NEARING AN END

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 December 1940, Page 9

NEARING AN END

PARLIAMENTARY SESSION WAR REGULATIONS DEBATED. SECRET SITTING TONIGHT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The main business in the House of Representatives yesterday was a discussion at night on the war regulations. Urgency, was taken so that the House could sit beyond the normal rising hour of 10.30 p.m. if extra time were required. Most of the afternoon was occupied in a debate on the petitions of two formei- public servants praying for reinstatement in the Public Service. Reference was made to the restriction imposed on public servants against accepting employment outside the scope of their official duties, but the PrimeMinister, Mr Fraser, gave an assurance that there was no interference with their undertaking work for which some small honorarium might be paid. The debate on the war regulations was inaugurated by Mr Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga), who said during the past year more laws were made by Order-in-Council than by Parliament itself. There were scores of minor and irksome restrictions, and every Minister was a dictator and every head of a department a Lord High Executioner. Mr Doidge was followed by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, who said that if there were any war regulations that were unnecessary—he did not know of any—the Government would repeal them. To the average citizen who went about his business in a normal way the laws were no burden, nor were the vast majority of the regulations.

The House is meeting at 3.30 p.m. today, an hour later than usual, on account of a State luncheon in honour of the Governor-General. A secret session to discuss the latest developments in the war will be held tonight.