WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING, COME TO STAY,! 1 (Special Correspondent)" Wellington, Dec. 6. The attempt of the leader of the Legislative Council to reverse the decision of the House of Representatives in regard to six.' o'clock closing failei more signally than was generally expected. A report had got about that Sir Francis Bell was moving at the instigation of the party leaders in the other Chamber and it was thought a substantial majority of the new councillors, at any rate, would vote with the Government. But to the surprise of" the quidnunes, the Minister's proposal to revert to the old closing hour on the termination of the prescribed period—six months after the conclusion of the war —was rejected by the substantial majority of twenty to ten. Sir Francis frankly accepted the division as an indication of the attitude of Parliament towards the question, and refused to ac- j *ept an amendment from Sir Walter Buchanan that would have compelled j the House to review its decision. i WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT Mr J. McCombs, the Labor member for Lyttelton, sprang a surprise upon Ministers last night by moving that women should be eligible to sit in Parliament. Mr Massey had just got the Legislative Council Amendment Bill through committee and doubtless was congratulating himself upon the completion of a somewhat perilous task, when Mr McCombs came down with his amendment and in a weary House disinclined for debate got a division of 31 to 27 in his favor. The Hon. T. M. Wilford was the only Minister that voted with the majority. The Hon. J. A. Hauan was absent from the House and the rest of the members, of the Cabinet voted with the "Noes". Subsequently the Prime Minister raised a point of order, contending that the amendment was foreign to the purpose of the Bill passed with the provision for women sitting in Parliament included. Probably the Legislative Council in the exercise of its constitutional function will see fit to delay the reform. MILITARY OBJECTORS. It has been an open secret for some weeks past that the report of the commission appointed to inquire into the allegations concerning the ill-treatment of prisoners in the Wanganui detention barracks was unfavorable to the staff of the institution, but few people have been aware of the extent to which the prisoners' complaints were confirmed by Mr Hewitt's investigation. Of course this place was put in tolerable order before the Commissioner commenced his enquiry, and so far the higher authorities justified themselves in the eyes of the public, but how the flagrant abuses were allowed to go on week after week without any official representations reaching the Minister is a disquieting mystery which still requires to bo cleared up. Apparently the outrageous system of "discipline" had been going on for some months before it received its first public mention in this column and then several weeks elapsed before the authorities could be moved to action. THE PEACE DELEGATES There still is much speculation as to the time and means of the peace delegates' departure from the Dominion and neither Mr Massey nor Sir taaepu Ward can be persuaded to throw a gloam of light upon the problems. A fortnjght ago. it seemed certain that by this ,tulie the party leaders would be "wel on their way to London, but to-day they bear themselves as being no nearer to their sailing than they were then. Evidently Mr Massey has made up his mind'to see the end of the session, before leaving, and yesterday he hinted at a resolution from Parliament con-, cerning the Pacific Islands and a statement, regarding the future of interned enemy subjects. There is an impvesion about, however, that the travellers will get away some time next week and towards this end Pariament is lending a hand by remaining on its best behaviour. I ,