LOBBY GOSSIP

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2204, 17 July 1914, Page 7

LOBBY GOSSIP

AND.POINTS FROM DEBATES

DAILY SUMMARY

The affairs of the State Fire Insurance Office in one' aspect and anotherwere before the House of Representatives during practically the whole of yesterday afternoon, and the debate was so warmly maintained ' that it overran tho adjournment hour of 5.30 p.m. so'that tho presentation of the annual report upon the operations of the office had to ho postponed to another day. Reports upon the other branches of the State insurance enterprise -were laid upon the tablo at the beginning of the afternoon, as was also .the annual report, upon the-prisons of the Dominion. As soon as the House met in tho evening the Education Bill was introduced by Governor's .'Message. . Tho gallcrios and benches were aliko full, and members listened with great interest, which many of the spectators seemed to share, while the Hon. Jas, Allen explained the provisions of his Bill.- For the timo being party feeling was laid aside, and tho reception of the various important proposals outlined by tho Minister was upon the whole markedly friendly. At the instance of Opposition members the ordinary time-limit was extended,- and Mr. Allen, continued his explanation for an hour and a quarter. Afterwards tho Bill was read a first time, and set down for second reading . pro forma. It is- intended to refer it to the Education Committee. : • 1 It was not until the House resumed after tho supper- adjournment that tho Orders of the' Day wc-re called upon. The first Bill on the list was. the Election of Ministers and Party-Govern-ment; -.Reform Bill,; standing in the name of Mr. .Hanan. Apart, from the speech delivered by Mr. Hanan himself tho dobate iipon the Bill was some-, what jocular m tone. .Many of the later speakers, however, spoke seriously in support of tho Bill. . Finally the second, reading was carried on the voices, and the House rose at 0.12 a.m. • "A CONTEMPTIBLE CHARCE." METHODS OF LAND PURCHASE; Mr. Hiudmarsh, Labour member for Wellington South, attracted 'to. himself more tlian his'rightful share of notice in "the House yesterday afternoon. He accused the ! Government of being anxious to ruin all forms of State enter-' prise except those which could be turned to the profit of their friends. For instance, thoy. were ready enough to borrow millions of money wherewith to buy land at exaggerated values from their own; supporters. The Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey said he could .not ■ let this statement go uncontradicted. It was a fair'sample of the charges that came from the other side of the House, without a tittle of fact behind them ; / The honourable gentle-' tnan had said that the -Government Were in the . habit of purchasing ! land from, their; own 'supporters at higher prices than the land was worth,- and special reference had been made to the estate purchased from Sir. Lethbridge, in Hawke's Bay: .' He would give an emphatic contradiction to this state-, ment. Tho Government did not purchase larfd from any, individual, for there was a Land Purchase Board set lip by Act of; Parliament. There had been no change in the personnel of the Land Purchase Board since the present Government camo into office. The Government had in that time made quite a number of purchases. b,ut t ;iyit!iithe ,<?x-. ception of ono blo.ck .he had liGvevseen one of;tho estates- until the land was purchased. The Government took no. part' in .the. negotiations. - Tho cither point was that-Mr. LethbridgoV . property was practically purchased boforo the Government came into office, and the only part they had taken in tho transaction • was to pay Mr. Lethbridge for the property purchased by tho previous Government. The honourable .member had made , a gross mis-state-ment of fact, .and the proper thing, for h'm to. do was to stand up and apoloRise. . , Mr. Hindmarsh ; said that shortly after-the Government came into officehe had seen Mr. Massey, and said that: he hoped the Government would not take over tho Shereudon Estate without making inquiries about it, because the land was not suitable for close settlement. Mr.-Massey had then, replied .that the matter was not fixed up, and that he would make inquiries, > ...Mr, Massey. said'that lie. was quite prepared to lay all the papers relating to the. purchase before Parliament. Ihese would show that in regard to the purchase of Sherenden there was.nothing left for. the Government to do whenthey came into office but . to conlirm it, and find the. money. And instead of the Sheronden settlement-being a failure, it had been. a thorough success. • Every section, had.-been taken up, and so. far as lie had been able to » , 6 W6r e weir satisfied, t he said, "ono of tho most contcmptible charges of the many contemptible charges that have been made against this Government 'by members on_ the-other side of tho House " Mr; Hindmarsh said that all the peoplo lTom whom landihad been purchased (vero supporters of the Government. ■ Mr, Massey: I, give that statement emphatic contradiction..' I know several of thij.men from whom land has been purchased, and they are not all of. them friends of the Government. THE NAVAL ADVISER. •Sir Joseph .Ward asked the Minister of Defonco (the Hon. J. Allen) in tho Uouso yesterday whether the Government had taken over tho Philomel, and whether the British officer commanding the ship had been superseded by the I local navy adviser to tho Government,' and ho would be glad if the Minister would inform the House what the terms and conditions of the appointment of the .naval adviser we're, .what salary he was to get, and for how long- ho had been appointed. '' Tho Hon. J. Allen said the Philomel had been taken over the previous day, and that Captain .' Hall Thompson had taken command at 9 .p.m. on Wednesday. He would bo glad if tho honourable gentleman • would excuse him from divulging tho conditions of Captain Hall Ihompson's appointment, but ho would do so in the courso of a few days. He (Mr. Allen) had received only the previous day a letter from tho Admiralty on the subject, and he had not yet had li m n ™ moi '° than read it.- Captain Hall lhoinpson had taken the place of tho officer who had formerly commanded tho Ihilomcl, and Captain Hall Thompson was also to be naval advisor to the riow Zealand Government. Ho would .lay on the tablo of the House in the course of a few days all the information that the honourable gentleman had asked for relating to the appointment of the naval adviser. OVER-WORKED MINISTERS. The over-working' of Ministers of tho Crown was touched upon by Mr. G. J. Anderson, SI.P., when he spoke in the House of Representatives last night in the debate upon Mr. Hunan's Election of Ministers'Bill. At present Mr. Anderson remarked the portfolios of Finance, Defence, and Education were carried by a single Minister In his opinion the duties of Minister of Finance and Defence wero quite sufficient for any one man, and would provide more work than any man could get through in a working day of eight hours. They had seen that night (when the Education Bill was brought down) what a burden of work rested upon the'Minisler of Education. Tho Prinio Minister, he considered, should not. have to carry aii.v other portfolio, and 'should bo freed'

from Departmental work. Sooner or later, Mr. Anderson remarked in leaving - tho subject, this country would have to increase the number of its Cabinet Ministers. Approving interjections which camo from different parts of the Houso indicated that a number of members shared the views of the member of Mataura. DANCER OF STATE MONOPOLY. State enterprise, or State monopoly in enterprise, has a staunch opponent in Mr. J. H. Bradney. In tho House yesterday afternoon he advised all backblockers and producers generally to beware of the kind of State monopoly tho Socialists wero anxious to introduce. "Because," ho said, "it will create a host of people who will rulo the producers, who are a majority of the people, and will rulo their' representatives in this House, not in the interests of the people as a whole, but in' the interests of tho civil servants. They will have such tremendous power that unless a Government will accodo to their wishes it will have to go out of office. . . . It behoves tho back-blockcrs to see that those who produce tho wealth of this country aro not out-voted by their own servants. POLITICAL COSTS. "I have heard it said," remarked Mr. Anderson in the House last night, "that it costs a member of Parliament £300 to- got in, £300 for subscriptions, and £300 to get out of Parliament." : Mr. Veitch: And the last is the best spent of the lot. Mr. Anderson: I dare say it is, hut we don't look at it in that way. THE LICENSING BILL. It is expected that the Licensing Bill will come up for second reading on Tuesday next: TO MAKE UP THE REVENUE. Mr. J, Bollard haß given notice to ask ; the Prime Minister whether, in view of proposal to reduce the statutory majority required for the carrying of National Prohibition, he will' lay before the Houso somo scheme for the readjustment of the finances of tho country in tho event of National Prohibition being carried, the statement to show approximately tho estimated increase in— (a) taxes. on land, (b) taxes on incomes, (c) taxes on the necessaries of life. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. . Tho ; second reading debate upon the, Religious Instruction- in Schools Referendum Bill is likely to bo delayed for a little time, while the Education Committee of tho House of Representatives takew evidence upon the petitions which have,been presented in .reforonce to tho Bill!- • It is expected that the committee will ask tho different parties interested to appoint representatives to give .'evidence. A member of tho House of Representatives spoke last night of- "two dominant parties) one out and one, in."