PARLIAMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, 31 October 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

COMPLAINTS AND SUGGESTIONS. WELLINGTON, this day. In the House Mr Ell complained ol the unfair way in which some officers were seeking to frustrate the establishment of slot telephones, By a system of unfair charges they were endeavouring to persuade the Minister that this system of telephones did not pay. Mr Anderson regretted that more money was not voted for opening up new country. If we are going to maintain the high rate of taxation we must have new sources of revenues. Mr Hornsby and Mr Isitt complain-

ed of unnecessary expense incurred by the Defence Department in connection with court-martials. Mr Poole made an appeal to the Minister of Railways to resume sub urban trains and so help solve the housing problem in cities. Mr Colvin urged opening up a new State coal mine on the West Coast,, as cheap coal was essential to our industries

Dr Newman blamed the Government for not doing everything to reduce the cost of living to the people. A food controller should be appointed, vegetables should be grown where flowers are now grown, brown bread should be eaten instead of white, and the Government should buy 100,000 boxes of butter when it is cheap and sell to people at reasonable prices during the winter. Mr McCallum endorsed the appointment of a food controller. He said Lord Rhondda had done great work in Britain, and why not have such a man here.