PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 75, 28 July 1915, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Pbk Pi»i:«s Ahsociaiiox. Wellington, July 27. In the House this afternoon leave was granted Mr Myers to withdraw the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill. The following Bills were introduced and i:ead a first time:—Springs County Council Reclamation and Empowering Bill (Mr Rhodes), and Lyttelton Borough Council Extension Bill (Mr McOoinbs). SICK IX EGYPT. The Minister of Defence read a report from Lieutenant-Colonel Essen as to provision made for the sick and wounded in Egypt. Sir Joseph Ward suggested that the Government might provide a sum to assist troopers who found themselves in difficulties »» Egypt. In reply, the Minister said he would be pleased to confer with Sir Joseph Ward on the matter of providing homes for men who were in difficulties. COST OF LIVING. An Imprest Supply Bill, providing for £903,000. was introduced by Governor s Message. On a motion to go into committee on ways and means, Mr Payne urged the necessity of decreasing the cost of living, and suggested that the Government should provide a line of steamers to carry coal from the State coal mines to various ports of the Dominion. He stated that a saving of ■% per cent, might he effected. He also suggested a course by which the cost of mutton and butter might be cheapened to the consumer.

Mr A. Walker advocated putting into effect Professor Prince's report on fisheries, with a view to providing the people with a supply of cheap fish. ! Mr P. Webb urged the appointment of a Royal Commission to investigate cases of alleged victimisation on the water-fronts of the Dominion, and also a commission to consider the working of the State coal mines.

! Mr T. Wilford said that unless the cost of living was decreased wages 'must be increased. Wage earners had 'given more in proportion to their incomes to patriotic funds than any other class in the community. Men who had derived large increases for thenproduce, owing to the war, had not contributed anything to war funds. The purchasing power of a sovereign as at last August did not now-equal fifteen shillings, and he urged the Government not to wait for Royal Commissions, hut to do something at once to reduce the cost of living. Mr Hanan followed in a similar strain, and urged that a day be set apart to discuss the question, so as to show constituents that members realised their responsibilities in this matter. The Bill was put through all stages. COOK ISLANDS JiJLL. The Cook Islands Bill was read a third time and passed.

WAR PENSIONS BILL.

Wellington, July 27

The House this evening went into committee to consider the proposed amendments in the War Pensions Bill. Sir Joseph Ward asked the Minister of Defence if anything could be done hi the direction of issuing war souvenir medals ; these distinctions should be issued to fathers, mothers, and possibly sisters of men who had lost their lives in the war. Mr Allen said that he had the matter already under consideration; he would make enquiries in the Home country and do what he could. Considerable discussion took place upon sub-section (a), defining dependents as "the wife of a member of the forces at time of death or disablement, but does not include a woman who may marry a member of the forces alter date of his disablement."

Sir Joseph Ward argued that this was unfair to a woman who may have had children by a soldier, but who was not married to him until alter he had returned disabled. Several other speakers supported this view. Mr Allen said that at the request of the committee he had enlarged the scope of the measure, but he urged the House not to make the doors too wide.