PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 225, 22 September 1928, Page 12

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

JOTTINGS FROM THE GALLERY

TEX MILLIONS PASSED.

ONE NIGHT'S WORK.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Friday.

Exhausted after two nerve-shattering days on the Licensing Amendment Bill, the House of Representatives was in a quiet mood to-day, the majority of members being content to sit silent during consideration of the Railways Statement in the afternoon. The evening session was. devoted to the passage of 21 classes of the Estimates, involving a total vote of £10,850,240, the largest classes being Railwavs, £6,670,425, Post Office £2,532,305 and Police £428,072. The latter class provoked some discussion about salaries and superannuation, but the majority of the other classes ■lipped through quickly, and the House adjourned till Tuesday at the early hour of 10.30, having passed the whole of the Estimates. Triangular. Election Contests. Two more Reform candidates for Auckland seats have been approved by the Prime Minister, in Mr, Frank Adeant, who will contest Auckland West, and Mr. Bertram Bunn, who will try to win Manukau. The Auckland West -constituency is, represented by Mr. M. J". Savage (Labour) and there will bo- a third candidate in the field in Mr. R. B. Spiers (United). Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P., will not have time to return from abroad to fight for the retention of the,Manukau aeat at the general election. In addition to Mr. Bunn there will be Mr. W. T. F. Kells Mason (United), seeking to unseat him. "Hearts Rule Their Heads." Scepticism regarding the usefulness of women police was voiced in the House to-night by some mertibers, Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) going so far as to say that he had never heard a good reason for urging their appointment. It seemed to him that if women police were appointed the Commissioner would almost have to invent jobs for them. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt), said that if. women of the proper type could be obtained female police might be useful, but it was his experience that the type offering were of such a nature that "they should not be let loose on the community for worlds." (Laughter.) The kind that offered their services when he was Minister of Justice had ''finished him." Women of the world would be all right, but the type that wanted to bu police- were likely to rush recklessly into trouble. Their prejudices came, from their hearts and not from their heads. The Minister of Justice agreed that much depended on the type of woman appointed. The police matrons in New Zealand did useful work, and a certain amount of patrolling. Savings in Kerosene. Among the many suggestions made by members during their discussion of railway affairs in the House this afternoon was one from Mr. W. L. Martin (Raglan) that the Railway Department should be more, liberal, in jits supply of kerosene for lighting country stations. He told of one experience where he went i to a small station to catch a train, which turned out to be running an hour late. The place was in darkness on his arrival; and, as time went on and darkness continued, he asked the porter if he" lighted up only just before train time: The. porter replied that he was starred for -kerosene ani could not light up at all. . .. f . «!Th*-oitty light wo had,** continued the speaker, "came from the porter's hand lamp, and he was very sparing with that for fear be would have no light to signal in the train." Misted the Bus. One of the few laughs in an inert afternoon in the Home was obtained by Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) .when he was.., criticising the tyJJPaWWhfcaj Wke-np of jthe,. official railway guide. The average traveller who .wasted, to get to, Rotorua would find ', i% very difficult to ascertain the facts as to fares and running times, he said. In the first place he had to hunt through the guide to find the Auckland trains section,,, and. *u overseas* visitor might not know that. "By the times he ha* puzzled it out and'found the place the. train has gone and he has missed the busJ* :..•■<! The SWnister of,, Railways (Mr. Coates): Oh, I don't mind if they miss the bus. — —

„ Jtjecjrfflcatfon attliam. An article published in the "Auckland Star" on September 15, under the heading "Electric Railways;" was brought under notice by Mr. M.* J. Savage (Auckland West), in urging that the of the Auckland .suburban section should be the first of the proposed works: of that nature to be put in hand. 'Qualified men said it was that electrification was one of the best waya to . place the suburban system on a paying basis. It was not sufficient to legislate motor competition off the roads. People would not tolerate that.

Paeroa-Pokeno Loop. *.!£'■♦£• M \ Saraue ' (Ohinemuri) advoPokrno L° arly of the Paeroa-