THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1258, 13 October 1911, Page 7

THE HOUSE.

WELLINGTON CITY EMPOWERING BILL. STRONG OPPOSITION. THE RIGHT TO CHARGE FOR ADMISSION. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. J. T. HOGAN (Wanganui) asked the Minister for Railways to consider tho advisability of sotting up another Railway Committee. The present committco had been sitting for four weeks considering 'the petition from tho Railway Officers' Institute. It still' had to deal with the petition sent in by the second division, with a;x petitions sent in by local bodies which desired to bo relieved of liability in connection with the Hutt Railway and, Road Improvement Amendment Bill, and with other petitions. It was quite impossible that the committee should deal with this volume of business before tho ond of the session. The Hon. J. A. MILLAR said ho did not think it would bo advisable to set •up another committee at this late stage in the session. The best way would be .for tho existing committee to do what it could with the petitions before it. Thoso not dealt with this session would havo to be dealt with next session. MR. KEEFER'S RESIGNATION. Sir Jas. CARROLL laid on tho table the correspondence relating to the resignation, of Mr. A. Keefer, late president of the Xairawhiti Maori Land Board. It was agreed that the letters should be printed. RAILWAY AUTHORISATION BILL. The PRIME MINISTER declined to reply moro explicitly to a question by Mr.' J as. Allen as to when the Railway Authorisation Bill would be brought 'down than by stating that it would be brought down this session. THE RACING COMMISSION. Mr. \V. T. JENNINGS asked the Prime Minister what the position _ was in regard to the Racing Commission, when it would sit ■ again, and whether any other information relative to tho commission was available. The PRIME MINISTER replied that ■he would prefer that notice should bo given of the question, as he/wanted to communicate with the former chairman of tho Racing Commission before answering, the question. Mr.'JENNINGS gave notice of the question as suggested. LOCAL BILLS. When the. Orders of the Day (Local Bills) wore called upon, Mr.; J. I'. ARNOLD (Dunedin Central) asked . whether the Premier intended to move'the suspension of the Standing Or-ders,-'.si tiidt these Bills might be passed tnrough all their stages that day. Thi> PRIME MINISTER replied that, ha had no objection to this course being taken in the cane of Bills that were not contentious. If they did oontain anything oontentious it would not be wise to push them through all thoir stages in one day. Mr, R. H. RHODES (Ellesmere) asked whether the Prime Minister would put Bills that were likoly to bo opposed at the bottom of the Order Paper. The PRIME MINISTER replied that it was-not open to him' to take this course. To a similar question by Mr. Myers, he stated that the ordinary course wis to get members in . charge of .Bills that , were likely* to be'opposed .to-.-defer •' them. The, following-Bills were read a third time' and _ passe'dHeathcote -'.CoiintV Boundaiy Bill, City of Christchurch Empowering Bill, Jlosgiol Borough Empowering i Bill,. Awatere County Bill, Ashley Subdivision and' the Waimnkariri-Ashley : Water Supply Board Bill, • Franklin and Jlnnakau Counties Bill. i