A Parliamentary Notebook

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 156, 22 September 1927, Page 10

A Parliamentary Notebook

An Evening on Singapore (THE SUN'S Ra-lia-senior, WELLINGTON. Wednesdkv The execution of the Rl Hon J r Coates’s promise to allow n ein w ol the Bouse or Representative*/ discuss the Singapore Base kept liament occupied for tie whole of ti. evening. Earlier in the day questions and plies were disposed of. and manr IT ports on petitions were presented ’ The Legislative Council passed tK second reading of the Summer tw Bill hut made no progress on the jia-* riage Amendment Bill, which is Etj r contentious. The House rose at 12.40 a.m. Preference League The Government has accorded kv support to the activities of the x« Zealand-made Preference League, inr is co-operating with it. in cornectio. with an exhibition shortly to be hek in Wellington. 35 * * Dairy Board Expenses A suggestion that the Dairy Control Board levy is hitting the X,, Zealand farmer hard has caused" the Minister of Agriculture to venture the statement in the House that the boa.-' itself has reduced the levy by hail The expenses under the presepolicy, he said, should be lighter that those incurred during last year, jj any case the Government did not u, tend to interfere in this direct on. 35**1 A Political Nirvana Sir Joseph Ward, although a vein crying in the political wilderness, an] although holding aloof from all over, tures for his services, appears perfectly content with his lot. He displayed a delightfully independent spirit in the House of Representatives to-night when he chided various sides of the House on their lack of unanimity. “The only place you will eTer get unanimity is with me," he said. Mr. H. E. Holland. Leader of the Opposition, chipped in: And even jm disagree with yourself sometimes. Sir Joseph: I find it so awkward finding fault with some of my friends that I feel I should give mysaif a dressing-down occasionally. 35 * * Railway Refreshments It is not possible to reduce the pries of meals and refreshments on the New Zealand Railways without incut ring a loss in the operations of the branch, or reducing the quality of the goods themselves. The Print Mb ister claimed in the House that a hift standard is maintained in the met!' and counter refreshments setrod by the department, and the press:: prices, which compare favourably witi those charged on railway system* a other parts of the world, return oalj a small margin of profiL 35*35 Destitute Immigrant The Immigration Department dal® to have no know ledge of the case o! I destitute Imperial Soldier who was brought to New Zealand nominal ed by a woman who is dependent upon i maintenance order on her husband,at who did not kr.ow him but nom iaut him at the request of ter brother-* blind man. The Minister in charged Immigration, the Hon W. Noswortij has promised to investigate if Mr . J. Jl Lee, who brought the case forwud, will supply particulars. ’ 35 35 35 Antique Orphans When does an orphan cease to ben orphan? This thought ran throng! the minds of Pa rliamentarians tedi when Mr. F. Waite, member tor Clutha, mentioned that there were many orphans of the Kaitangata inking disaster of 1879 still living. Sir Joseph Ward: How old an they Mr. Waite: Some of them mult k about 50 now, because it is a log time ago. Sir Joseph: Pretty old orphan, i aren’t they? Mr. Waite: Yes, pretty old. T® I am told they are still orphans.