PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1848, 6 September 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

v 5 A DAILY SUMMARY. Ragged d<Vbalo upon the Estimates took up most of the timo of the Houso of Representatives yesterday. All sorts of topics were talked threadbare, and the average rate of progress was very slow. Soon after tho House met, Mr. Laurerison asked t-lie Hon. A. L. Herdftian Why ho had departed from • tho usual custom in not presenting the annual report of tho Public Trust Ofl'ico to the Houso. Mr. ■Herdman said that ho accepted entire responsibility for withholding a report by tho Public Trustee. It dcp.lt with matters of policy which only a responsible Minister or tho Government had the right to suibmit to tho House.- Tho publication of a summary of this report in an Opposition newspaper, ' tho Minister stated, was an absolute proof of tho fact that someone in either tho Government Printing _ Office or tho Public Trust Office tad botrayed his trust. Tho Standing Orders did not . pormit a gcmoral discussion at - tho 'timo, , but Mr. Herdman indicated that lie would taka another opportunity of dealing with the matter m detail, and Oppositionists who had been seeking an opportunity to reply to what ho had already snid on the subject declared their satisfaction at tho prospect'. The House went into Committee of Supply on tho Estimates shortly after 3 p.m. Somo time-was wasted on the class, Publio Buildings and Domains. Discussion upon tho Native Department Estimates was reported in two columns of Hansard Inst year, hut on this occasion was long drawn-out and it was not until 10.12 p.m. that the class was passed and the House turned its attention to the Estimates of the Justice Department. ■ 'There had been somo bright patches in tho proceedings when tho Nati.yo Department Estimates wore being discussed, but after ten o'clock tho discussion dragged on drearily. ' One topic revived by' Oppositionists timo after time was that of the relations between the Public Commissioners and the Government in tho matter of increases in salary to officers in the Civil Service. Mr. Russell and others professed to find the elomentsof a hopeless deadlock in tho respective powers of Parliament and tho Commissioners arid determinedly refused to see daylight oven when told, as they -were often, that tfye increases granted by tho Com- • misflioners would bo ' tho House on tho Supplementary Estimates. At 11.40 p.m. Mr. G. W. Russell directed attention to the stato_ of the House, but tho Chairman said that a quorum was present. Thero were at tho time seven Oppositionists, two Labour members, and twelve Government supporters in tho House. In the lato hours tho Labour members 'discussed tho Waihi strike and other industrial troubles, .and advocated a six-day week for policemen. Mr. Herdman said that ho sympathised with tho proposal but that it could not bo adopted this year. Tho Justico Department Estimates were passed shortly after 1 a.m., and it was agreed.to put through tlio.Customs and Marine Class .before rising. Tho Class was passed, and tho House rose at 2.22 a.m. ■In the Legislative Council yesterday there was a spirited and serious discussion on a motion by tho Leader of tho Council that tho Council do not insist upon its amendments in tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, in which the House had not concurred. The motion was carried aft-or a division ,by. a narrow maiority. The Methodist Union Bill went'throiigh Committed with an amendment. Tho Hon. H. D. Bell , moved the second reading of tho Pen- '' sions Bill, and then tho dabato was adjourned, and tho' Council'-rose, having ■sat for nearly two hours and-a half.