Session Incidents Queries and Asides

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 418, 1 September 1928, Page 5

Session Incidents Queries and Asides

kUN’t> Parliamentary Reporter J WELLINGTON, To-day. esterday afternoon’s proceedings in the House were the dreariest of the session. Though they were undoubtedly interested in their subject, the speakers to the Industrial Conference Report failed to invest their subject with any new or arresting- information. * i * r * Sullivan’s accusation that the Government had shown apathy in neglecting to give legislative effect to the recommendations of the conference was the only notable feature. A Thin House A very thin House settled down to discussion of the Estimates, and by midnight eight votes had been put through. The largest of these were Mental Hospitals £290,868, Health £240,733, Lands Survey £176,790, and Justice £131,614. Discussion during the evening was largely of a perfunctory character, there being usually a bare quorum in the House. At one stage there were considerably less than that number. 1 he Health and Prisons Estimates were the only vote to evoke protracted discussion. The House rose at 11.50 p.m., after the most colourless day of the session. * rfc Church of England Bill The Church of England Empowering Bill was received by the House from the Legislative Council and read the first time. “It Doesn’t Matter” Testimony to the lack of interest in the debate was the fact that there was rarely much more than a bare quorum present, and the additional fact that there was hardly an interjection during the whole afternoon. Lethargy was deplored by Mr. R. McKeen: “It doesn’t matter whether members own* a farm or a jam factory,” h© said, “they should pay attention to this.” But they didn’t. rf? H? Phosphates and Nerves Mr. W. Lee Martin (Raglan), exhibited his old nervousness about the future of the phosphate supply on Thursday evening, and the Prime Minister had to reassure him that there was adequate phosphate in sight for an indefinite period of time. Though he harps oh this subject with an insistence that becomes monotonous, Mr. Martin is proving a useful man to his party. When speaking he is impervious to the remarks of critics or interjectors—a fine quality in a politician. Thus he fulfils the promise he showed in the Raglan campaign, now just about a year ago. * * & Deputations Deputations occupied a good deal of the Prime Minister’s time yesterday. One was a private deputation of railway workers, who were closeted with Mr. Coates for a considerable period. Another was a vast throng of delegates to the Plunket Society conference. The ladies made a brave showing in the corridor when they were waiting to see the Prime Minister, but they did not keep him loqg. * 7% Another Record Apart from the afternoon’s unusual freedom from interjections, another record was established —only one petition was presented. This was from a Gisborne carrier, and 36 others, all infected with the prevailing fever in regard to excessive motor taxation. X & Active Days Sir John Luke, like another of the more elderly members of the House, Mr. J. Horn, has been extraordinarily active this session, and has spoken on almost every subject. Until late this afternoon he was, among a host of Labour men, the only Reformer who had contributed to the debate on the Industrial Conference Report. As such he earned the respect of Labour men; but late in the day Mr. J. A. Nash rose to share it with him. 5* & Tfc Party for Mount Cook A large party of Parliamentarians left Wellington last evening for Mount Cook. The party included Legislative Councillors and officials, as well as members. During the trip they are. to be entertained at the homestead of Mr. T. D. Burnett, who owns Mount Cook station. The defection of this party, plus the absence of many other members in their electorates, was responsible for the remarkably small number in the House. Too Many in Prison? Too many people are in prison in New Zealand according to Mr. E. J. Howard, who said last evening that if Great Britain’s prison population was in the same ratio to the population as New Zealand's, she would have 40,000 not 10,000 in gaol. Similarly New Zealand on the British standard would have only 353 in prison instead of three times as much. Mr. Howard deplored the Dominion’s failure to introduce the parole system. The Hon. F. J. Rolleston said that New Zealand’s prison population was declining in ratio to the population. , 7% 7 r F rlc Sayings of the Week Mr. J. A. Nash (on superannuation): I wish to bring up the question of embracing nurses in private hospitals— Mr. M. J. Savage: I am a modest sort of chap. I was born that way. Air. W. A. Veitch: Henry Ford is a marvellously efficient business organiser, but Im afraid he is no economist. Mr. H. L. Tapley (of Mr. Sidey): Like King Bruce of Scotland, he sat himself down to think, and produced this Bill. Mr. A. Hamilton: The Invercargill Borstal institution has been so successful that it is now overcrowded.