WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3549, 10 August 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

MEIVIBERS’ FREE PASSAGES.

DECLIAGED WITH THANKS, ‘E .._....._... (isgecial Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Aug. 9

It was left to Mr T. K. sidey, the member for Dunedin South, to hell the cat in connection with the free passages between We,llingtoH and Lyttelton offered to the South Island members of Parliament by the Union Company. During the discussion of the Estimates on Friday evening he called the attention of‘ the Prime Minister to the matter and suggested very delicately the acceptance of such favours by the people’s i‘9Dl"€Sßll‘Cfl~ tives from a proprietary concern woum place the beneficiaries in an invidious position and establish a very undesirable precedent. Mr Massey concurred with Mr Sidey and after explaining how the free passages came to be offered announced his intention to make the members’ travelling expenses a ‘(3‘f.l:'ll'gO upon the public funds. THE COLLAPSED DEBATE. There were some recrimination 'in the House on Friday night concerning the collapse of the Financial Debate. Mr Wntord implying that ‘member-E----who had wished to speak on the Budget had been tricked out of their opportunity to do so, and Mr Massey indignantly repudiating the suggestion. The truth of the matter appears to be that quite a number of members were out of the House preparing their speeches and relying upon Mr J. P_ Luke, who had moved the adjournment on the previous 'day. keeping the ‘pot boiling’ for his full hour. But Mr Luke sent. word to the Whips he would be unable t'o continue the talking and Mr George Hunter who took his place held the floor for only twenty minutes or so Then the Prime Minister got his opportunity and took it, probably as any other leader would -have done. GETTING TO WORK. --

_ Mr Massey promises ‘that members of the House will be kept more fully occupied for the rest of the session than they have been for the five or six Weeks }just past. 'f':.Fo-HlOl'l'sO\‘."S Order Paper is. a fairly full ‘one,’ including the Civil List Bill and the Standard Time Bill. The‘ Civil List Bill proposes the increase of Minisers’ and members’ salaries and though it does not contain a. great deal of controversial matter a considerable number of-members may; Wish to_ explain .how the additional‘ pay will benefit their constituents and the country. The £450 a year now suggested is not considered by any means excessive, indeed it is quite possible a further increase will be proposed, but it is generally thought this is a matter for the Government to. determine. ' fin‘ ENDOVWM-ENT LAN.I".iT%.

' There was a little flutter"amoug the old leasehold stalwarts remaining in the House on Friday when Mr D. H. Guthrie. the Minister of Lands, signified his intention during the present session of giving Parliament “a chance of removing the national endowment“ barrier.” There would be no robbing of the endowments. he declared,Vbut the Government would give the settlers the right: if they brought the land into productivity to make it their own_ Mr Gufiirie did not explain how this would be done. but in reply to an interjection from Mr Witty he said if the member for Riccarton had a. little experience in bursting up big estates he would» not talk so confidently about this process. Bursting up smnetimei‘; cost more than the value of the land. The present House. with the exception of the Official Labour section, is not very keen on the land question.‘ and the ‘members of this section, unhappily, do not direct. their zeal with a great deal -‘of understanding.