PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1923, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS

EX POSER ES NECESSARY. ■■(t is in the interc-l- ol clean government,'’ said Mr \oitrh, "that -nine of these cu es should he exposed in the House." The member lor \i aimnniti

next deah with the Prim- Miuistei making a statement in Ids speech at Tv Aroha consisting of a dcehir.u uni that Mr Mnssi'v bad support-d the Old Age Pensions Bill. Mr Massey: Do you vonlradivi that!' Mr Yeitch : When the Prime Miut.v tcr’s times i not now I should like to bear his explanation of that statement. On referring to "Hansard'’ it would be seen that Mr Maswy had declared on the second reading of the Old Age Pension.. Bill that it was simply an extension ot charitable aid. and would probably do more harm than good. Mr Massey: ! did support the passing of the Bill. Mr Yeitch: The Premier voted against the motion for the second reading and in committee he voted to change the wont "pensions" in the title to ‘'relief." He supported sixty or seventy amendments undoubtedly intended to kill the Bill, and his name is recorded as having voted against the final passage of Ihe Bill.

AIR PARR'S EXPLANATION'. The lion ('. .1. Parr said that Mr Yeitill had read only paid of the Mnrrinsville correspondence and made Lin 1 suggestion that there had been illegal at tion on the eve of the election h.v the setting up of the high sehool. Ihe tacts were that a resolution was pa-sed In the Council of Education authorising the Minister to establish district high schools provisonall v v.acre he was satisfied that tile atendaiiee was likelyto be sot.si factory. The nnlv Line of < (intention was the possibility ot Morrinsville getting sufficient pupils. fir Masters: Did not you know when von wrote your first letter!' Mr Pan- added that cm the same daylie authorised the provisional establishment nt high schools in other elcct'itntes.

HEATED DISCUSSION LAST NIGHT

'The galleries were crowded with iutrtested visitors at the evening session, when Mr Masters (Stratford) renewed the criticism of the Minister ot Education in connection with the Aloniusvi||c District High School. Mr Masters said that Mr l’arr complained that the whole of the letter had not been read. That document stated that under Section 88 applit ation for such schools must be approved by the Council ~f Education before the Department could establish a district high sehool. M:• Parr further stated in the letter that Morriusville riiildron could travel to Hamilton and that the Department held that Morriusville**' need could not lie considered urgent. Imt when the senior inspector's report on the matter was furnished the Minister gave it furthor oonsidomtion. t( “I should like to see that report, said Mr Masters, adding that the inspectors opposed the establishment et small district schools. It was clear that the Minister of Education did not have th o advice of the Council ol Education before he wrote that letter, and did not have it when the laurauga election was on. In the first instance the application was rejected because children had only n small distance to travel to other high schools, le At»i>I’aeroa. Thames or Hamilton Ihe na«„n for granting the school was tte Tanranga election. The Conned o Education never decided ,n favour of that, school. Mr Parr: You are wrong. Mr Masters: The Council meets once a vear. and is meeting now. Mr Parr: You have overlooked a verv essential factor. „ , Mr Masters: Tlu* Minister ot Education did not overlook the essential tact i’n Tanranga when the election w«so . in order to bribe the votes of the Mot a „d substitute the words “influence the votes." __