On the 3rd, 4th and 5th instants the Public Questions Union at the University of Otago staged a Mock Parliament. A certain air of genuineness was given to the assembly by the presence of Mr. Munro, M.P., in the speaker's chair on the Wednesday night, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart on the Friday, and by a deputation from the Unemployed Workers' Movement on the Thursday. A variety of political colours were shown on all three nights—official and Independent Labour Parties; a Communist, and sometimes two; Fascists with their black shirts, swastikas, and threatening dagger, paper-knife or toothpick; Conservatives led by the wit of the House: Social Credit fans eager to squeeze in a word about the immortal Douglas: and even a Liberal Party resurrected by the Law faculty. The brightest sallies came from the various brands of Diehards: the most serious contributions from the Labour benches.

The first night was devoted to a Conservative Defence Bill, in which everyone used their imaginations rather freely and rather unprofitably; to a Labour Bill urging the Abolition of Preferential Tariffs. Thursday was occupied with the unemployed delegation and with a Communist Bill for the Nationalisation of Mines: Friday with a Conservative aiti-sedition measure and one on venereal disease clinics from the Independent Labour Party. The session was well attended—in fact increasingly so on successive nights.

We have just been comparing notes on this and other subjects who was sergeant-at-arms at the Parliament (he had to brandish a hammer at sundry fellowes more than once during the proceedings. As Nurse Somebody or other said, a Speaker is not enough). As another V.U.C. student was clerk of the court or the session or whatever you call it, we asked him if it was the comparative conservatism of Victoria that made your ex-students so eager to keep us down here in order. He replied, "No, no!" and added, as he saw us taking notes, "in a loud voice." He observed that, as far as Communism is concerned, Otago is "completely dead:" that our Communism has neither quantity nor quality. The political atmosphere of Otago, he continued, is definitely much more moderate than that of Victoria. He regarded this as a bad thing—or, rather (he really put it more moderately) not a good thing. Which place he meant it was not a good thing for, be didn't say. We have our own opinion, but of course, we're polite people down here.

A. N. Otago.