A STAND ON DIGNITY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2186, 26 June 1914, Page 8

A STAND ON DIGNITY.

While, tho supremacy of the -so-called Ltiwer Utilise of Parliament hi a'i important matters is uwijoetsisned, there rtr.i ceremonial occasions when its lmw-te-s ate called upon to take seomid place. This is iiotftbly Jlio case- at fchf. uiK'ijiiijE $t a session. Members of the Lower House are fen called Upon to 'repair to the Legislative Council Cliara*)j'f, io 'hear the Speech, from the Throne- rood by His Excellency tho Governor. In tho present craniped and inconveniout Parlia-irißiitary quarters tiits involves a certain amount of discomfort. Tb# Coimci} Olnunbe-r is sniail, and members of the otter Hon-so imvo irt stand ijj crowded rows a'fc the J aek of the apartment, under tho gallery. Even the Prime .Minister and his tiiU (oawws have to stand, and only ,Mr. Speaker is provided withi a seat. In tho past, members of the Hotiso of P.e* prescirtativcs hs»v« for the .toast ?-art quietly accepted their lot on this annual occasion, but yestcrelav .Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., delivered « mild kick at tiio conditions that- obtnin. He save notice to ask the Government whether it- would take steps to sou that' nest time members of tlw'Bottso were called <p the other Chamber, to hear tho Speech read, they were provided with "suitable Mid sitting aeeOHimodatioii." TAXATION, The siihjficj; of taxation- gave, rise to a uttle passage-at-arms in the House v?sterday between the tender of the Opposition a.ml the Prime Minister, w'hiHi owes .its. point to tlie fact that SitJoseph Ward, in a recent speech at Auckland, accused the Government of having increased indirect taxation by £176,000, Yesterday Sir Joseph Ward was asking m- a- return shptvfeg the amounts- received from death duties and other forms of -taxation, when Mr. Mnssey interjected, "And Customs?"— weaning that the return might shew also the receipts from this' form of taxation, "Wo have not ine.rea-.sed Customs," replied aw Leata- of the Opposition, i "I am v&ry .rM to ftoar the honourable gejitk'Mwn admit thai'' .retorted Mr, Massey. "We have not increased Custom*," fc-peatcel Sir Josft.pl) Ward, putting the em-pliasb on-the "we." ( "I am speaking far Parliament." said t-ita Prime Minister, and at that tk<s utattor remained.

A VENTWRESOmE STftAN'ffEtt. lust- after the lneijita-s <rf tiro Lower House had, loft with Mr, Speaker yesiffoy, to attend tipoit His, Exftelloucv m Governor in a<? Legislative Ceiur■cil Chamber, mi amusing incident oe«ff«i. A young mini, arttiod with a liekot for the "floor .of tho ffouse," strolled, into the Ohfl-rabni- and cosily sat tkwn. in a, member's scat, . The particular s*nt .that he selected was the «io k-loiigiiitr to Mr. Sl'Oonibs, the new member tof Lyttdtcm, fins vontureSoiflostranger was the sob flceiiparvi-of the l^Vivcr, fcltiitse. for some' eohsidinmbte apart frohi .the nifisSen'gor.s and' Miemls, who were ernjeirtly rhjieii amused at; his unconscious ftssttfttptlan or five prmteges of ail deeted repfeSeiiisitTO;, ;Ev«itiiaHy a friendly ifl.es. senger tapped him «i tlto sho«idß.r, eaid a word fjr two ni his ear. and led Mm out of tli* Ghatuliftr'to tako his ohancc or securing a less WoftSnent sra.t, Mr, Jehu Oki-Wii lias feiiYs a Pros* Assocwtwn telegram foom "lfo:raiittoi) (.ebnitely <leci#«l not to fet'aWl for tireKaftan seat in tlic Liberal interests

dKOßiis of gyesTiQNs. Twenty-nine, questions mid 'tweritv-six motions MWgiv-wt notfco of yestenkrv,' nwsiiy by teHjtnhcrs of the : tipp»sit««, Ictir motions and seven questions staid ill tire niWiie .pi tlie Leader of tiio Opposition (Sir Josei).h'WM) &»■«! liV .motions sad fiv* of his. questions relate to fifiaiiGC re-fttters, some of tlieni to statements in tho Budget of last .yeffic. STRIKE PROS&GBTIQWS. Mr. J|, JrCallnm is asking for injferinatiiwi ahttwt Strike. :' projfcout-ioi'is. He gave uSiice sestetffoy of the folio-w----ing liiatkvn ;■-*• "That there, he laid bef-oro the Bouse a return lowing: .(!> The- number fif those SBjvtemccd far crime in <:<3iine<rtio.it with, f'iie Oe'tofor-BeCembcr strike of 1013; $) the Jiatiri-o of the Crime, for wliwh each was ■seiite'ns'cd; {$) whether tho aeeased pleaded "guilty", or "Mt guilty 5 '.; and (4) ,iljo length of setttenee. "UPON V/HAT PftlNGlPLe? 1 '

. Sir JflsejWi Wa«i is w as.k the Prmid 2fmister: "Upon what .principle he proposes tii*t tm roprcseiitatives of the people stewM be set aside to alios of the suggested alteration, of the Constitution, to nKtko- H\o Legislative CaMncil o-leotivo being in'tr<Khvcel into the jiouvinaivive branch j:ns.toad of the alteration from tire Gliajii-her wiiere the people's selected, representatives' si'tf"

NOTES IS BRIEF, j , ■ . . -"--'■''' The only Government Kmsiiicss sot dbwjj for to-day is tlio- Imprest Suppty Hall, iuii}. if awtterS take a iioßmvl «mrso this'mea-sii-re A\ill he intro-duced ac? eoon As formal tasriross IISS hefin Jkposea of. The iroucl for mere expeditious run. iiiiJ3_ of tlio -express toijiis bptiveeh Weltkigioii aad jST-apier is pretty gsiier-n-i'ly reeogdwd, L;i.st sessiau -fite ivu-•m-arovis .gries-aii'ccs to winch five present inadequate sos;vifiß- gives rt.se \fei» frj> fj-uo.iitl.y vieiaifated in. the libree. of 3iej»rese4ita-tivos by Mr. G, flmiter (utmntei- for Waipawa), and «svido«.tiy: he doosnot inteiifl to Jot flie -jna.tt.osv drop tins yeai\ Yesterday lie gavo iiotioe to nsk the Minister of Baijwftys wlvfither .arrangements j&t all improved WeffiftgtouNs-piGr service had- been, completed*' A wireless telegram received :l>y the Priihb .Minister yc«tei'4ay from J)?, I'oimi.i'o states tljftt the SteAmer Ttt'tiinekai is <3Xp<>i'issiiei!ig roiigh Wijatlier an lier fetur-ii tr-ii> from the Ceoi Iskivds. raid tfei o she is Dot Kkety tb reach A-WkkiWl befwe Saturday. Sir JoSeplt ..Ward' has gi'veii noti.tß i to nifaoflnco a Bifl to aiilen.d the Puhi.ie Servici? Act. Tho -iijit-tiro -of the nipasHra has H'lt -heq-il jl-idicaied as yet, lilit last year he uti'feefl the »j*ic*fllif(s hi iibiiiinklly introducing a Ml ns a ! means of .raising a discussion upon somo resects of CoKsniissioiver coittrol iif tko Fnhiio Servtea, Ih ansivcr to a ewfes of_ qtiesttons put to him at his me-et-i.flg in Master-' twi, on t-lie subject of Brblb-readiwg in schools, Mr. 6-.' R, Syteis, s £J? >- Si »id: "From a democratic vieirpoinfc I 'shall' s-iippurt-the proposal that tlje.question of Bihle*rcad;ing in (School's he su'hmiV ted to a referendum- Tlw .test-book wlrisli it is proposed to intradttce must bo avaHa-hle ta tlie people- htfftfts a rc-foendti-m is taken. . A* eopsfiienee-e'latwef' for teachers as wpl as fthiWrefl sltcfulcl certainly he pfb-fided fof."