Mr. Speaker . . .

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1046, 9 August 1930, Page 10

Mr. Speaker . . .

Session Queries and Asides

WE L LING TON, Thu rsday. Tho Budget debate is entering upon its last slow hours and this afternoon when Mr. \Y. P. Endean (Reform —Parnell) had finished his second speech in the House of Representatives, Mr. A M. Samuel (Thames), another Reformer, had to rise to keep things going. Labour evidently has withdrawn from the arena. Several important reports were brought c|.o\v n this afternoon —the Samoa report. Labour Department, Immigration Department and Health Department annual reviews being the principal ones.

Yesterday, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Reform —Dunedin West) put in a plea for representation of the Southern city of caution and commerce on tlie Bank of New Zealand directorate, and today he had his answer from the Labour member for Waimariiio. Mr. F. Langstone, who. with his tongue in his cheek and amid laughter from the House, gave notice to ask the Minister of Finance, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, whether he would, when making the appointment to till the vacancy on the directorate, give consideration to a representative of the Waimarino electorate, so that country interests might be represented. Mr. Langstone has a hardy annual in the way of bills —the Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill —and he always attacks th* banking institutions hotly when h«* Introduces it. Mr. R. Me Keen (Labour —Wellington South) gave notice to ask the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. P. A. do la Perrelle, if ho were aware that a traders’ combine constating of retailers, wholesalers. packers and overseas agencies, called the Traders' Welfare Association, had been formed to prevent price-cutting, to maintain profits on it good basis and to repeal legislation that had been passed to give protection to the public. lb asked whether this association had approached the Minister and what steps tho Minister had taken to protect tininterests of the public. Mr. Langstone gave notice to ask the Minister of Finance if the Government intended to introduce legislation this session to protect mortgagors by way of a moratorium in the event of their paying up interest payments, but being unable to pay off the mortgage on the due dateA return -was sought by Mr. W. Nash (Labour —Hutt) showing the number and occupations of all immigrants assisted out to New Zealand by the Government during the past year. The annual report of the Immigration Department, presented today, showed that tho total was 1.790 —4715 men, 707 women, and GlO children.

This Budget has been called all sorts of things arid colours and last evenir.e tho Minister of Health, the Hon. A. .1. Stall worthy, called it the Rainbow Budget. One would have thought ho would have called it the “Divine” Budget.—Mr. J. O’Brien (Labour —Westland),

“The United Party is like Columbus, sailing on and on. I looked up Columbus and found that though he was an excellent man in himself he was handicapped by inefficient officers and a mqtinous crew.”—Mr. F. Waite (Reform—Cl u t ha ). Tho whip is to bo applied to tlie Mouse from now' on to enable the Prime Minister to attend the Imperial Conference. Probably tomorrow a motion for Monday sittings will be moved and it is anticipated that tho House will sit on Saturdays also to push business through. The standing orders will be suspended and late sittings will be the rule rather than the exception. The Prime Minister will have to leave Wellington on Sunday. August 24. it Is stated, to connect with tho steamer at Auckland on his way to the Old Country.