SESSION INCIDENTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 454, 8 September 1928, Page 13

SESSION INCIDENTS

Queries and Asides

(THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, Friday. After a hectic afternoon, marked by the hardest hitting of the session, it was distinctly surprising to find the House settling down in the evening to a torpid discussion of the Estimates. Even the mines vote, on which a renewal of the afternoon’s hostilities was expected, produced nothing more contentious than a discussion on the possibilities of introducing bricquette manufacture as a means of utilising slack coal. As a recommendation in this direction, Mr. Holland moved to have the vote reduced by £5. On a division this was rejected by 33 votes to 11. Other departmental votes passed were those of the Cook Islands, marine, public buildings, highways, agriculture, Stato forests, State coal, and tourists. Estimates approved during the day totalled £2,885,223. & % Entertainment Exes

A suggestion that the Commisisoner for Cook Islands should be granted an entertainment allowance was made last evening by Mr. T. M. Wilford, who said that the commissioner had to be host to every ship that called. “We haven’t got into the way of it yet, but we shouldn’t allow men to be out of pocket through their positions,” said Mr. Wilford. “Why the manager of a big hotel in America gets 1,200 dollars a month for entertainment.” Mr. V. H. Potter: Shame. A Nice Yacht “What is happening to the Hinemoa,” asked Sir John Luke of Sir Maui Pomare. Sir Maui Pomare: If the hon. gentleman "wants to buy a nice yacht, of beautiful lines, the Hinemoa is for sale. m Sabbath Rest Sunday loading of the Government fruit steamer at Niue Island was deprecated by Mr. P. Fraser. Sir Maui Pomare replied that Sunday loading was practised only when there was no way out of it. Ships’ officers were instructed to arrange their trip so as not to be there on Sunday, but if the weather delayed the ship, then it was unavoidable as the fruit could not be held up. Sir Maui concluded by reading a flowery proclamation addressed on this question to Niue Islanders. The proclamation concluded by advising the Islanders to look up the GospePof St. Luke with regard to Sunday work. (Laughter.) 5K * » The Dippers The belief that foot-and-mouth disease will never reach New Zealand was expressed by the Hon. O. J. Hawken, Minister of Agriculture, to-night. All precautions, he said, were being observed. With regard to the spread of cattletick, Mr. Hawken said that cattle sent from Waikato to Waitara freezing works were being dipped at Awakino. Mr. G. W. Forbes: Do you dip them before they are killed. Mr. Hawken: You coudn’t very well dip them afterwards. Cheer Up Mr. Lee Martin was subjected to much good-humoured badinage when speaking to the vote for the Department of Agriculture. “Well you’ll have to do better than you did at Waitoa the other night,” said Mr. Martin to the Hon. A. D. McLeod, who was one of his chief cirtics. Mr. Coates: Oh cheer up! Cheer up!

Mr. Martin: Yes, I’ll clieer up all right. He suggested that the chief trouble with the department was the Minister at its head. •fc * & Wild Pigs The vote for the destruction of wild pigs was smaller this year, said the Minister of Agriculture, because in many districts the pigs were being killed off. * * * Wereroa Farm It is proposed to dispose of the Weraroa experimental farm, said the Minister of Agriculture, speaking on his department’s vote. The station will’ probably be cut up into small holdings. X Sayings «pf the Week The Prime Minister: Our new proposal is nothing very new. Mr. J. McCombs: The Canterbury Provincial buildings are as closely related to one another as this Chamber is to Bellamy’s. Mr. E. J. Howard; Lawyers love arguments: that’s how they make their livings. Mr. H. E. Holland: I’ve never yet gone into the lobby against the Government when the Government was right. Sir Maui Pomare (on fishing grounds): Either the fish go out or the advance of civilisation goes out. Mr. W. E. Parry: As she was made out of the most crooked part of man, I think that woman has done very well indeed to get where she has got.