MINISTER'S BUSY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1895, 1 November 1913, Page 6

MINISTER'S BUSY.

HOUSE ADJOURNS TILL TUESDAY. Significant, reference to the watersiders' strike was made in the House of Representatives last night, just beforo it adjourned. Tho Prime Minister, at 0.30 a.m.;.moved that tho House adjourn until 2.80 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, instead of" until Monday evening, as ho would have done in pr-' dinary course. ' Mr. P. 0. Webb asked why the Prime Minister was taking this course'. The Prime Ministfer: Because tho members of the Government have very important business to dea lwith, arid it is quite impossible for them to attend to the business of Parliament on Monday. ; Mr. Webb said- that he thought the seriousness of the position m New Zealand at the present time • Mr. Speaker: The hon. member must Bpeak to the adjournment. Mr. Webb said that tho whole of Monday ought to be spent in dealing with the industrial trouble facing New Zealand at tho present time. The nature of the trouble was such that they had no right to delay one moment. The whole industries of the country wero absolutely at a standstill. Hundreds of" people wero coming- into this town, ■causing trouble, and ho was quite Buro that.it was tho duty of the House' to go into the whole situation and see if something tangible could not bo done to promote a settlement. Sir Joseph Ward (Leader of the Opposition) said that hp thought that what the Prime Minister asked for was quite reasonable. He was of opinion that the Government should be given the time that tho Prime Minister asked for, and, if they needed it,, a longer time. It somed to him that more could be done' outsido. Parliament than in Parliament, and he did not see that any good could be done by meeting on Monday ovening. in connection with •the.'unfortunate trouble that existed at tho moment. The motion to adjourn until Tuesday wag agreed to without, further discussion.