A BILL THROWN OUT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 59, 7 September 1931, Page 9

A BILL THROWN OUT

UNREASONABLE ACTION"

"I think the action of the Legislative Council in throwing out the Tramways Amendment Bill is one of the most unreasonable things, among many unreasonable things, that the Council has ever done," "said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P.)j ..on, Saturday, Teports the "Christchurch Star.", "As everybody knows, the position has arisen owing tp a technical defect in the law. -Parliament never for one moment contemplated giving the Christchurch Tramway Board a privilege denied to-all the other local bodies of-the country by exempting it ,frdm the provisions of the Arbitration Act.'

"The House of Representative!;, including members "of all parties, recognised ithat the Bill to put the.Tranway Board and its employees under the' Arbitration Court, as was previously intended by the-legislation, was a light and proper thing to do. Even members on the Reform side who may go so far as to favour the suspension of the Arbitration Act realise that it is not right to grant special exemption to .the Tramway Board.

' "Actions of this kind on the part of Legislative Councillors periodically raise the issue of .the continuance of tho Legislative Council as a body, that can override the considered judgment of tho. House of Representatives and of the people who. elected :them. It cannot be said;concerning-this Bill that it has not received due nnd proper.consideration, as-this is the second- time that it has been passed by the.House of Representatives^ There 'is, therefore, no suggestion .of -hasty ■legislation' in thisßiJl." -i--;-:.-U .-:,■!. ,'./ I- i ■;.■-