POLITICAL NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 169, 7 October 1927, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES

(Continued from Page 8.) Promised Legislation Amendments to the Miring Act are to be brought before the House hy the Minister of Mines, the Hon. G. J. Anderson. The Minister of Agriculture. the Hon. O. J. Hawken, will handle the Introduction of Plants Bill, and the Kon. F. J. Rolleston, Minister of Justice, will introduce the Guardianship of Infants Amendment Bill, a * * Religious Exercises The desire that the Religious Exercises in Schools Hi.l should be passed into law during the present session is expressed by 1,612 Nelson district electors, who petitioned Parliament to-day through Mr. H. Atmore, Nelson. * * * Dodging Vital Issues The clamour that was raised by members of Parliament for the appearance of the tariff revision, and subsequently the introduction of the Customs Amendment Bill, would have led the country to believe that serious and weighty debates would characterise the pasage of the customs legislation. After two days’ discussion on tariff legislators must have convinced the country of their astounding facility for avoiding the vital issue in the most important legislation of the session, and of their tenacity in clinging to Parochial grievances. The wider principles underlining the tariff scheme were forgotten—at least left unmentioned—and members who possessed no earthly interest in citrus fruits tallted inconsequentially upon the duty on lemons, what they would mix with their lemons when they visited Bellamy's, and whether New Zealand lemons possessed skins as thick as po] iticlans.

The full galleries were not edified and started to thin out long before the supper adjournment the taxpayerspJctators doubtless retiring homeward with thoughts buzzing in their disillusioned mind 3, “So that is what we pay £6O a minute for!” Few could have tailed to sympathise with the Prime Minister’s plea for progress, hir equally few failed to v. der why M.\ Coates had not divided the blame Jor the waste of Parliament's time between the Opposition and members of his own following.

i • » » Land Agents' Receipts The concern that was caused to land agents last week by the non-arrival of the Government receipt forms, the use “ - which It was Intended to make compulsory from October 1, was mentioned *h the House to-day by Mr. W. E. Parry, Auckland Central. He gave notice to ask the Acting-Minister of Internal Affairs, Sir Maui Pomare, why his department issued the regulations Disking it mandatory for land agents iu use only the Government receipt terms in the conduct of their operations, and why the enforcement of the regulations was postponed from October I until April of next year.