PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1923, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

p itv ria.EtiitAPii —i’ER I’itEcS ansocuai ion. WELLINGTON. Feb it.A. The House* resumed at p.nt. Tlie debate on the Addi.'s-in-Rop!,'. was continued by .Messrs Armstrong. Ransom. Alcllvriite. .Jordan, r.die. Massey and Vcitcli. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Air I.tings tone. The I loose rose at 1 I. Ml until 1 I a.m. In-mo ITOW. WELLINGTON Feb. Id. PRICE OF SUGAR. Tile House met at If o’clock. The Prime Minister stated he had received communications showing some anxiety existed regarding tlie supply of sugar. Prices had increased recently in other countries, but the Government's ariingements with the ( oleum! .Sugar Coy., lasted till .tune .tilth, i.ud so far as he could judge prices would not. be increased. It there was an increase it would not exceed a iailliiug per lb. As there was insufficient sugar available from Fiji, arrangements had been made lor a supply Horn .lava. The price of sugar in New Zealand was the lowest in i!: world, as the English 1 riee was 8d Lo Ttd } lb.. Australim Jkl, New Zealand BFI. Up to the pr—suit. Guv. mmol,l led m da a profit of £t >O,OOO from the t rails union as il was impossible to split lavtaiegs in fixing detail price. . though whenever p, -sLIe consumers were given the full h unlit of reductions. Goveinmen! dal sot propose to continue the a i rrugements with the company after June Tilth. PREFERENTIAL VOTING. Replying to Mr Witty, who asked if the Premier would icxi session introduce! legislation providing; lor a -a.slem of preferential voting at general o:’"tioil.s, flon Mr At a- a l ,- .-n:d m order to remove any misapprehension hi desired to say at once it wa-- ! i- int'uition. all being well, to introduce a Pi: < ! 0a.,0 ' with the reform ol tim Ele vai S tain, lie wa,s not quite sere what would lie the shape of the R-in I ru!,aliiv the matter would I i ' ur- il M a Committee of *he line-'. A DDR ESS-IN-REPLY. The debate on the Adore.- -ci-l.eplv was resumed by .Mr I.angst •me Meum, iwho said. im true.,; words spoken in tin* deli.n.■ had been 'ken i.v P Mini-tel’ of Cu-toms, t‘w u lie cues the present political situation wamulling more than sham fighting. U was time the sham fields cease-j. and tliev sat down to dealing with the economic problems nt the day. Lie attacked the (rusts, and supported the esta Uishmen of a Slate Rank, mcidcutn 11 v denouncing the (jovenimcu* s attitude towards these institutions Ilf ran through the whole gamut of the | aliour programme, commending each item, and concluding with an appeal lor Proportional Representation as the best mean, nt securing their oujedive-. Alr Lee (Auckland East! declined that the distinctive feature between

Labour and the other parlies in urn 1 lons was that, while the Liberals an . Reformers agreed and tii-agri.'.il upon almost every question before the count,v. every Labour candidate •stood on the same platform. protmg there was solidarity of opinion and obicctivc in the . ranks ot r.ab.>ur, vhich did not exist in the tanks oi their opponents. He made a strong appeal tor increased pensions foi disabled siUliers. He protested against soldiers being refused employment in the Education Department which wished to make some small alteration m connection with the oath ot alleg.ance, and against the present censorship on literature. The party which seemed unable to select suitable literature to its own reading, presumed to say what literature other people should rend. The House rose at 1 o clock till 2.30 p.m.