PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1920, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. GAMING BILL ACCEPTED. By Telegraph.—Press Aiaoclation. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. A message from the House defined exactly the amendments made by the Council to the Ganvng Amendment Bill to which it objected, and Sir Francis Bell moved that they be not insisted nn. The Bill's origin il purpose was to kill the bookmaker, and though quite properly moved, the Council's amendments were not material.

The Hon. W. H. Triggs maintained that the Bill, without the Council's amendments, would not kill the bookmaker, but he was prepared to take half the loaf.

The Hon. J. Barr expressed disapproval, but earn he realised that in the atmosphere of the Council it would beuseless to press the amendments. .

The Council decided not to insist on the amendments.

The Statutes Repeal and Expiring Laws Amendment and Continuance Bill was read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee.

The Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Amendment Bill was read a first

time. The rose at £.53" p.m; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NEWCASTLE COAL EMBARGO. The House of Representatives met at ?*SO p.m. 'Replying to Mr. Luke, Mr. Massey said he had heard that an embargo had been placed on the export coal from Newcastle. This, he believed, was only temporary, and'he was not sure that New Zealand was affected by it. Ten days ago he had received a telegram from the Premier of the Commonwealth that New Zealand's supply would not be stopped, but some new developments may have taken place, and he cabled to Australia again. The position would be serious if our Australian supplies of coal were cut off.

THE ESTIMATES. WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS. The remainder of the sitting was occupied by consideration of the Estimates. On the item Internal Affairs Department ( £358,288), Mr. Smith (Taranaki) suggested a straight-out grant for the encouragement of swimming and lifesaving societies. The discussion on details ranged over a wide area, from the care of war graves to fresh water fisheries, the protection of tuatara lizards and birds, and the protection of consumers against deceit through the irfediam of defective weights and measures, but the first division—head office, £54,139 —was passed unaltered. Items of £I2OO for additional salaries of Ministers' secretaries, £72,107 for messengers and other members of the public office staffs, and £17,061 for the Registrar-General's office, were passed without comment. NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL. On the item £139,251 for miscellaneous services, .Mr. Craigie moved an amendment that the sum of £IOO.OOO for a National War- Memorial be reduced by £50.000, and the other £50,000 be utilised for making grants to funds for local memorials in other ceutfes. The Hon. J. G- Coates pointed out that it was nothing new to have a national memorial in the capital, instancing London, Paris, and other European centres. It was intended to spend the whole £IOO,OOO on the monument, which means that a large sum of money would be necessary to acquire a site, and the committer investigating the memorial question were given to understand that Wellington citizens would heip in finding this site. At 11.20 p.m. th# amendment for a reduction of the National Memorial item was rejected on the voices. After discussion on further items the House rose at 12.15 a.m.