PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY.

The political event.of outstanding interest - yesterday was a caucus of the members of the Opposition party to consider the question of leadership. Subsequently an official report , was issued', stating that it had been unanimously decided to offer the position of Leader of the Opposition to Sir Joseph Word. 1 When the House met in the afternoon a discussion upon an . aspect of ilhe smallpox epidemic arose, when the Hon. A., T. Ngata stated that members of the Native Tace, resident in infected areas, had been put to considerable expense and trouble,, by tho destruction of dwellings and in other ways, in meeting the requirements of the Public Health authorities, and asked .what the Government proposed to do in the way of compensating tihe Natives. Tho Hon. R. H.,'Rhodes (Minister for Public Health) replied that his Department had already done a good deal in this direction. \ ■

The Public Petitions Committee reported : favourably upon thepetition of the widow of the Jato Mr. E. If. Smith (a former .'member of the House), praying for a compassionate allowance, and Mr. Russell and other Opposition members , eeized tihe opportunity, to urge that pensions for politicians should be provided.' Another subject of discussion was the disease known as pneumoconiosis, or ' minors' phthisis. Mr. Poland urged that Bomo better provision than at present should bo made for the victims of this disease and their dependents. The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, in a sympathetic reply, outlined the difficulties encountered by 'the Government in handling the problem of making tho necessary provision, and stated , that he hoped eventually to mako permanent provision for the victims of this and other diseases in the way of pen- . eionS.

Tie Financial Debate was resumed at 4.40 p.m., and was carried on until the end of the sitting in a House that usually showed a great array of empty benches. . Mr. H. G. Ell, v-ho was the first speaker Df tlie iay in. the debate, dealt mainly with the subject of tariff revision, and suggested a number of instance's in which duties mijrht bo eased or removed. . Mr. F.'H. Smith, who followed, made easily the best speech for which he has been responsible in Parliament. He was particularly fortunate in his of metaphors, and Opposition members were evidently nonplussed when 'he told them that instead of locking forward they ware Booking consolation and support in political graveyards. Mr. T. Buston retaliated by attacking the Government upon its past and present attitude towards the Labour-Socialist tflement in the House, ai>d in t,he country, i ml'for'the ro3t had some observations to offer upon tho subject of foreign trade. • Mr,. C. E. Statham made an effective reSly to some Opposition- criticisms of the udget, and mado a retaliatory raid or two into the enemies' territory. Mr. J. G; Ccafces, the last speaker of the evening,'touched upon.fTuit fanning and upon the general question of land settlement. Tho adjournment, of the debate . was moved by the Prime Minister, and the Houaa rose at 10.40 p.m. Some hopes are entertained that the debate will terminate to-day. ' '