PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1828, 14 August 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY.

Possibly because the Financial Debate Bias due to begin in the evening, members o£ the House of Representatives eottled down to business in a somewhat half-hearted way yesterday afternoon. Notice having been given of the usual budget of questions, a discussion began upon the subject of the forest and other i-COTves which ore ecatteral, about in various parts of the Dominion. The opening was given, when the Prime Minister tabled a formal proposal to hit the reservation from an area, of hilly bush country in the Wairarapa. In tho sdmewhat inconclusive debate that toilowed all sorts of diverso views, were exMinister stated that the policy of the Government was to-main-tain reserves which were of any. value from tho scenic o<r timber-conservation point of view, but to lift the reservation from' other areas which had no such value. As a practical man, he expressed the opinion that areas of the latter class wore fairly numerous in the. Dominion. Mr. Ma«sey concurred in nn opinion expressed by Mr. J. 6. Coatss thi.t the timber in ,the "Waipoua forest should be utilised, and that if it weire not r tbe forest would , sooner or later be destroyed by firp/ j. The last hour of the afternoon was spent in discussing Ministerial replies to questions. . , As many strangers .as couid gain admittance attended in the evening to hear the opening of the Financial Debate. The attendance of members was poor at nrst, but improved later. The debate was disappointingly tame. Mt. TV. D. S. MacDonald led off for the Opposition in a 6pesch which, contained no surprises. and was painstaking rather than effective. Tho Hon. W. Frasf.r was content to speak for forty minutes in reply, and although he indulged in comment on the Opposition,, his was largfily dispassionate ami technical ' 11 C &1 ddo, in continuing the d l ®.™*; sion, 1 made no departure fromJ*™ I»r ground, but matters livened up. a litt-e when Mr. W. Nosworfhy tooV «ve He roundly denounced the methods of the rartr on the other side of tho Hcii.e 'in and out of office. stirred to exasperation by, th« , , ? a f . ' innd iivteriectid often and Tioifiih. but the member 'for. Ashburten chee'fjillr fora these interruptions. . . p was adjourned on the motion, of Mt. R, J For'fivo minutes before rt House di?cw«ed a motwm by Mr. ve'tcli S" the ewtance'taVwi bv the whklh oowMwJ tj ? Bnwwum Bonrb Validation Bill should Jt? P •motion was (letemninwlly fin,il.lv was thrown out on. the r"ice9, tht? V'Noes" raisins: a very , hearty chorus. The House rose at 11.35 p.m.