PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1921, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. ECONOMY IN DEFENCE MATTERS. V. By Telegraph. —Press Association Wellington, Last Night. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki), the Hon. W. Nosworthy said there was no truth in the statement which had been circulated that certain persons were coming to New Zealand as immigrants who were in fact merely tourists, as they intended to go elsewhere after visiting the Dominion. Replying to Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne), the Premier said everything was being done that could be done to expedite the delivery by the Arbitration Court of the freezing workers’ award, short of bringing pressure to bear on the court, which, could not be done. Replying to Mr. Field, Sir R. H. Rhodes said it was not proposed to hold the Dominion Rifle Association meeting at Trentham next year. The meeting would cost about £6OOO and economy had to be effected. In effecting economy in the defence estimates it was not, however, intended to curtail the privileges to rifle clubs. Mr. W. A. Veitch (I Wanganui) gave notice of his intention to introduce the Police Force Amendment Bill. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart moved that the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Local Bodies Loans Bill be agreed to. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) and Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) entered protests against the amendment in clause five, on the ground that it gave the Government power to exploit local body sinking funds held by the Public Trustee. Mr. Stewart, in reply, deprecated such criticism. The clause had been designed to meet the wishes of local bodies and was not brought down in the interests of the Government at all. On a division the amendments were agreed to by 33 votes to 15. The House spent some time discussing the annual report of the Mental Hospital Department. The Minister, in reply, intimated that vigorous steps were being taken to meet overcrowding in various institutions. The Hon. E. P. Lee moved the second reading of the Law of Libel Amendment Bill pro forma, which was agreed to, and the Bill was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee.

The Hon. C. J. Parr moved that the Education Amendment Bill be referred to the (Education Committee and this was agreed to. The Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Bill was passed. The House rose at 9.30 p.m.