PARLIAMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 26 July 1929, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

BUSINESS YESTERDAY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (By Telegraph) (From “The Mail’s" l'urliauieutary Reporter) WELLINGTON, 2511 i July. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p. in. to-day. The Hon. Sir James Allen gave notice to ask the Leader of the Council if, in response to inquiries by the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research a report had been received from an .Advisory l qimniitee of the. Imperial Institute dealing with the deterioration of Romney wool, and if so, if steps had been taken to make the report available to the public. T’lie, Don. Sir Thomas Mackenzie gave notice of intention to move that in the opinion of the Council measures should be taken not only to prevent the breeding of Alsatian dogs ill this country, but also lo stop the admission of such animals into the Dominion, in order to remove what might become a menace to sheep farmers and others. SAMOAN CIVIL SERVICE 'file Right Hon. Sir Francis Bell asked the Leader of the Council whether he would Jay on the table ol the Council: (1) The commission (or other order of reference) to .Messrs Verscliaffelt and others to inquire into and report upon the Civil Service of Samoa; and (2) the report of the Commissioners or (alternatively) a copy of that part of the report which had been published in the l’ress, if other parts of the report should, in the opinion of the Government, be still treated as confidential. The Leader of the Council (the Hon. T. K. Sidey) replied as follows: “Mr Versehalfelt arid 1 1 is colleagues were sent to the Territory oil the instructions of the late Prime .Minister, not as a Commission, but as a. departmental committee of inquiry. No set order of reference was issued to them, but their instructions required them to investigate and report upon any aspect of the finances and .staff of the Territory that appeared to them to call for iiivesti'gatiun. The Government have, decided not to publish the report in full, but immediately on its receipt very lengthy extracts were handed to the Press after tlie elimination of small portions of the report (consisting almost entirely of personal references) which the Government considered unsuitable for publication. In view of the wide publicity that was given to these extracts at the time, it, was not considered that the expense of printing would be warranted, but in accordance with the right honourable gentleman’s desire a printed copy of the published extracts will now be prepared and laid upon, tlie table of tlie Council in duo course.” The Captive Birds Shooting Prohibition Bill of the Hon. G. M. Thomson was introduced and read tlie first time. The Council adjourned at 2.43 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday next. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill, to correct an anomaly in the original Act, was put through all stages and passed. Tlie member for Duller (Mr 11. EHolland) gave notice to ask the Minister of External Affairs whether it was proposed to lay before tlie House the full text of the report on Western Samoa furnished bv Messrs Versehalfelt, Park and Berendsen, and whether he would give an opportunity to members to study the report before it came up for discussion in the House. A censored extract from the report had already been published. Mr Holland also gav« notice to ask the Minister of 1 External‘Affairs whether be was aware that ordinary Press items were being refused by the censor at Samoa, and that an account of the welcome to the high chief Tamasese after his release from imprisonment had been censored.