PARLIAMENTARY POINTS.

Shannon News, 31 August 1923, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY POINTS.

If we allow the Empire to go to pieces—and. I ~do not think that will happen—hut if we allowed the Empire to be disintegrated, it would be th© worst thing that ever happened to humanity. We are only., comparatively speaking, getting over the late war, but not one of us will deny that the Great War, as we called it, wouic -be nothing to the war that would follow the ibreaking-up Qf the British Empire. We have only to look a, whart would happen to the Indian Empire, with her population speaking two hundred languages,. It would he chaos, and horrors and miseries such as this world has never seen would result. For that reason, if for ‘no other reason, it is our duty to keep the Empire together, and keep it in, a proper state of defence. I do not want to suggest extremes, but 1 will say this: So far a's the British Navy is concerned it ought to be able to hold its own with any other navy in the world.—Hon. Mr Massey. * * * * *

I want to urge, sir, that if the Prime Minister goes to' the Conference he should insist on northing being kept seci'et from the people of the Dominion; he should also strive for h revision of the Treaty of Versailles and for permanent economic and political relationships with all other countries.. There is no other way to escape from the present world menace except by the establishment of such peaceful economic relationships. Wherever these relationships are established the peoples of the countries concerned are drawn closer together by their very identity of interests, and a greater guarantee is furnished for the maintenance of the world’s peace.—Mr Holland. * * * * *

We hear things said in. this House about the terrible laws, until one thinks New Zealand is not fit to live in. Why do not the honourable gentlemen who think that, get; out and leave it to. .those who do think there is something worth while in New Zealand.—Hon:. 'Sir M. Pomare. *****

• The Crown can stand aside in a criminal trial as many jurors as ii likes—that, is to say that, legally and without breach of the law counsel for the Crown can practically pack a jury. There is no- question, about that, I know what I am' talking about, and I ant not, going to take back one word. —Mr Wilford.

I notice that in the change the Minister is making he is raising the amount of jurors’ fees very considerably in proportion; but even then the amount to be paid to a juror who will serve 'on a jury of twelve will only be 13/4 per day, whereas it will ye'ls/- to a-juror who serves on a jury of four. I. cannot understand why there is a difference made between the mian who serves on a jury of four and a man who serves on a jury of twelve. —Mr Wilford.

I think there are certain cases in which women should have a seat on juries. • I very much doubt whether one woman in. six desires to have all women subjected to a summons to attend a Court to s.it on juries m every case. There is a feeling that women should have a right to stt on cases in which women are mor© likely to manifest sympathy and understanding than men are likely to do. . . I have expressed my belief that thiere ought to fcje some provision made for women sitting on juries of this special nature. But, undoubtedly if all women are* to. be in the same position as men-, the very women we want to see sitting on juries—married women, women of experience—wel 1, in nine cases out of ten, find it very inconvenient, to leave their homes and their families and perform the duties required of those who sit on juries. Mr Isitt. *****

As a matter of fact, it costs the Crown, or State —that is really the people who my friend is so concerned about—£24 a day to run the Supreme Court so far as the payment of jurors is concerned while it is in session. As against this expense we get-from the litigant in cases where the highestamount is involved—£soo and over £4 per day towards that expenditure. In other words the State is losing at the rate of £2O a day as a, result of the jury system.—Hon. Mr Parr. * * * * *

We have to-day women filling mayoral chairs; women lawyers, others doctors, some even filling the chairs in our universities, and they also have the right- to come into this House. It has been said —and I believe it is the feeling among the: women of this countrv—that the law as we know it ha, s been made by men and is largely administered by men and m giving women a right to go on juries we , a re conferring upon them a right, which. 1o my mind, will to a great extent do awav with this feeling, to which T have alluded —Mr Monteith.

The importations of tea from British ' possessions and from foreign countries during last year were as followsWe took from Ceylon 7,132,000 lbs of tea, and from India 856,000 lbs or a, total from the British dominion’s of over 7,980,000 lbs. From China wo took 108,000 lbs, from Formosa 1000 lbs, from Japan 555,000 lbs, making a total from foreign countries of aver 664,000 lbs—Hon. Mr Downie Stewart.