A SKIRMISH IN THE HOUSE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5141, 27 September 1895, Page 3

A SKIRMISH IN THE HOUSE.

I A ROW OVER SCHOOL COPYBOOKS. By Telegraph—Own Correspondent. Weuixotox, Friday. There was a lively skirmish in the House last night over an attempt to imposo a duty on school copybooks and drawing-books. The Colonial Treasurer proposed that tho books be removed from the free list. «The Minister for Education supported the proposal, and in doing so referred in high terms to the excellence of Messrs Whitceombo and Tombs' productions. Mr McGowan objected to an industry being bolstered up at the cost of the tax-payers of the Colony. Mr Hogg said the Minister for Education was asking the House to stultify itself by reversing its vote of tbo previous evening, and imposing a duty on goods that it had already declared should be free. Strongly as he believed in Colonial industry, ho objected to any manufacturing monopoly, aud he entirely dissented from the remarks of the Minister, that in price or quality tho productions of the firm referred to would bear comparison with the imported article. Mr Collins defended the Minister aud Wliitcombe and Tombs, and accused tho member for Masterton of wobbling on the tariff. Mr Meredith and Mr Hall contended that the productions of the firm alluded to were iuferior to the Winglish books. 9 Mr Hogg, replying to Mr Collins, compared the latter to a pendulum; accused him in conjunction with Mr Reeves, of advertising a Christchurch firm, and said he had aroused their ire by "treading on their Canterbury corns I" The copy books were left on tho free list.