PARLIAMENTARY.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 10 November 1920, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

The Legislative Council, passing Bills in rapid succession with little debate, kept well abreast of the House of Representatives on Monday, and was able to adjourn at an early hour until Tuesday morning. The House of Representatives had a long and busy sitting, and became involved eventually in a “stonewall” owing to the objection taken by the Labour members and others to a provision of the Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill (says the “Dominion”). Gome forty additional clauses were added to the “Washing Up” Bill by 1 he House at the request of the Minister of Lands, who stated that he did not wish to handle local legislation in i his way in another session. The taw Practitioners Amendment Bill was passed after the House had argued for some time about the privileges of King’s Counsel, and had refused to reinstate in the Bill a provision giving King’s Counsel the right to practise as solicitors. The Legislature Amendment Bill produced a long debate, relating chiefly to a proposal to increase the boundary commissioners’ margin from 530 to 1250. A clause was added to the Bill grantihg Civil Servants the right to become, candidates for Parliament. Motions proposing the introduction of proportional representation and the admission of women to the Legislative Council were rejected. Late in the evening t In? Finance Bill was introduced. Its clauses included provision for raising £6,000,000 for the development of hvdro-clectric power and other public works, over a series ot years, and for guaranteeing advances made by the bunks to producers. Some additions are made to pensions. The Bill deals with many other matters. The “stonewall” set up by the Labour members of the House on Monday night against the Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was continued until 3 a.m. on Tuesday, when progress was reported on the Bill. Yesterday afternoon the Labour members still resisted clause 3, relating to the appearance of interested parties, other than the unions, in industrial disputes, and they were stonewalling in the early hours of this niorning.