PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1922, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S SITTING. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SEVERAL BILLS PASSED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met to-day at 2.30 p.m. The Tariff Agreement (New Zealand and Australia) Ratification Bill, the Naval Defence Amendment Bill and the Land Drainage Amendment Bill were put through their final stages and passed. The Statute Revisions Committee reported the Rotorua Borough Bill with minor amendments only. The Council adjourned at 4.50 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PROBLEMS OF FARMERS. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr. R. Masters (Str&tford), the Hon. W. Nos worthy said the question of introducing a Pure Seeds Bill -ind a. Noxiotts Weeds Bill was under consideration by the Government, biit he reminded the membe- that the matter was not without difficulty. So fAr as an increased number of inspectors was concerned he would not agree to that until the financial position improved, but in the meantime he would do the best he could with the inspectors he had.

In reply to Mr. D. J. Sullivan (Avon), Mr. Nos worthy said the testing of cattle for tuberculosis was consistently maintained by the Agricultural Department and there was no truth in any statement to the contrary. JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

In reply to Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition), the Hon. C. J. Parr said the proposed junior high schools would take the fifth and sixth standards of primary schools first form of the present secondary schools These schools were Simply experimenting in connection with a phase of education which had gone much further in most countries than in New Zealand. It did not mean a lot of new school buildings, because the same number of pupils were being taught. What would happen was that a new type of instruction would be given by the present teachers, and the idea that a wholesale change in the education system was to take place was a mistake. OPINIONS OF STUDENTS. Replying to Mr. V. H. Potter (Roakill), Mr. Parr said he was not in any way responsible for the opinion.? expressed by members of the Victoria College Debating Society. He believed that body was largely under the control of the professorial board, but the House provided a certain portion of the finance which supported the college, and if the opinions of students were offensive to the public members might remember that they to some extent controlled the purse. The House rose at 10.50 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.