A Parliamentary Note-Book

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 179, 19 October 1927, Page 8

A Parliamentary Note-Book

SPRING LANGUOR

(THE SEE g y ELLINGTON-, TtHhn Mechanical ventilators were „ iug for many hours today cle.n Wrii ’ chamber in the Hous e of ReW* lives of the oppressive spring sphere which was reflected in ,1, languid debates on Bills that forward for consideration c *®« A great part of yesterday’s was occupied on land the Motor Vehicles Bill, fair being made with the Bills W ° srea The Legislative Council met short while in the afternoon ® * The House rose at one o’clock “Donkey Years" “These plates will last for “dn,v years,” declared Mr. T. w iAA • Thames, in the House of RepmT’ tives this evening, when advo,T the retention of the same car ncmY plate for a number of vears period was covered by a “d 0 ■ year” was not explained bv T Rhodes. Government Typewriters In reply to a question asked bv v V. H. Potter, in the House of R.E sentatives to-day, the Prime .Micis-V said the contract for lvpiwri,j* which the New Zealand CoveruJhas placed in the hands of a B~a firm amounting to £54,0C0 in is for 12 months. Lords and the Tariff ’ The Legislative Council is expered to consider the Customs AmendedBill to-morrow. Standing Orders j.' not permit interference of the Lort« a the details of this measure, the onb jurisdiction the councillors possw being the power of absolute veto w objection to the general tariff ’ visions is anticipated and the Cowm probably will let the Bill go fimrari almost undebated, as was the case othe occasion of the last tariff ebanr* in 1921. Call of the Open Nothing w*!i hasten the end ol the Parliamentary session more than j week or two of the fine sprim weather with which the Capital City is being blessed at the present time. Of the 30 odd members in the House this afternoon nearly half were lau asleep belore the House had be® sitting for an hour. The humid climate took its toll of Ministers as veil as back-benchers, and the Prime Miaister and junior Government Whip shared the slumbers of the tired polticians. If the open air calls much move loudly than it did today, there will be a rush of business during the next few weeks. Hawthorn Hedges The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. O. J. Hawken, holds out no hope of compensation for those farmen who have to destroy hawthorn hedpa to prevent the spread of firebligh’He said, when discussing the Orchari Tax Bill this evening, that the Got ernment had considered it seven! times, and turned it down. There was no fireblight in the South talari and the farmers there should tale time by the forelock and begin the destruction of their hedges. He personally believed that hawthorn hedaes should not be allowed in orchard areas, as they were a menace to the fruit. The Bill was passed. A Worthy Petitioner

The Governmeut has decided u give consideration to the petition o( William Forrest, of Auckland, vbt seeks compensation for loss incurred on the Okaliu-Kura tunnel contract.

When this was recommended bf the Public Petitions Committee today Mr. A. M. Samuel, Ohinemuri, and Mr. G. R. Sykes, Masterton. urgedthu effect should be given to the petition Forrest had contracted to build tk tunnel for £96,000, but had to surrender the contract to a syndka’i which, in turn, surrendered it to the Public Works Department, and tie work had finally cost only 5 per at more than the contract price. Although over 60 years of age - the time Forrest enlisted and serve: through the war.