IN PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1248, 5 October 1911, Page 5

IN PARLIAMENT.

DAILY SUMMARY. THE INVITATIONS MYSTERY, The Houso was still sitting wh«n The Dominion dosed its columns yesterday morning. Tho Hon. J. A. Millar, while in. dhargo of tho Lalxnir Department Estimates, made tho striking statement that unless the constitution of tho Arbitration Court woro altered it would soon be altogether avoided by tho workers' unions, and no disputes would come before it. He attributed this tendency to the growth of Jaw-count methods in tho Arbitration Court, ami ho thought tho remedy would bo tfao appointment of a business man fW president instead of a judge. This notion found favour with several members, but 'drew from Mr. Hordman a spirited protest against what ho Tcgnrdcd as a reflection on tho Bench. He, however, regarded tho Arbitration Court as a failure—a view which was pretty generally shared by theso who took part in tho debate. Conciliation, in somo form or other, was approved by all. Somo .of'the members of tho Upper Houso gavo their leader an uncomfortable hour and a half yesterday afternoon. Tho Hon. C. H. Mills moved his motion of protest against tho Attorney-General's refusal of information ia regard to tho Coronation invitations. He and others who followed him used some fairly plain language about tho action of tho Government in connection with tho invitations which wero meant tor tho Councillors, but which novor reached them. Fourteen mombers, including Mr. Mills, spoke during tho debate, and only three were against passing any motion on.the subject.- SiT John Findlay's defence was that tho form of his refusal to givo information was modelled upon Ministerial replies in tho House of Commons, while tho substance of if was. the result of Cabinet consultation. As ho still omitted to dispol (.lie mystery, the Council resolved, on tho voices, to "request tho Government to explain tho matter of tho Coronation invitations to the Council." ; , Sir Maurice O'Rorke's University Divinity Degrees Bill was rejected on the motion for second reading by 1G votes to 4, and three local. Bills wero read a second time. The Hoiiso began tho active work of '•yesterday's sitting with a discussion on a return showing how ,£213 had been expended during the year in entertaining official visitors. , . A promise to produce it had been extorted from the Goveramenjt on tho .previous evening. The event of the afternoon sitting was a debate which arose out of a question addressed to the Prime Minister by Mr. Jas. Allen. Tho question as to whether money spent on public buildings is or is not interest-bearing has been much in evidence of late. Mr. Allen pointed out that Sir Joseph "Ward had answered the question one way in tho Budget of 1906 and another way in the Budget of 1911, and invited him to state which answer was correct Mr. Allen did not get the answer ho wanted, but, assisted by Mr. Buchanan and other mombers, he effectively criticised the financial and statistical methods of the Government. The Prime Minister is still prevented by illness from returning to 3iis duties, but the Hon. J. A. Millar spoke on behalf of tho Government.

Another feattrre in the afternoon was a desultory discussion-on land settlement, interesting ohiefly on account of a suggestion by Mr. Ross thnt closer settlement areas should be established. The .customary two hours wore nominally devoted to members' questions anad Ministerial replies. Consideration, of -tihe.. Estimates, was- reeumed in the evening, but not till after Mr.. Sidey, tho Ministerialist member for Caversham, moved an intercepting amendment about a beach at St. Kilda, thoreby etalling off any amendment that might havo been moved from the Opposition side. The Estimates of the Agricultural, Commerce, and Tourist Department were before tho Houso for several hours, and the votes were ultimately passed unaltered.