PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 21 August 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY.

The end of the Financial Debate in the House of Representatives is not yet in immediate prospect, but it shows no great promise of gaining interest' or import ahce as a party conflict Ytaterday the Budget, which is nominally the subject of debate, receded very otten into the background and various minor questions und matters of detail were discussed.

Soon after the House met in the after,-' noon Mr. Webb questioned the Minister for Defence regarding the detention of youths at Ripa Island and repeated the now somewhat threadbare charge that unfair discrimination had been oxercised by the officers engaged in administering the Act. The Hon. Jas. Allen denied the truth of the charge, 'but admitted that some- defaulters under the Act had escaped punishment owing to a difficulty in ascertaining theii whereabouts. Replying to Mr. Russell the Hon. A. L. Herdman stated thuit tho annual reports upon the operations of the Public Trust Office which wero required bv statute to be laid before the House fiad already been presented. ; .

The following Bills • wore read a first time: River Boards Amendment Bill (Mr. Herdman), Land Drainage Act Amend--s®' (Mr. Massey), Science and Art 5 1 !; (. • P'sher), Local Elections and Polls Amendment-Bill (Mr,- Herdman), Counties Amendment Bill (Mr. Herdman), Church Trusts Bill (Mr. Stutham). lor over an hour and a half the House discussed Ministerial replies to questions. Ihe subjects raised were of more-than ordinary interest. The, Prime Minister foreshadowed legislation .amending tho present procedure in connection with ,the acquisition of 'land for settlement. Another problem discussed was that of preventing speculators trading in Native lands: The Native Minister said that any restriction imposed upon the acquisition, of Native lands reduced the price which could be obtained by the Natives. He hoped, however,' when he brought down his Bill this session, - to improve those features of. tho system in vogue which called for amendment.

The Prime Minister effectively rolled back a question by Mr. Hanan about a message sent Home in reference to the Governor's Speech, delivered at tho opening of the present Parliament. Mr. Massey explained that tho message had been dispatched by an official without tho knowledge of any Minister. The cost of transmission had ' been £i. The Mackenzie; Government . when it introduced its Governor's Speech, had. sent . Home a much longer and more elaborate message, which, however,'was not sent : by.an official, but from the Cabinet room, and its cost of transmission was .SIB.

The Financial Debate was resumed at 4.30 p.m. by Mr. A. Harris, membeir for , Waitemata. After dealing at some length with tho pledge-breaking of tho member for.Groy Lynn in the troubled days when the Ward Government came to its downfall, ho went on to-assail the Opposition with slory and quotation in' retaliation upon the recent efforts in that direction of tho member for Avon. Mr. Harris was subjected to'so many interruptions by the Opposition that the Speaker had to threaten that ho would take "other steps" if his demand for order were not respected. .The lion. Dr. Poimro replied in detail to tho allegations, regarding the administration of the Cook Islands made on the pre-' vious day. by Mr. L. 11. Isitt. Incidentally Dr. Pomare indulged in an exchange of somewhat .rough personalities with members on tho other side of tho' House..

The debate was continued by Messrs. J. Robertson, R. W. Smith, and C. A. Wilkinson, the last-named, of - whom raised some laughter by submitting, ii quotation from "Paradise Lost," as applicable to the member for Avon.

The debate was adjourned on' the mo- t tion of Glir. H. G. Ell, and the House rose' tit .11.40 p.m.

• The Legislative Council sat for precisely ten minutes, and the only important business was to pant a three weeks' extension of time to the special committee set up to investigate the Reform. Bill. The Council will meet apain to-morrow, and at its rising then will probably adjourn for ten days.