YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 8

YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT

THE ESTIMATES. I ; " . . :" • RAILWAYS, TELEPHONES & OTHER MATTERS ■ COUNCIL REFORM BILL SPEECHES BY THE HON. H. D. BELL & OTHERS

■ The:'greater part of a long-working day in.- the House- of Representatives .yester-day-was spent.in 'consideratipn. of the Consolidated Fund -Estimates. In tha_early;-part of/the afternoon a.dis-cussion-aroSB over the presentation by the for- Public" Works .of a'-return showing that the..'housing of Parliament an(l ; 6t" his Excellency-.the Governor, since the ..fire'in .1907 which, partially destroyed 'Parliahient'-Buildings, had , cost the country' ,£162,000.:" Mr.", G.'IV. tyissell complained .that the return was unfair, and did not oxplain , ' why the different, items had been' incurred. '" ■To .th&vJlr/.-.Fraser,'replied;- : that the return simply gave answers, seriatim, to a niimberVof questions which had been put by, the, member, asking for it'.. (Mr. Canip--beil)J,.'i'be questions.'had..bsen;,on the .Order-Ea'per for. i some, time, and could Kave;:l)epn.|s'een there by..any-.-member. • desiringvfurther. information' cduldgpVit by asking"for it. ■-" .' • ■

The''House ,, went'-'inntb' Com'mitttee of Supply on the :. Estimates 'at 3.8 ' p.m. were evidently a. little amused when; Mr. -G. -Witty,, member for Eiccarton, .Tose, to remark that .it was usual to have a ■ discussion on the motion to 'go into' Committee -of; Supply,'• but that■ his eide of the .House, , while , preferring its right to criticise the"Estimates; : , did. not' intend,tq,offer, .any. factious;, opposition. The Prime Minister gravely thanked the "Leader of the;other side'of the House" for what he had said.- ' •'/' ■ ,-'"■ '

The first two classes in the EstimatesLegislative Departments and Department of. Finance—passed unattended, and with very: little discussion.-.-.. ■•■-; ... -

iln the latter port-of the-afternoon the Hon. E. H; Rhodes piloted through a'ppr r sibn of. the Estimates,., of, the. Post and l'elegraph; Department,' ''The same class jcoupied the House hi:.the-evening..,until. 9.10 o'clock.-. -The- main 'items! of .the Departmental expenditureM/passed,/: unchallenged,:.but a: long djscuseibii. t'ook'.place on the subject , of couii/try telephones. Country members complained that their constituents had to pay- too much for the.,building, anuV.-maintenance' of telephones, and contrasted country rates with those ivhich city telephone subscribers are called upon,.to .pay. The..Minister, in replying, ; ;po'inted ,out,, .that. the, telephone, business/done;'byhis Department in cities' rptuTnedi'a' s profit,;'whereas the'country business did'-iot.' - He f said that he was erixious to' do" anything,'inThis power to assist settlers, but tad to consider ways and,means. -The Department would continue its past policy of doing-everything possible to" assist country' residents. As soon as this',Committee turned'to'the Eaihvay; Mir,,. Ell , 'announced thatie.iritended to take "a;'division on the quesMpiv of,.the. kee,_carriage.on. the.rail-, ways" Tone way), of racehorses .and polo ponies. He moved- to reduce -an item by £l as an'indication' that This practice ehould be discontinued. Sir Joseph' Ward and Mr.-Witty announced that they 'would vote against ths amendment.. A dirisioii.,was. take,n. a* Boon. as.;,th"e..House, hadiresumed after, the, supper udjpurnment, -and the amendment v,as defeated'by, 44 votes to 11. " " Subsequently Mr. Buchanan inaugurated- ardisoussion on the subject of losses on railways under construction. He instanced;.,the. -.Ivelson-Picton -lines as amongst those on which heavy losses had been 'ini curred. ..-. ■:•- . '.. '..'..'■ Mr,,J.' : Eobertspn (Otaki) moved to reduce, an. item-to give,effect to the concessions in'fares ior children promised in the - Governor's Speech, outlining tho Mackenzie Government's policy. It was pointed out that, the concession would cost from .£40,000 to and both the Minister in,charge,,and, the Prime Minister : said.;tl.int the. Department simp|y could;, not afford ■ to .lqse that sum. After a long discussion, the. motion was lost by 36 votes to 2-t. Just after 1 a.m. Mr. G. W. Eiissell protested loudly against the House, being forced to' do'any more business. .'He moved to report progress, but'the motion was defeated by 37 votes to 18. A subsequent amendment by Mr. Ell was also flefciteduh'-fa'ivni-'-i.-'. 1 ! -"■ ''•'•- . ■ In tlie Legislative Council, the Hon. H. P. ..-Bell, -Mihifter--for Internal Affairs, niade;an important speech on the Eeform Bill-on-the ; motiohto eonjinit• the Bill. He, argued in effect thai: the Council, hating , jiffifniecL the "pHncipie of 'an. elec-tive-fjecpni Chambcr.'pught to.deal with the Bill to bring it aboirt.- Then;'. :tne TloriC..T."3). Ormorid's-amendment to delay ;the.:passage' of 'thp"BT!l oil the .ground that- tfie-electors had never been ■consulted concerning 'it was discussed. Tho i^bate:adjourned at'4,os-p.m.