Mr. Speaker . . . Session Queries and Asides

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 755, 30 August 1929, Page 1

Mr. Speaker . . . Session Queries and Asides

TUB SL'X’S Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, Thursday

The Budget debate is dying byinches —inches in Hansard —and interest in the utterances of the last members to have their say is on the perfunctory- side, as so much of the ground has been covered before. ... As Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmonti ingenuously stated in the opening of his contribution to the debate this afternoon: “In such a long debate it is very hard at this stage to say anything of value.” Yet he proceeded to make a verygood speech from the point of view of independence. He criticised both parties, and the primage duty and the land-taxation proposals each failed to have any appeal for him. ... That the Minister of Transport should make an amendment to the Third-Party Risk Act so as to provide for the insurance companies compensating people for damage to their personal effects in a motor accident was a question addressed to the Hon. W. A. Veiteh by Mr. J. W. Munro (Dunedin North). Attention was drawn by Mr. C. E. Macmillan (Tauranga) in an urgent question to the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, to a statement that Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo) had been advised that the Treasury had approved of the general purposes and relief fund being utilised to provide lime and manure for settlers in the Mairoa and Waintangaru districts. The Minister said that it was true that arrangements had been made to give much-needed assistance to settlers in the Mairoa district, which was very- deficient in lime, so muclv so that stock could not be kept in a healthy condition. It was proposed that settlers should be able to get lime at the lowest possible price, and that, according to their circumstances, arrangements should be made for them to pay. It was not the intention to give free lime.. The assistance was for lime only, and not for fertilisers. e . - The Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Amendment Bill and the Licensing Amendment Bill, both in the name of Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs) were Introduced and read a first time, second readings being set down for September 11 and 18 respectively. . * » “The Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, committed an error of judgment in moving the amendment to the Budget motion. Sections outside the United Party were unable to support the amendment wholly. It made the Reform Party isolated in the House and made its position very weak.”—Mr. Wilkinson. “There is too much party in this House. It is a good thing for the country that there are a few Independents in the House who can say what they think without being tied to a party.”—The same speaker. I ... j Notice was given by Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs) to ask j the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, if he had noticed the ! statement to the effect that the rej suit of the additional 1 per cent, on I fertilisers and sulphate of ammoniaj now arriving in New Zealand was an i increase of 2s 3d a ton, and if, in view of the importance of fertilisers. | he would provide a remedy.

An Independent's Sympathy A definition of his attitude as an Independent member was given In the House of Representatives today by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont) in his contribution to the Budget debate. He said that his sympathies were entirely with Sir Joseph Ward in the great task that he had shouldered. He did not think the country generally was looking for any change of Government. If he could, he would support the Government in every way, but he wished to hold himself free to vote against it if he thought Its proposals were not in the best interests of the country. Having a Look A sly dig at Mr. McDougall (Mataura) was made by Mr. A. M. Samuel (Thames) in the House of Representatives tonight when replying to the Minister of Marine, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, who. in his speech, had expressed a desire to see the people of Waitemata who had returned Mr. A. Harris. Mr. Samuel said the remark was unworthy of a Minister, but said that the Waitemata people would doubtless be pleased to have a look at Mr. Cobbe. He advised Mr. Cobbe. however, to make the starting point of his itinerary. Mataura, to have a look at the people there. There was a roar from the House. Not “the Late” “Oh, no, not the late,” protested the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. J. G. Coates, when referred to by the Hon. H. Atmore. Minister of Education. as “the late Prime Minister” in the House tonight. The Hon. T. M. Wilford, Minister of Justice: Politically dead. Mr. Coates: Not at all, and you'll find that out by and by.