A Parliamentary Notebook

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 126, 18 August 1927, Page 10

A Parliamentary Notebook

Budget Debate Unended (THE SIX'S Parliamentary ttr P9rUr WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Budget debate speeches at tCHUv sitting contained little of national moment. Mr. J. McCombs attacked the Government for its borrowij methods, and Mr. V. H. Potter aij vanced a strong criticism of poli< . e force methods on special investigation work. The Legislative Council met three-quarters of an hour and p ass J a resolution to suppress road-bo-speedsters. The House of Representatives rose at 11.45 p.m. Mr. Bartram's Slip “I am a member of a party of it and tenth on the list of speakers’ confessed Mr. F. N. Bartram in the House to-day. Whether the association with 13 brought him ill luck, or whether his own impulsiveness led him to trouble it is perhaps difficult to gauge, but be had not gone far with his speech wbehe was called upon to withdraw f w saying that the Postmaster-General Hon. W. Nosworthy. had “spluttered like a tom-cat on a roof.” He He rr Relief Work Conditions An investigation into the; conditions of workers employed on relief works is sought by Mr. P. Fraser, Weliinr. ton Central, who asked the Miniweof Public Works, Hon. K. S. Williams whether his attention had been draws to a statement made in a newspapt by Mr. A. Cook, secretary of the \>v Zealand Workers’ Union, In which grave allegations were made regard ing the wages paid and the conditions under which workers on relief works were employed. The Minister replied that his at. tention had been drawn to the statement, but he had not been able tn get as many particulars as he would like to have before making a reply. I;' Mr. Fraser would give him mors definite information, he would get further particulars from his own department and make a statement. Mr. Potter Scores "Now I will give you what another great man says,” said Mr. V. H. Potter in the House to-night, when quoting from books upon certain subjects. Mr. P. Fraser chipped in: “How about giving us the weather report.” Mr. Potter- The honourable member has enough water on the brain. Mr. T. W. Rhodes: He has the wind up, too. Mr. Speaker compelled Mr. Potter to withdraw his remark about Mr. Fraser. A little later Mr. Potter put one over on his colleague. Mr. A. Harris, member for Waitemata. Mr. Potter spoke of policemen being insufficient for the needs of the Dominion, and said there was one quarter of Auckland where there were insufficient policemen. Mr. Harris: Oh, they don’t need them there. Mr. Potter: Perhaps they don’t during the Parliamentary session, but 1 was speaking generally. Fate of Private Bills Mr. Coates was quite non-commit-tal w-hen asked what facilities th 1 Government proposed giving private members' Bills which have missed their appointed day and have been placed at the bottom of the order paper. He said, in reply to Mr. G.F Forbes, that these Bills would suffer the usual fate unless the Government made arrangements to have them discussed. Just what arrangement* could be made he did not know, it depended upon what facilities could be given. Standing orders had to be overcome. He would inform members concerned what could be__utw