Mr. Speaker . . .

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1014, 3 July 1930, Page 12

Mr. Speaker . . .

Session Queries and Asides

THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Most of a beautifully clear winter afternoon was spent by the House of Representatives in discussing trvWorkers’ Annual Leave Bill, introduced by Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon*. Many of the Labour members spok« . and all congratulated Mr. Sullivan on bringing forward the legislation, but members of the Iteforru Party and Mr. S. Fletcher, the new Gn j Independent, protested against a waste of time in the debate, only to earn th«severe condemnation of the next few Labour speakers. 3 3 • There were one or two bright patches of personalities in the debate, the best effort being the characterisation by Mr. F. Waite CCiotha) of Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) as a “political aciddrop.” A little talking was done by members on Mr. F. Langs tone's (Waimarino) hardy annual, the Bunk of New Zealand Amendment Bill. After that, the House spent the rest of the afternoon in Ministerial replies to members’ questions. The evening was spent on the first two speeches in the Address -in-Reply debate. 3 3 3 Several Bills were read a first timo —Census Postponement Bill, Apprentices’ Amendment Bill. Scaffolding and Excavation Amendment Bill, Nurses and Mid wives Registration Amendment Bill, which was read a second timo pro forma and referred to the Health Committee, the Workers’ Annual Leave Bill, and the Bank of New Zealand Amendment BilL Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) asked leave to introduce the Meat Export Control Amendment BilL The St. Helens Hospital in Christchurch was the subject of u question by Mr. Sullivan, who gave notice to ask the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallwortby, whether, in view of his statement recently in Christchurch that he was shocked at the condition of the buildings of the hospital, he. would consider the appointment 01 special visitors to ensure that similar conditions did not arise future. Answering questions as to the purpose of the Apprentices' Amendment Bill, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. 8. G. Smith, said that in the main the Bill proposed to give effect to the recommendations of the recent conference concerning the Apprentices Act of 1923. The Government is quite definite on. the subject of not going on with the Momingside deviation, as was shonn by the reply of the Minister of Railways, the Hon. W. A Veitch, to a question by Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour Auckland Central), who asked for an answer as to whether the Government was going on with the project, and if . would it have an investigation mace , into its advantages by two independent ; engineers and a representative appointed and approved by the of Commerce and local bodies. Mr. Veitch replied that the Government bad already announced that it did not propose to go on with the deviation of the line to Morningside by tunnel under Auckland City. The whole of the fact-? had been carefully considered by tho | Government before coming to this dei cision. and an inquiry as suggested was J not considered necessary. *

According to the Minister of Railways, circumstances do not warrant further concessions to travellers on Auckland suburban lines. It is not felt desirable either to extend the time for which workers’ tickets are available to 9 a.m.. Mr. W. J. Jordan (Labour —Manukau) asked the Minister what action \qould be taken to popularise the railways in the Auckland suburban districts by reducing the fares to those charged by motor transport companies, making workers’ tickets available until 9 a.m.. improving railway station arrangements, and introducing a lighter railway system, that a more frequent service might t>o established.

“Generally speaking.” replied Mr. Veitch, “the fares charged suburban passengers on our system compare more than favourably with those charged by motor transport companies. The concessions available for suburban travellers include workers* weekly tickets. weekly 12-trip tickets. 12-trip bearer tickets, and ordinary season tickets. The charges for all these tickets are on a generous scale, and as the suburban resident has the choice of tickets at cheap rates to suit his or her particular requirements, it is felt that circumstances do not warrant any further concessions being granted at the present time. As regards the question of making workers’ weekly tickets available up to 9 a.m., these tickets are issued at a rate which is un remunerative to the department. They were originally provided to encourage workers to reside in suburban areas, and so remove congestion from the cities. In limiting the period of availability for the outward journey to 8 a.m., the department has met the position in a reasonable way, and it is considered that any extension of this period would mean sacrificing a considerable amount of revenue without securing a corresponding increase in traffic.” The Deputy-Mayor of Devonport. Mr. J. Hislop, and Mr. A. Harris (Reform —Waitemata) will wait on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, regarding the rating of the military and naval property in the borough. Mr. Harris asked the Minister today whether the Government would give immediate consideration to the position of the I borough of Devonport. which had one- ; eleventh of its total area occupied by tho naval and military authorities for defence purposes. The whole of this area being non-rateable, it constituted a serious burden upon local ratepayers. Mr. Cobbe replied that the DeputyMayor of Devonport, in conjunction with Mr. Harris, had arranged to wait upon the Prime Minister and himself at an early date in connection with tho matter. To a question by Mr. W. J. Jordar ! (.Labour —Manukau), the Minister of 1 Defence, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, replied that if in tho reorganisation of tho defence forces a reduction of the permanent forces was found necessar". (every possible endeavour would be made to find other employment for . those whoso services would l>e uo ! longer required. 3 3 In response to a request for srca.trfacilities for the United Fire Brigade*.’ ; Conference, in view of the mounting Dominion fire less, the Minister of ; Internal Affairs, the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle. said that Cabinet had decided, in view of the necessity for the curI tailment of expenditure, not to renew the grant to the United Firo | Brigades’ Association this year. Furj ther representations had been made to him. however, and he would arrange ■ to have the case resubmitted to Cab - inet