Mr. Speaker. . .

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 760, 5 September 1929, Page 1

Mr. Speaker. . .

j Session Queries and Asides

(THE Sl'X’S Parliamentary /Reporter J WELLINGTON', Wednesday. Parliament speii- a very quiet afternoon today, discussing Ministerial answers to questions. The galleries were fairly full, for people were expecting the resumption of the breach of privilege dispute between Mr. A. M. Samuel tThamesl and the Minister of Education (the Hon. 11. Alrnore). They were disappointed, however, until late in the afternoon, for the House started straight away on questions. The breach of privilege motion was discussed agaiu in the evening when a select committee was set up to investigate Mr. Samuel's charge. The debate on the Budget was concluded this evening, two more members contributing to the discussion, making a total of 70 speakers. That members were iu a quandary as to how they should vote on the breach of privilege motion when it was finally brought up was seen In the way they sought round for solutions to the difficulty, “out of court,” so to speak. Some of the . Labour members were plainly at a loss. It remained for the Leader of the Opposition (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates i to suggest a further opportunity of reconciliation until the evening sitting, and some members breathed sighs of relief. They w-ere clustered in groups discussing the question for some jninutes after the House rose. Mr. Samuel's attitude was uncompromising, and the Minister of Education reiterated his statement about jocularity, and then sat down.

Notice to introduce the Unemployed Workers' Bill was given by Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central), and two Bills from the Legislative Council—the Summer Time Bill and the Law Practitioners' Amendment Bill—were read a first time. Security For Police Mr. W. E. Barnard (Napier) gave notice to ask the Minister of Justice, the Hon. T. M. Wilford, if he would take steps to amend the Police Force; Act, 1913, with a view to securing a greater measure of security in employment and rank to members of the Police Force, and safeguarding their right to draw superannuation. There was dissatisfaction in the Police Force regarding peremptory termination of service, accompanied by loss of animation, as to which wide and arbitrary powers, by section D of the Act, were vested In the Commissioner of Police. ... Wireless Amateurs Answering a question by Mr. C. L. Carr (Timaru), the Postmaster-Gen-eral, the Hon. J. B. Donald, said that, regarding the reduction of the annual licence for amateur transmitters to £1 10s. and giving reasonable freedom of speech over the air, he proposed, as soon as the necessary particulars were available, to compare the condiditions governing the licensing of amateur transmitters in other countries with those obtaining in New Zealand. Then the request would receive consideration. Mr. Carr was glad to know that the New Zealand conditions were purely national and not governed by the International Congress at Washington. * * * Primage on Fertilisers It may be that the Government will make special allowances for fertilisers in the imposition of extra primage duty. The attention of the Minister of Customs, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, was drawn to the rise of 2s 3d a ton on sulphate of ammonia, as a result of the primage duty, by Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs). The Minister said that the Government had under consideration the primage duty on fertilisers, and would see whether any action could be taken. Whaling Restrictions Although there is no law restricting whalirg in international waters the New Zealand Government has reason for hoping that some form of international regulation may be evolved in the future. This information was given by the Minister of Marine, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, to a question by Mr. 11. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs). Third-Party Property Third-party risk legislation cannot be applied to property damaged in a motor accident, according to a reply given by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. W. A. Veitch, to a question by Mr. J. W. Munro (Dunedin North). The Act does not in itself provide compensation, he said,-but is merely to ensure that the owner or driver of any motor-vehicle inflicting personal injuries will be in a position, through insurance, to meet any rightful claim from injured parties for damages at law. It is not considered that there is justification for extending this principle to property damage, for which compensation would in most cases be on a much smaller scale. ... International Labour Office The Prime Minister stated in the House this evening that New Zealand would be represented at the International Labour Conference this year.