LATE HOURS IN PARLIAMENT

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2172, 30 August 1907, Page 1

LATE HOURS IN PARLIAMENT

AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. A • GOVERNMENT, DEFFXt! i ' (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, August, 28. 1 A change is coming over the spirit oi the Parliamentary scene. The easy-go-slow-and-be-thankful system wluch has prevailed since the commencement of the session seems to have reached its limit. The earlyclosing policy which has been adopted by the Government during the past two months is being cast asido and in its place wo are having a recrudescence of the old Seddonian methods of getting through business. The Premier has declared his determination to put through the Government's legislative programme this session if the House has to stay horo till Xmas, or even if it has to then adjourn and to come back in the New Year. To get through the lengthy bill of faro or evon a reasonable portion of it, it will bo necessary to resort to late sittings. The first indication of tlio return to the old ordor of things iwas given last weok when on two occasions the House sat till after '3 o’clock. A 'more marked demonstration has, however, been afforded by tlio first sitting of this week which began at half-past 2 yesterday and lasted till twenty minutes to 8 this morning. The House got into Committee of Supply on the Estimates at 11 o’clock last night after a long wrangle' concerning .the matter of procedure in regard to the tariff. Tlio Valuation Department's Estimates were first taken-and were completed at 1 o’clock this morning. The Minister for Education then stepped to the chair to take charge of the Estimate of his. departments, whereupon Mr. Massey suggested that as the House had already done fair work members should go home. He accordingly moved to report progress; but lie was defeated by 41 to i 4. The discussion of the Estimates of the Education Department was then proceeded with aiid as was to be expected this inportant veto was not allowed to pass without members taking advantage of the opportunity of ventilating various grievances in regard to educational matters. One of the burning questions in this connection is the ever-present one of frequent changes in school books. Mr. Wilford was soon on his feet witli a motion to reduce the vote by £l, as an indication that the House was in favor of uniformity in school books. 'This was debated for an hbiir, in the course of which the familiar arguments in favor of reducing tlio present heavy burden imposed on parents were brought forward. At 2 o’clock the motion went to a division, the result being a defeat for the Government, Mr. AVi 1 - ford carrying his motion by 29 to 22. This was the first time that the present Government has been defeated on its Estimates. Many of the staunchest Government supporters voted against the Government; but on the Other hand those voting in the minority included five Oppositionists, via., Messrs J. Allen, Aitken, Bollard, Lethbridge and Okey. The House then continued the discussion of tho Estimates ■ despite frequent protests by Mr. Massey against the system of Legislation by exhaustion. At 0 o’clock a further bone of contention was reached in the item of £IOOO for travelling exponses, publications, apparatus, etc., of Mr. Hogben, in-spector-general of schools, who is now on a tour of tho Old World. Mr. Greenslade, a Government supporter, vehemently protested against what bo characterised as “this appalling waste of public money,” while he had tho greatest difficulty in getting money for back-blocks schools. It was time members got up and told' the Minister that they resented tliis sort of tiling, and lie moved to reduce tho item by £1 by way of protest. Just as vehemently the Minister urged that it was a good investment to send the Inspector-General Home arid, that the results would be beneficial to the polony as a whole, including tho back-blocks. No extravagant expenditure had been incurred and ho did not think that the vote of £IOOO would be expended. He undertook to say that the Inspector-General had been hard at work overy day he had. been away from the colony and that pressure had not entered into his calculations. Just before 7 o’clock tho motion to reduce tho item was lost by 19 to 16, and a quarter of an hour later the total Education vote passed. The Scenery Preservation Department’s Estimates were then put through, and at twenty minutes to eight a thin, tired and slpepy House languidly agreed to report impress and seek a few hours’ repose before onterlng upon another day Of political turmoil and strife. This was the first all-night, sitting of the session, but it is destined to be tho forerunner of somo others.