A Parliamentary Note-Book

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 215, 30 November 1927, Page 10

A Parliamentary Note-Book

Dragging Onwards (THE SVSS Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON*. To-day. If the people of the country are sufficiently interested to pay £6O an hour to hear a Parliamentary discussion upon the question of charwomen’s bonuses and messengers’ hours they will be edified by the result of to-day’s sitting of the House of Representatives, but the galleries, which were filled with expectant taxpayers waiting for Mr. Coates to announce when the session would end quickly thinned as members from all sides of the House figuratively flogged these paltry subjects. It was 12.40 before the discussion on supplementary estimates was adjourned, leaving the silent members deeply impressed with the futility of endeavouring to facilitate the progress of the end of session work. The Legislative Council continues to work overtime in clearing up order papers created by the passage of Bills through the Lower House. Mr. Coates said that there was uo reason why Monday morning, at the latest, should not be set for the finish of the session as the Licensing Bill and Arbitration Bill must go on. * * * Unemployed Workers The proximity of the end of the Parliamentary session has not deterred private members of the House of Representatives in their efforts to have Bills brought before the Chamber for consideration. Mr. P. Fraser, member for Wellington Central, who to-day introduced a Bill dealing with alien women, has given notice of his intention to introduce the Unemployed Workers’ Bill. This measure probably has been introduced with an intention similar to that which inspired the measure dealing with aliens and will not be discussed this session, but will be an indication of the stand which Mr. Fraser will adopt on these two questions next year. Messengers' Bonus There was a fear—a very healthy fear in these hard times —among some of the messengers at Parliament Buildings that the bonus which is usually paid to the staff was not to be paid on this occasion. The Minister in charge of the Legislative Department, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, has destroyed this illusion, and has made an announcement in the House that no statement was issued that the bonus would not be paid. Mr. Nosworthy added that Cabinet had not yet considered the question. The Government had kept a great number of the messengers on through bad times, and had tried to he reasonable with them. Mr. T. M. Wilford: You have a good team this year. Mr. Nosworthy: Yes; we always do have a good team. sit Hi dz Banned Books “The only book that could get through the Post and Telegraph Department without examination is the Bible,” said the Hon. W. Nosworthy, Postmaster-General, in the House thii afternoon, when replying to a question advanced by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, in respect to books prohibited. Mr. Holland mentioned certain books which he said were prohibited, but which were in circulation and in possession of members of Parliament. One was J. A. Hobson’s “Fight for Democracy”; another Norman Angel's book on Russia in reply to Trotsky's hook; and still another “A Wise Man Learns Till the Day of His Death, hut the Fool’s Education is Always Complete.” Mr. G. W. Forbes, Leader of the Nationalist Party, asked if Hansard would get through the post. Mr. P. Fraser: It is most danger ous. IK rlr H? A Harassed Minister One of the most harassed members of Parliament during the session just ending was the Hon. W. Nosworthy, who first had to face an op position barrage on the £15,000 loan to the Radio Broadcasting Company. Then the heavies came over with a vengeance when the trouble occurred in Samoa, and the Minister still nurses the slowly-healing wounds of criticism, though none of the House of Representatives takes his gruel with better grace. , It was discovered to-day that Cabinet had overlooked the bonus to messengers, and it fell to the lot of Mr. Nosworthy to explain it to the House. “I don’t know whether I am to blame or not,” he said ruefully, “perhaps I am.” Mr. Wilford was equal to the occasion. “You have had most ot it this session,” he said. “You might as well have a little more.” Mr. Nosworthy (wearily): I have had all of it. Mr. Sullivan reminded Mr. Nosworthy that the way of transgressors is hard, and as he had heard Mr. Nosworthy say that the lot of a Cabinet Minister was hard, he was forced to draw his own conclusions. Mr. Nosworthy did not agree with some members that the session was the most strenuous on record, though he admitted that it was one of the longest.