SUMMER TIME VICTORY

Evening Star, Issue 19663, 16 September 1927, Page 4

SUMMER TIME VICTORY

iM SIDEY'S BILL THROUGH THE HOUSE 1 TWO TO ONE MAJORITY [Pea United I’uess Association.] WELLINGTON, September 15. When tho evening session of the House of Ucprcseutauvcs was resumed at'7.3o o’clock Mr W. S. Glenn (Ilangiliikei), on the motion for the third reading of the Summer Time Bill, reiterated his opposition to tho measure owing to its ill-elfect on tho farming industry. Ho said ho felt proud of the Jeffort of those who had assisted for two f nights to put the farmers’ attitude and {position before the House. He declared ‘that those who advocated tho measure so strongly were city men who had not ( the real interests of the country man 'at heart. . & Mr H. T. Armstrong (Chnstchiireh East) controverted the contention that the farmers of tho country were really opposed as a body to tho Bill. He him- ■ self had no strong enthusiasm for tho Bill, though ho believed it would confer some benefit on some sections of the people in the cities. At the same time ho could not agree that the measure would work any injury to tho fanning industry. Mr C. E. Macmillan (Tauranga) ' registered his opposition to the Bill, on tho ground that it was detrimental to the interests of the baekblock farmers, who should be assured of compensation in some form. Mr A. Samuel fOhinemun) pro.■tested■ against tho Bill as a thing judicial to the hardest working section cf the community. Members of the House should give it more than eighteen years’ consideration—thev should give it eighty years’ consideration, and then reject it. Ho mentioned a telegram he had received from one dairy factory company with 8,000 shareholders, representing at least 40,000 people, urging him to oppose the measure, and he had a number of other communications couched in ennuav terms. It was strange that such, a J3i!l could be pushed through the House without providing exemption lor the hardest-worked section of the people. Sir Joseph Ward pointed out that all the votes on tho Bill had boon two to one in its favor. The members from Taranaki—one of tho chief fanning portions of the country—favored tho Bill. Sir Joseph said that England, France, Belgium, and Italy adopted Daylight Saving Acts, and had kept them on since war time, and they would not have done this if it were detrimental to the farmers of those countries. This Bill was only to be on trial for four months, and it would not do any great injury in that time. Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) asked how the Leader of the Labor Party reconciled his concern for tho miners with his absence of consideration for the farmers when iio asked for exemption for the former, while leaving the latter subject to the provisions of the Bill. Mr H. E. Holland said his amendment relating to miners was brought forward under a perfectly open arrangement with Mr Sidey. ami in pursuance of an honest principle. Mr A. D. M’Leod (Minister of Lands) said he would vote against the Bill, because he knew his constituents .would suffer serious inconvenience from it. .Practically every branch of the Farmers’ Union throughout the dominion had passed resolutions condemning the Bill. . . ■ The debate was earned on by Messrs (W. E. Parry (Auckland Central), J. [Mason (Napier), E. J. Howard (Christchurch. South), T. TV. Rhodes ((Thames), and D. Jones (Ellesmere). MR SIDEY RETURNS THANKS. Shortly after midnight Mr Sidey rose (to reply. He said he was doing so i under circumstances of greater hope of ! the Summer Time‘Bill becoming part of the law of the country. He thanked' his friends for their congratulations, and expressed the belief that the opponents had been acting in what they believed to be the best interests of their constituents. The discussion _ had mainly circled round the hardship ’to the farmers, but he was confident that when the railways had adapted their services to the people, and when the : people had adapted themselves to the now circumstances, very little hardship would occur. As a matter of fact, ;t was impossible to say how summer time Was going to affect many of tho people until it had had an actual trial. Ho had tried to meet the objectors by accepting amendments, but when ho did so his opponents voted against him. The Bill was not the result of an organised effort, and there was no compact to secure the support of tho Labor Party. That was not necessary, because the Labor Pajty had always supported tho Bill. Ho asked the farmers to remember that while the war was on they were exempted in order that our production did not suffer, and it was tho young men from the cities who went to Hie front. He therefore asked the farmers to try to adapt themselves to the altered conditions, which he was confident would benefit the health of the people as a whole. He thanked the Prime Minister for _ “playing the game” in connection with tho Bill. He had promised to give it a fair run, and he had kept his word. He also thanked the Leader of the Opposition and Mr Savage (Auckland West) for postponing tkeir Bills in order to "liable his to como on. That was generous conduct towards one who was not a member of the Labor Party, particularly as their action was quite voluntary. Ho also thanked those members who, at great personal inconvenience, had stood by him through two all-night sittings. This, he recognised, was a real tribute to the Bill and to himself. On tho question that the Bill ho read a third time a division was called for, and resulted in the third reading being agreed to by 29 votes to Id, and the House rose at 0.43 a.m. The division list was as follows: For the Bill (29). Armstrong Luke Atmore Mason, H. G. R. Bartrarn Mason, J. Bell Nash Bellringer Nos wort by Buddo Potter Dickie Rollcston, F. J. Dickson, J. S. Savage Forsyth Sidey Fraser Waite Girling Walter Harris Ward Holland, H. Wright Howard Young Kyle Against the Bill (14). Bitchener Hockley Coates Hunter Dickson, J. M’C. Linklater Eliott Pom are Field Rolleston Glenn Samuel Jlawken Williams