SESSION TO RESUME DECEMBER 2

Evening Star, Issue 24333, 23 October 1942, Page 2

SESSION TO RESUME DECEMBER 2

SECRET SITTING MR SCHRAMM BELIEVES PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW MORE (Special.) WELLINGTON. Oct. 23. After taking formal business .yesterday. the House of .Representatives went into secret session to discuss the latest war developments and also the man power position in the Dominion. Before doing this, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, secured concurrence for.an adjournment until Wednesday, December 2, at 2.30 p.m., subject to the usual proviso that members will be called together earlier should circumstances warrant such a course. “ Is there any likelihood of being involved in a General Election on that dateH ” inquired Mr Doidge. “ I. don’t know,” replied Mr Fraser, “ unless the hon. member would like to test the House again on the subject. J would be glad to give that opportunity.” ilr Doidge: 1 think it is time the House went to the country. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry) : Do you want to commit political suicide?

The Prime .Minister, replying to the Leader of the Opposition, said he thought that the House would meet for perhaps two or three days in December. He was not sure whether there would be any further legislation. The local bodies had been considering the Bill relating to uniformity of building construction as a safeguard against earthquake, and the only other Bill he knew of in the offing was one that the Minister of Housing wished to bring down in connection with the renovation of old dwellings so as to make them more habitable. That measure involved discussion with local bodies and the Health Department, and whether this would bo completed before December he was unable to say.

Mr Holland inquired whether the Prime • Minister could give an assurance that rooms would be available for members next session. A lot of them on : thin occasion had had to walk up and down the corridors.

“ That was very unfortunate, indeed,” replied Mr Fraser. “There are two circumstances connected with that. The formation of the War Administration put a great strain’ on accommodation. One of the redeeming features of the sequence of events is that there is now more accommodation for members. It was not possible to arrange a readjustment, and, of course,” he concluded with a smile, “ one never knows where these resignations stop.” Mr Holland: You are not expecting one from London, are you?

Mr Fraser said he could assure Mr Holland that steps would be taken to make members as comfortable as possible. “ I think,” he added, “ they have shown a great spirit of endurance in regard to the matter.” Replying to an interjection from Mr Lee, the Prime Minister said that if the Pacific situation deteriorated, or if it was not as successful as they earnestly hoped it would be, the House would be' called together earlier than December. When the formal motion to clear the galleries for the secret session was put, Mr Schramm vigorously recorded his protest. “ No, Mr Speaker,” ho said loudly. Mr Poison inquired if Mr Schramm wanted to divide the House on the question. However, there was no division, Mr Schramm remarking: “ There’s no one with me by the look of it.” . Mr Poison: What about the member for Grey Lynn voting?

The House then went into secret session.

This was the third time iu succession that Mr Schramm had protested against the House going into secret session. When he was approached during the tea adjournment, Mr Schramm, in response to an inquiry, said lie thought too much time was spent in secret session. ' “ 1 think,” he added. “ that the greater part of what is told to members in secret could be given to the public. Moreover, 1 think that the time has arrived when more information should be given to the public on questions relating to the war.”