THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 60, 8 September 1926, Page 8

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

The mill of Parliament grinds slowly, and no faster when the last sack of grain is in the hopper. The machinery of the House of Representatives'ran steadily and noisily, and at times wearily, for several hours yesterday for comparatively little result, and if, as the Minister of Finance says, the work is to run out next Friday, faster progress per day will have to be made in the next couple of days than was made yesterday. The afternoon was devoted to discussions on the Kauri gum industry and land settlement, and it was not until shortly before the tea adjournment was taken that the Order Paper was reached, the first item being the second reading of the Swamp Drainage Amendment Bill, which was discussed until early in the evening Bitting. A lengthy debate then commenced on the Motor Omnibus Traffic Bill, in the course of which the member for Waitemata, Mr. A. Harris, who strongly opposed the measure, was sharply rebukr ed by the Minister of Finance for attacking the commercial mortality of the Government, and who asked him to consider whether he should not take up a definite offside position so far as tho party was concerned. Not for many years has a member been so directly called to order by one of his leaders. The Bill waß debated until an hour after midnight, when it was read a second time but not pressed to the Committee stage. Tho Swamp Drainage Amendment Bill was then passed—the only ripened fruit of the day. Before the House rose at. 1.10 a.m. the final batch of amendments to the WashingUp Bill was introduced by : GovernorGeneral's Mossago.