PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1858, 18 September 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY.

Tho stagnation of the obstruction debato in the House of Representatives gave place yesterday to a. very different ■state of affairs. 'J'Jie bralco on progress which the Opposition liavo maintained sinco last Saturday morning was lifted, and throughout tho' day members wero engaged in a series of party encounters alternating with periods of dull but seriously-intended discussion on tho Estimates.

The first note of truce was sounded at three o'clock yesterday morning.' At that hour the last item on the Mental Hospital Estimates was passed. Theso Estimates had supplied the Opposition ; with topics for alleged discussion all through the obstruction debate. As soon as Mental Hospitals had been disposed of, the Prime Minister proposed that tho Chairman should leavo the Chair until 10 a.m. The suggestion was made aj a result of negotiations between tho party leaders, and was immediately accepted by the Committeo, which rose at 3.4 a.m. . ' There was a stir of expectation when membors reassembled at 10 a.m., but for the first ten minutes nothing of interest happened. A sub-class, "Homo for Defectives," was passed without discussion, and then the Committee turned to the consideration of the Tourist Department Estimates. At 10.10 a.m. Sir Joseph Ward moved to report progress, explaining that lie did so in order to havo an opportunity of asking tho Prime Minister how far he intended to go with the Estimates at that sitting. The two leaders then reviewed the ovents of 'the obstruction dobate from their respective and widelydifferent standpoints. A measure of agreement was reached as to the amount of work to bo done before reporting progress, but a possibility of further troublo remained, in the fact that the Prime Minister resolutely declined to givo an assurance asked for by Sir Joseph Ward that lie would not nsk the House to go on with the Estimates today. The Prime Minister simply stated that ho would not be coerced, hut that if obstruction ceased ho would observe reasonable hours. During tho remainder of the forenoon and for three-quarters of an hour in the afternoon consideration of .tho Tourist Department Estimates continued on normal lines, and with an absence of party dissension. At 3.15 p.m. tlio Estimates of the Public. Service Commissioners wero reached, and for the next two hours there was a stormy discussion upon the subject of tho statutory powers of the Public Sendee Commissioner in dealing with tho salaries of Public Servants. The points raised were mainly • those which had been raised in tho discussion of the previous afternoon, but an additional contribution was that or the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, who bluntly told Opposition members tliat~ their objections were really based upon regret at the fact that an end had been made of political influence ' in connection with tho Publio Service. The class was passed at 5.20 p.m., anu tho Committeo went on to deal with tno Cook Islands Estimates, which furnished material for talk during some hours of tho evening sitting. . T The Cook Islands section of,the Internal Affairs vote was discussed at great length, with especial reference to the recent appointments to the adwinistrative staff at the Islands, and to the natives' bad habit of drinking bush beer. The vote was passed at 10.4U p.m. ■ ... Tlio next discussion of any consequence was on the visit of the battleship New, Zealand to our coasts. Mr. Hindmarsh protestpd.-iAgainst-. the. ,es-. penditure of £10,000' on tho visit as a piece of woeful extravagance. bir Joseph Ward and other southern Qicpbers protested that Bluff people had been slighted by the ship staying off tho port only five hours. It was explained, however, that Captain Halsey and not the Ministry said whore the ship should go.' Finally tho Internal Affairs vote was passed, and it was agreed between the leaders that if the Labour vote weio passed the Hjouse would rise. There wore no Labour members in the House, and the Labour Estimates were not challenged. The House rose at 1.17 a.m. The Legislative Council passed the second reading of the Christchurch Electrical Supply Empowering Bill. The debate on the motion to go into Committee to consider ; tho Legislative Council Bill was opened by the Hon. J. R. Sinclair. The speaker dealt at length with the provisions of the Bill and tho suggestions contained in the report of tho Select Committee which was tabled last week. Ho suggested that the Council should consist of onefourth of nominated members and threefourths of elected members. The Council would be thereforo-direotly representative of the people, while tho nominated members would provide the necessary element of difference between tho two Chambers.' The debate will bo resumed to-day. . .