Session Incidents Queries and Asides

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 415, 25 July 1928, Page 13

Session Incidents Queries and Asides

(THE SUN'S Parliaynentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Parliament resumed to-day with discussion of various reports and announcements, followed by the adjourned debate on the Mental Defectives’ Amendment Bill; on the whole, a quiet d£.y. Mr. E. J. Howard's Workers’ Compensation Act was introduced, and read a first time. Opposition to Summer-time Bringing on their artillery at the psychological moment, opponents of Summer-Time, to be discussed to-mor-row, launched two massive petitions praying that the measure be not reenacted. One petition, presented by Mr. (Waitaki) contained 8,744 names, and was so bulky that it had to be done up in string. The other (Mr. J. McC. Dickson’s) contained some 2,000 names, mainly of dairy farmers living in the vicinity of Dunedin.

Sleepless Sleepers The sufferings of Main Trunk through passengers who are unable to sleep, yet unable to read if they happen to be in a lower bunk, because the light would keep- the occupant of the upper berth awake, were vividly pictured in the House this afternoon by Mr. A. M. Samuel (Ohinemuri). Notice was given by Mr. Samuel of intention to ask the Prime Minister if a light could not be furnished for each berth. The Question Box Some questions asked to-day: Mr. J. R. Hamilton: Why is a company manufacturing fertiliser charging 17s 6d more a ton for its product in the South Island than for the same product in the North Island? Mr. Allen Bell: Will provisions be introduced to prevent merchants from serving on produce control boards? Mr. W. S. Glenn: Will the Prime Minister undertake to establish a night passenger train service between New Plymouth and Wellington. •#£ Another Bridge Petition More weight was added to the Waite mata Bridge agitation to-day when Mr. A. Harris produced another petition asking for Government investigation of the proposition. The total of names on petitions presented in support of the bridge project is now well over 20,000. Government Legislation Punctilious though the House usually is in adjourning for dinner at 5.30 sharp, it ran five minutes over the time this evening in admitting, by Governor’s Message, two further pieces of Government legislation. One is the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bill, and the other an Act making better provision for the licensing of auctioneers and better conduct of auctioneers’ business.