A Parliamentry Notebook

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 101, 20 July 1927, Page 8

A Parliamentry Notebook

Mostly on Samoa

WELLINGTON, Tuesdav ALTHOUGH Samoan affair , occupied a great deal of th. time of the House of Rep rescnta . tives to-day. a not inconsiderable amount of general work was no, through. a 1 Reports on the administration of ih. mandated territory were laid on (T table and a general discussion fo,* lowed. Later the Samoan Amendmen Bill was brought down bv the Go eminent and read the first time, r, contains important clauses IncreasJ: the powers of the dealing with persons hindering tx administration. “ lne Bills introduced in the evening i„ chided the Lands for Settlement Chiu Welfare. Shops and Offices ar.li Noxious Weeds Amendment Bills Thr House also discussed the Legislator. Amendment Bill, the second reading of which was carried. The House rose at midnight until 2.30 p.m. to morrow. Machinery Legislation The Machinery Amendment Bill dealing in technical amendments to the Machinery Act, and bringing l«g ls lation up to date, was brought down by the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Labour, announcing that he hoped to have a consolidation of all machinery legislation next year. Electioneering Expenditure Limitation of the amount of money a party Is entitled to spend on electioneering is desired by Mr. G. IV Forbes, Hurnui, Leader of the Na' tionalist Party, who suggested this evening that provision should be made, in the Legislature Amendment Bill for this restriction. The Hon. O. J. Hawken; According to the size of the party, I suppose. The Hon. G. J. Anderson: What do you suggest? Mr. Forbes: I have not had so much experience in handling party funds as the Minister in Charge of the Electoral Department. My estimate would probably be a bit low. The Minister, being in charge of the funds of his party, ought to be able to know where waste came iu. However, we shall wait till we get into committee, and see whether he intends to do anything iu regard to that matter. Flags, Parties, and Patriotism. “It should be illegal to use the country’s flag for political purposes,” declared Mr. F. N. Bartram, Grey Lynn, in the House of Representatives this evening. Mr. T. M. Wilford: Or the Red Fla.: Mr. Bartram: To the hon. member it’s like a red rag to a bull. Mr. Coates: But the Red Flag is not hoisted. Mr. Bartram: It is all very well lor the Prime Minister to try to draw a red herring across the trail. (Laughter.) He knows perfectly well that what I am suggesting is correct. The Reform Party has wrapped the Prime Minister and individual members in the country’s flag. Here Mr. Bartram was called to order by the Speaker. “It ought to be made illegal, any. way,” proceeded Mr. Bartram. At a later stage Mr. D. Jones, Ellesmere, took up the gage. He supposed

the flag: of the Socialist Party had been hidden in the back of a cup : board. A Member: It’s moth-eaten. Mr. Jones: No, I think it’s stored away with mothballs to preserve it against the time it may be used. have no objection to a party using the Red Flag or going back to red ties, and I don’t think that they have any right to raise objection to any we may use on this side of the House. Mr. J. A. Lee: If the Reform Party wants some particular emblem — a soup tureen, it may be—they are quite entitled to register it as a brand, an« the people who see it will know things that appear under it are of * Reform nature. T think it is stui true, as Johnson said many years ago. that “Patriotism is the last refuge o a scoundrel.” A clause should be serted in the bill to prevent mis-use o national emblems in future. Far North Afforestation The Commissioner of State Forests is to be asked by Mr. A. Bell, Bay’ ® Islands, whether he will cause a comprehensive report to be made by tn Director of Forestry on the affore L* tion of the territory lying betwee Waipapakauri and Spirits Bay, vn maritime pine and other trees, view of the development of a na stores and timber-milling industry- “ The Far North east peninsula, its unrivalled climate and good n hours all along the eastern coa J~* a 2 probably more suitable for afiorea\ tion than any other part of New t** land,” said Mr. Bell.