receiving from the Highways Board was in no way sufficient to compensate them for the largely increased motor traJlk\ In Waitomo, a road had been knocked to ttkees by traffic from outside. Ihc farmers had raised a loan to lay down the road, and now were rated in individual cases as high as yd in the £.. The Highways Board contributed onethird of the' cost, but this was in no Way satisfactory. The cost of a. macadam road for the 31 miles involved, was £26 000, and for a bituminous load £45'000. Present loans totalled £I6OOO, and of the rating area oncfclxth was native land, on which it was ft difficult matter to collect rates. To toiiiE up the road to tho standard which the Highways Board would re- ■• tiuifc, the settlors would have to . double their indebtedness, while m the Case of a bituminous road it would f-flfe increased threefold. He considered •"■' that an arrangement should be possible ■'between the Highways Board and' the "• Settlers by which the farmers would flay for any fait wear and tear, and the Board bear any expenditure above a Certain level.
Joverty in Auckland. Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) &W the attention of the Prime Minis- '- ter to a printed statement concerning the case of a woman and five children who were living in such poor circumstances that they had sacks instead of blankets to cover them at night. The husband Was out Of work. The Prime Minister said there were local organisations for attending to - such people. Thero were cases in New Zealand, however, ho. believed, whero . a. thorough Investigation ought to be ifia&e, and ho regretted that ho had not had'the time so far to go personally _ lata the matter, but ho intended to • take the matter up and see what could , 'be done. Ho was reforring, ho said, . fcrineipally to housing. He had a few ideas of his own, which he thought tvbuld, in the coufso of a few years, relieve the situation. He sympathised With* peoplo in such straitened circumstances, and what could be dono would be done.
ttottfs in Small Shops. " ■ In the House of Representatives this afternoon Mr T. K. Sidey brought up the question of the hours during which slhall shops are kept open. He asked it the Government would introduce legislation with a view to settling the troubles that at present existed in connexion therewith. The Hon. G. J. Anderson said lie was very well acquainted with this trouble. Difficulties had arisen both in regard to the. employers and the employees. One side was asking for legislation to amend the Arbitration Court award, ahd the other was protesting against it« He had stated that he would, not bring in any legislation to interf'ero with an Arbitration Court award. Ho did not think that a right thing to do, and ho had no intention whatever of dote,; it. It might, however, be needssary to amend the Shops and Offices Act in itgard to the hours shops should remain bpfen. It might bo deemed necessary to have exemptions in regard to some .Cases. There had been petitions oh the subject, and the Petitions Commit* ■tees had invariably turned them down. It" was a very serious matter to interfere with the Court, but Parliament Bright consider thd question of legislating on the lines suggested by the Court itself.
Electrocution. In the Houso this afternoon Mr D. 6. Sullivan gave notice to ask a question in regard to accidents to people Coming into contact with broken live electric wires. Later, Mr de la PerreHe put a similar question to the Primo Minister as a matter of urgency. The Hon. J. G. Coatcs said that a careful investigation had been made in Regard to accidents that had happened t-Wing to peoplo coming in contact with live wires, and they had legislation prepared which they hoped would to some extent see that the workmanship was done only by qualified persons. If that was arranged, it ought to have - sfinte effect, in minimising tho number of accidents. In regard to the accidents through breakage of wires, no practical solution had been'found. Prom the history of tho accidents, the Department was collecting data and preparing it in a way to see if there could be further safeguards taken. Unemployment in Otago. .•;.. In the House this afternoon Mr J. : ,W. Munro read a telegram from the Labourers' Union regarding unemployment in Central Otago. It stated that Seasonal unemployment there had beeu intensified by tho cruel policy of discharging men from the Public Works in Central Otago. He asked if the Government would take steps in tho interests of the men. Tho Hon. J. G. Coatcs said lie was not aware of any instruction given by the Public Works Department iu the direction indicated. There was, however, some difficulty in finding employment for men in Central Otago, and quite recently the Government, in Ofder to relieve tho situation, had agreed to continue the railway line beyond Miller's Flat. He would have enquiries made and see what tho position Was.
at foot of. nfixt cdtamn,x
The Gaming Laws. Three petitions, declaring the present state of tho gaming laws in tiie J)o-. minion to bo unsatisfactory, and that it would be better in the interests ot public morality to licenso bookmakers, and praying for legislation in this direction "under pro]>er safeguards,' nave beep presented to the House. U>e members presenting them are Messrs J. A. Young, (Hamilton), E. D. Mclennan (Franklin), and A. Bell (Bay of Islands). "The Press" Articles Quoted.
Mr- W. E. Parly (Auckland Central), to-night attacked the Christchurch "Press" for an article written against Mr Seddon on his elevation to the Premiership. The man who was responsible for that article, he said, received his reward from the Reforrti Patty as the result of those useful services. Mr Parry quoted other articles from "The Press" of January 30th, 1891, May lbtli, 1893, and February 11th, 1891, about what he termed "tho Old Tory propaganda."
The Spahlinger Treatment. In the Legislative Council to-day, replying to a question asked by the Hon. Dr. Collins regarding the recent Press cablegram concerning the value of the Spahlinger treatment for consumption, the Hon. ISir Francis Hell Said the High Commissioner was iu touch With Spahlinger and he would bo communicated .'with, immediately, asking the names of* the six experts who had issued .Certain recommendations in regard to his treatment, and also enquiring the substance of the recommendations. British. Immigrants. The Hon. D. Buddo wishes the Government to take into consideration this question of preference to immigrants from Great Britain as against thoso from Southern Europe who are now arriving" in considerable numbers, Soil for Local Body Elections. Mr D. G. Sullivan will ask whether the Government will-' introduce legislation amending tho Local Elections and Polls Act, or other legislation boaring on the matter, to provide for the use of thte Parliamentary roll at the elections for local bodies. He states that the present multiplicity of rolls is the causo of very great confusion, and results in many people losing their rights to vote* at municipal elections through misunderstandings. The executive of the Municipal Association has approved of' the proposed change, and a cable message from Sydney states that the New South Wales: Government will alter their law in tho direction indicated.
Why Mr Wright Left the Socialists, Mr E. A. Wright, late Mayor of Wellington and member for Wellington Suburbs, was in great form to-night in attacking tho Labour Party. He spoke forcibly, and mado his points, well. If tho Labour Party ever got on the Treasury benches they would have to act on the dictates of the Communists. That was what had happened in Australia, and the best men in tho Labour Party were driven from tho ranks. Mr Holm an and Mr Hughes were, driven out, and undoubtedly' they were ablo men.
A Labour member interjected that Mr Wright was a Socialist once. Mr Wright (turning on the interjeetor): I was, and I have repented in sackcloth and ashes ever since. (Laughter.) For, like Banquo's ghost, that sin haunts me from time to time. (Laughter.) Every time I say a word, the Socialists remind me of this unfortunato incident, which is the only black mark in my political life. (Laughter.) And all the waters of Jordan seem not able to wash it away. (Laughter.) I'll tell you why I left it. As a young man, I believed it would bring about the rejuvenation of society, and that every man Would live under his own vine and fig tree. For a time I read their books, but when I saw the httm I was surrounded with, I left. (Laughter.) I found they could not run their own little tin-pot show. They got into debt and they could not pay their debts. Therefore I came to the conclusion that they could not run their country, and that is why I left.
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Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18425, 4 July 1925, Page 13
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1,739POLITICAL NOTES Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18425, 4 July 1925, Page 13
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