PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1906, 14 November 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY ' Tho end of the session was assuredly postponed for at least one day by the happenings in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. 'In the whole afternoon there was not a'single itom of effective business done, and one or two Labour members promised simi--lar waste of time on other afternoons in tho future. The Hon. A. L. Herdman moved for leave to introduce the Distress and Replevin Amendment Bill, which proposes to give effect to some of the ideas in a Bill introduced earlier in the sossion by Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh. The Bill,was read a first .time. Mr. J. Payne moved for leave to introduce a Bill entitled the State Control of Shipping and Farmers' Protection Bill. • Of course, tho time in tho sossion is long past when a private member's Bill can possibly have a chance of becoming law, but tho device of moving for leave to introduce a Bill has been used by' membors occasionally to introduce matter, and provoke a discussion upon it, which could not be in-, troduced by any. other means. Mr. Payne used his motion as an introduction to a discussion on tho strike situation. He had certain proposals for the settlement of the dispute which were very far from practical, but his speech was delivered to a silent and uninterested House.' He had other proposals, for the purchase and controlof steamships by tho Stato, and,' as Appropriation Bills may not bo'introduced except by tho Government, the Bill was palpably out of order. It could never bo heard 1 of again iii any case, and presumably,' in order to stop futile . discussion, Mr. D. H. Guthrie moved to adjourn the debate. The adjournment was opposed by the Labour men and several of the Opposition Party. In tho end a large majority of the Houso declared for' the adjournment, but an hour and a half of the afternoon had gone. During the debate on the adjournment motion, Mr*. Webb arid other Labour members promised to introduce other Bills, with the object of forcing Parliament to discuss, the industrial deadlock.

"This debate had been a fairly temperate one, but there followed a discussion not so temperate.. The beginning of it was the reading by the Hon. J. Allen of a letter from Colonel Heard denizing that the military, and especially himself, had been exercising any control over the special constables. • Mr. G. W. Russell complained of the conduct of the special constables who had refused to admit him to-the wharves, and he made a charge against, one''of tho. men that he was under -the influence of liquor. The burden of his ■ .complaint, ; howoven, : was that .thp ■•'specials'' had,' as he said,. discriminated against Opposition and Labour members, refusing them permission togoon tho wharves, while Government members were allowed to go on freely. This>as denied by numerous Government' memlwit -who hod not been admitted to the wharves. Mr. Pearce suggested that members of the Oppo- . sition werethemselves.td blame if they were not admitted,' and he charged the I member of Waimarino with having used ,'a very offensive term to a special con- ,' stable on duty near; the wharf. Mr. 1 Smith denied having used the term, ' l saying that he had used another, which, according to his own statement of its 'meaning,-was still an abusivo tern. . : The Mining Amendment Bill;; (tha IHon. W. Fraser) was read a second J time, pro forma. .- The Bank vf New Zealand Bill (the Hon.. J., Allen) was 1 put through Committee, with amendments urged by the. •Minister.' . .'• ' The Post and Telegranh Amendment Bill (the Hon.R'. : H:'mo''des). the New Zealand: Society of Accountants Amendment Bill (the Hon. F.' M. B. Fisher), ■and the Railways Authorisation' Bill (the Hon- W; Frasor) were tall put (through the Committee stage. :•' The i Board of Agriculture Bill (tho Hon. W. 'F. Massey) was committed, but progress was reported after the first clause .'waß passed.". ■ •'.• The House'rose at'll.B2'p.m. In the Legislative Council, progress i was made in Committee, with the Local f Bodies Loans' Bill, and the State Ad- / vances Bill. The. Temporary Emfjployees Bill was read a second time.