PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10058, 4 August 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 3. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The"House met at 2.30 o'clock. CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES. Mr W. F. Massey, leader of the Opposition, asked the Premier when he proposed to give the an opportunity to elect a Chairman of Committees. Sir J. G. Ward replied that the election of the Chairman would be proceeded with after the conclusion of the Financial Debate. FINANCIAL DEBATE. The debate on the Financial Statement was resumed by Mr D. McLean, Wellington East, who advocated a referendum on the land question. It had been proposed that large land owners should apply the same . principle to their properties as they wished to apply to the Crown lands, but this proposal had been rejected by the Farmers' Conference. Mr G. J. Anderson, Mataura, contended that the land question was not i one on which a straight-out yes or no could be obtained by means of referendum. The Opposition had a definite policy on the land question, which was the optional a view to allowing every man who wished to get on the land to do so, and ultimately become an owner. Mr R. W. Smith, Rangitikei, referring to the No-Confidence motion, said it resembled a sugar coated pill. The leader of the Opposition should have brought down an amendment containing a straight-out issue on the land question, in which case he would have supported him. «