PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1918, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

1 [run, press association. —copyright.] I | { THE HOUSE. i , i WELLINGTON, This Day. j ; The House met at noon. j j Hon. W. F. Massey informed Air j ! Pearce that lie bad not received definite i formation concerning the arrangements , for the purchase of frozen meat for the year after the war, but he had cabled to the Imperial authorities urging a definite arrangement prior to Ministers leaving for the Peace Conference. Hon. W .D. ATacDonald' replying to Mr Nosworthy, said owing to personal illness, he had been unable to submit to Cabinet the question of fixing the price of wheat for 1920. The present arrangements would stand, namely, G s 4d per bushel for all grades, with a free market. He lioped to have _ the ’ matter fully dealt with before Ministers left for England. ! Hon. Herries, replying to questions, ! explained the matter of restoring excursion trains and fares for Xmas holidays ! was on ti roly dependent upon securing n ! sufficient staff. It was impossible to i restore concessions before Xmas. He hoped to give them for Eastoi • Hon. MacDonald introduced without notice the Slaughtering Inspection Bill, which was read a second time, proforma, and referred to the Stock and Agricultural Committee. . ( The Native Land Amendment Bill was introduced by Hons Ngata, and reforred to the Native Affairs Committee. ( The House then went into Committee f on the Crimes Act Amendment Bill. In Suh Clause 2. of Section 2, Air. MeCallum moved to strike out certain words which have the effect of taking ' away from judges of a criminal Court (f Appeal, the power to increase senten- * ees, on the grounds that the Appeal Court Judges never have the same op- = portuuity of, trying the ease as at tlie hearing of evidence as the judge at the original trial. Hon. Wilford replied that the power s of revising the sentence ought to oper- " ate both ways. He had absolute eonfi- j denee in the capacity of a judge to see ‘ no injustice was done. On division the amendment was lost f by 37 to i. , On the motion of the Atinister amendments wore carried, (1) empowering the ° Minister to refer the case of any pri- s soner for consideration to the Prisons • Board ,aml (2) empowering the Pri- ■' sons Board to consider the sentence o" » any prisoner at any time. Tho Bill was read a third time and 11 passed. ■ f Hon. Alassey gave the necessary formal notice that writs he issued for the cl Parliamentary vacancies at Wellington t South and Palmerston North. v Mi- Vouch raised the question of ex- a pcdiency of holding an election uliile j the influenza epidemic still was rag- ] . v ing. Air Alassey said the writs would not 1 he issued for several days and would c not be returnable inside of three weeks. The Reformatory Institutions Bill 1 was, on the motion of Hon Wilford, put i through all stages, as a matter of nr- ( gency. .^ Tho House rose at 1 p m. ‘« —■ ( : I