SESSION INCIDENTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 474, 2 October 1928, Page 16

SESSION INCIDENTS

Queries and Asides

(THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, To-day. Parliament assembled yesterday for ; the first Monday sitting of the session. 1 Any hopes that the sitting would not extend beyond the afternoon were speedily dispersed when members got down to solid talk and criticism on the Public Works Statement, with the estimates to follow as another basis for ■ argument. ; Having concluded discussion of the Public Works Statement, a very lanr guid House went on, after midnight, to L deal with the Public Works Estimates. • There were two or thee futile divisions, I of no particular importance, and a disL cussion of immigration, before the House rose at 3.10 a.jn. L * Land Settlement Provisions in the Lands Amendment L Bill* introduced last evening, fulfil the , Minister’s promise, made earlier in the session, to bring down a proposed new scheme of land settlement. L This scheme reveals a plan for preliminary negotiation between each group of prospective settlers and each , landowner before a land-purchase i board is introduced as an intermediary and financing authority. . & * By Governor’s Message Two Bills came down by Governor’s Message early in the afternoon, these being the Main Highways Amendment Bill and an amendment to the Crown Lands Act. * * * More to be Spent Mr. J. A. Lee, referring to the £1,000,000 surplus which he has mentioned before as accumulated by the Main Highways Board, asked if the Main Highways amendment would facilitate further expenditure of large sums for the purposes for which they were raised. The Minister, the Hon. K. S. Williams, said the principal purpose of the Bill was to permit payment of more liberal subsidies than in the past, to meet special cases. Mr. Lee: Then it will lead to increased expenditure? Mr. Williams: Yes. _. * * Grey Lynn Post Office The time-worn question of the proposed Grey Lynn Post Office was raised by Mr. Bartram. The Minister of Public Works said that there had been no intention to humbug the district, but the deal for the site had fallen through, and another suitable site had not yet been obtained. .* * * Cities Cheated The claim, advanced particularly on behalf of Christchurch, that the cities are not getting their fair share of the revenue from the motor spirits taxation, was made by Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East). “As a result the tax is giving very little relief to the ratepayers in the big cities,” said Mr. Armstrong. The cities were paying the lion’s share of the tax, but not getting corresponding benefits. Christchurch was by no means satisfied. Mr. J. Bitchener (Waitaki): What do you call a fair proportion? Mr. Armstrong: Eight per cent, is not a fair proportion. Fifty per cent.

would be more like it. The present arrangement has given the city ratepayer no relief whatever. * * * Beware of Southland

In a sweeping denunciation of Public Works policy, Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill) said to-day that Ministers of the Crown should not put their noses within cooee of Southland, which appeared to pe almost totally neglected in the scheme of expenditure.

Sir Joseph also deplored the lack of analytical examination of the proposals set out. Things were not done in the old way. It was all going to be swallowed wholesale. Even the Minister of Lands was going to swallow it, and he. could swallow a good deal. * * m Garratt Locos

The charge that the new Garratt locomotives, to be purchased for the Main Trunk line, should have been built in New Zealand, was levelled at the Railway Department by Mr. W. A. Vietch, to whom Mr. Coates replied that the Garratt type was the most suitable procurable, but they coujd not be 'built in New Zealand owing to patent rights. * * * Million for Highways Mr. J. A. Lee last evening challenged the Government’s contention that it had done all possible for unemployment. What about the Main Highways Board’s accumulated funds? he The Hon. W. Downie Stewart: That is a matter for the Main Highways Board. Mr. Lee: And is not the Highways Board under Parliament’s control? Parliament gives it power and money, surely it should have control over it. There is nearly £1,000,000 accumulated i nthe Board’s funds, and that money should be expended. *£ ifc Basic Slag An inquiry as to whether the Government intended to act on the recommendation of the committee which investigated the peculiar dangers of basic slag on cargoes was addressed to the Minister of Labour by Mr. W. E. Parry to-day. In reply the Minister said a decision had yet to be reached, but there was already legal power to do whatever was necessary. * rfc * Police Superannuation The Minister of Justice, the Hon. F. J. Rolleston, stated in the House yesterday that within the course of a day or so he intended to make a full statement on police superannuation. * efc ** Supplementary Roll “For the approaching general election no departure is to be made with respect to the use of the supplementary roll,” said the Minister in charge of the Electoral Department, the Hon. A. D. McLeod, when replying to a question by Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui). The Minister said he had been advised by the Electoral Department tha;t the supplementary roll would close on the day on which the writ for the election was issued, and that within seven days 'afterward copies would be available for the use of the ; various organisations interested. 1