HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 6, 5 August 1916, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr Wright, the Minister of Finance said he regretted Inn could not accept a loan of £-100.000 ( from the citizens of Wellington towards the cost of a new railway station, as the Government would shortly he asking the people to subscribe to a war loan. | The Prime Minister gave notice of his intention to introduce a Factory Act 3 mending Bill. ll was announced that the CovernUu t>, had decided to erect a wireless station at Raratonga. j The Minister of Health laid on the iable a paper dealing with the smallpox and vaccination. | Dr. Thinker commended the work the Minmler was doing in having the report circulated. Vaccination as now effected was so certain in its results that it should he everywhere insisted upon.

Mr Tsitt -•■lid that what New Zealand had to face was not so much that every child should be vaccinated, hut that its effects should not he allowed to disappear amongst adults who would bo food for an epidemic when if arose. The Minister of Railways laid on tho table the departmental report on the condition of the railway rolling stock. He claimed that the report completely refuted the statements made by Mr Wilford some weeks ago. Mr Veitch said that remark only went to show what simple faith a Minister had in official reports. Tim new General Manager was not maintaining the rolling, stock in a high state of efficiency, as was the case, before his appointment. - Mr Wilford walnut satisfied with the reply, as it was a wholly ex-parte statement. Nothing loss than an independent report from a man of high standing would satisfy Parliament. His information came from men whose duty it was to inspect rolling stock, and who stated they declined to carry the burden of responsibility any longer. ( The Minister said he could assure any unprejudiced person there was no cause to Ije alarmed. The Minister of Defence laid on tintable a return showing the cost of military occupation of Samoa up to 31st. March last as £270,183. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Several local Bills passed all stages.

PROLONGING PAR LI AM ENT’

The Premier moved the second reading -at the Parliamentary Elections Postponement Bill. ‘He .agreed that the ■ experiment l of aniXational Government had proved asuccess, and it would simply he <4imfflnl to plunge the country into the throes of a general election during the war. He said that 60,000 men will have left the Dominion for the war by the end of the year, and it was not a fair thing to hold a general election with all those men away. Mr Malcolm said'that if the Bill was carried it would have the effect of postponing the licensing elections. He contended that some concession should he made to the temperance party. I Mr V. Brown said he was strongly] opposed to the Bill. j Mr Witty argued that there was" plenty of time to pass this Bill next year if It was required. Sir Joseph Ward said he had from the beginning of the war been opposed to holding an election while the struggle was going on. Scarcely a dav passed without some family receiving . notice of the death or wounding of a loved one, and would it he right to plunge the country Into rim turmoil of a political .-a rmr.de under these circumstances a if the election was to be postponed it must he done this year. H > pointed out that we would j require to borrow in this country eight - mi lions, or possibly more, and all the arrangements were made. A simdir course might have to be taken next next yoai ami he strongly hold that, in all the circumstances, it was advisable to postpone the elections. Mr Isi 11 said h« would wholeheartedly support the Bill. , Several other member spoke, and the division resulted in tavor ol the Bill by II to 16. The Wellington Methodist Charitable and Educatiomd Trusts Bill, ami the Parliamentan I .mm ions Bost i mminent Bill were rmmrmd irom committee without amendment, both Bills being passed. Tho House rose at .1 o’clock.