TUB SESSION'S WORK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 6

TUB SESSION'S WORK.

PRIME MINISTER'S TACTICS CHALLENGED. DIFFERENCES OF OPINION. . A rather aorimonious . discussion arose in tlie House ,of Representatives last night over the action of the Government in deferring consideration of the Estimates until a late' hour in the evening. \ Early during the evening sitting Mr. Massey (Leader of the Opposition) inquired of the Hon. J. A. . Millar (Minister for Railways) ' whether it was really proposed' to go into Committee that night to consider the Estimates. In .reply Mr. Millar said that as .soon as the Bills which were on the top of the Order Paper had • been disposed of the Estimates ;would come on. for consideration. .He went on to say that it. was absolutely necessary that progress should be ;made with the . business. "It is one of tho worst. Houses for talk that I have known during tlie past 18 years," added Mr. ; Millar. /■Mr.-Massey: It means that there will bo a very late sitting. ./ , 'Mr. Millar: Well, >e must, get'tJiese Bills through. ■, • . '■ . ilr. Massey: Why? ' ' :. ' / Mr.. .Millar: Because -the .Legislative .Council-has: nothing to ; do; V " ' Mr. Massey : . But they have adjourned for a week. :(Laughter.) ' At ;10.30 p.m. , the. Prime Minister explained; that' instead-, of trying . to ■finish the remaining. .two ...Bills /at the /top. of"tlio'. Order 'Paper'/ he .intended :to inove'iiat they should thenrgo 'into Committee on j the Estimates.. - / Mr. .- Massey . strongly:.: protested 'against the proposal: that the ; House, should • b'e asked to • commence "the eon!sideratioh' of ' the ; Estimates:, that hour,,in tlie evening., lie. was surprised that/'several .'Bills '..should/ '..have . been placed i on /the : Order/.: Paper. for-;,consid-'eratibn earlier in .the day vand'-eyening. It/looked:as,if!the Prime; Minister were trying to .'.avoid, tlie proper criticism of the administration' of the' Govefnment. He did not see how tlie Government: was .'going to get,, through the,'business in view of tlie'tactics which; it;.was 'fpllbwr 'ing.- f v ■■'.'/'/ /. '■ /-*://■ ■ / 'I'hb. Prime Minister / said , that. . :the House should'/have,.been,,able to go.on /with- the .Estimates by,-.4.30;p.in.-. The ,three' Sills '-.which - had, been'- dealt-. with, that: day-.contained only;'three,.four/ and seven:- clauses respectively. ■ :What had • happened?- - ! .There:-:had:been. a.i.lot of criticism :'on. :oiie i 11, .tlie', Hutt...; Railway, "Bill,- 1 from the point of view'' of outside organisations 'who; - wanted /. to :get' at ''the.'.Government.-'Z ! ; / . .r - . iMr.' Massey: : Who,wants to do• that? >" 'Sir 1 Joseph':/.The.local-bodies,. / , ,:,' ■ / Continuing;. Sir ..Joseph/ said, that tho •Government: toew/wHat was- 1 going, on as :well'-.as : !th6' : inembers»for.-Wellington. ;

' -:Mr. M'Lai-en: That kind-of" criticism is played out. 1 ~ . _. (/./ -■ /■' .'Sir; Joseph .(resuming) said that every, ilawyer./in/ the. city had been /employed in/regard to/,tho matter which he vwas alluijing to. ; What was riiore, the debate had been used for the purpose of. obtaining information which would be used against- the Government., ' legally/ If Mr.- M'Larcn thought that his criticism was' played out/lie. was making 'a mistake/ for. time had, .\ulidoubteclly. 'beenZ'-waSted/'; < .- . ; :. ; : : i'::/ : -

/ Mr.i M'Lareh.: I did: riot speak on /the Bill

•Sir. Joseph:" Neither did I.*' , . : Cputiriuing,/;Sir-'Jqsoph said/that: the 'three: Bills"which had: beeii . considered 'Bills.;/ .(Oh's.) .Any. half, a/' dozei\;men: of. brdinary • in-:; /toliigenco would have put them through tin .an hour or so. The,',-House 'did not want to' bo put' in ■ tho pnsition. of ■ caiiines !wlio had . eaten'.'everything, off a' bono, buried it, and .then, dig it up and' tear I 'at. it again.; The :discussion /on, the Bills .was not to-the .credit///of Parliament. '. /' ■'

Mr. -Herries : ,-You don't appreciate what we have done for you.;; Z : '/■/

Sir/Joseph: 'Why"the. Hutt . Railway," 'Bill 'contained/only vthreb clauses, 'and no amendment was:made,in it. ;.// '/'/ ~>:

; . Mr. .Herries :■•, It ■ was attempted /,to' ,amend/it.,t /Z;.:/;.-,/: ::. ;/ /;; ■:.,/.//r:/!:/'. '•/ .'/./ Sir ' Joseph : Ward;..(continuing)/ said 'that the- Government did not:wish to 'burk!-criticism''•'•,.of,; its,/., .administration./ .The ■ Opiv/isitioii,: had had/ plenty of op-, tb/do /that'/oh .the/'Address-''ln-Reply'',,.the/Budget/debate,//arid,'the ;')jirst,.item":'pf v .,the /Estimates. --Extra-/ ordinarily slow work had - Ijeen/dprie that, day; the .Hoiiso /should show, .it . had .the,-capacity ;of 'former Houses;: -As hp/ liad-said / the Bills , which had/taken; up: so much time wero twopennj'-half-penn'y Bills. : ,/,■' / .' ~/-' /';,/ / -'. Mr.: Allen/ (warmly) : - , .Why , do. you. .bring in such Bills? // :/;':': :/ / : Z/;Z Sir Joseph Ward;/! meah'in 1 the. matr, .ter/ of size. Z•

. - Sir Joseph Ward went oh to.s'ay. that ! he/.,w.oiild show ' before} the. end; of the. sessiciu in/ regard to; one • matter ./that they, did not ; want; to.-burk. discussion' 'by -.pursuing "an,:', inquiry .".whether,:'the; member /who,- brought /it ,up .liked' it/or, not. -, Tho./ Government' . would-, Vput through its; important' measures /-that session. ' .That: was .beyond', all.i.doUbt. n/tho'/House delayed unreasoiiably ho Uvas; prepared to a'djourn' the. Estimates for. a'Ztime.,. It •nught'/.beZ that .they would < defer tie. Estimates fora /Friday' or.'.two to get on with"!tlie.Bills./. There' Zwas iio'i'eason. why/they should,hot:got' through/ four of .'the'.•Estimates: that night. ' . r."/:' :// '/ A member: Oh, say. fourteen.'/. ••

Mr. Massey, said that two, -of Z ; tliei Bills' which , had- been, before' the/House that,/ day l .wefe/.important.- There/ had(bqen rio, >.- 'discussion/;: oh them. , It was hot reasonable/to ask the House to go, into Committee of Silpply at: 10.45 p/ni.' when 'this/;should .have been - done;as. soon .after.'2.Bo Zp.in/; as possible. / '/' Z."■'/,//;/ . ■ : Consideration of' the > Estimate's -was then/proceeded V'ith. "