SPEEDING UP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1938, Page 6

SPEEDING UP

STEPS TO EXPEDITE WORK OF PARLIAMENT END OF SESSION IN SIGHT. IMPREST DEBATE LAST EVENING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Miscellaneous subjects were discuss: ed by the House of Representatives yesterday. After the completion of the formal business at the commencement of the sitting consideration was given to local Bills. Following brief discussion five of these were accorded second readings and put through their remaining stages and passed. The remainder of the afternoon was devoted to the estimates of departmental expenditure, five classes, representing an aggregate vote of £856,171, receiving the approval of the House before the tea adjournment. The classes passed were as follows: Audit Department, £44,950; Electoral Department, £105,769; Printing and Stationery Department, £279,655; Mines Department, £38,000; State Coal Mines Account. £387,797. This brings the votes passed to date up to £23,508,741.

Steps to expedite the work of Parliament were taken when the ActingLeader of the House, the Hon P. Fraser moved that Government business take precedence on Wednesday for the remainder of the session. Asked by the Rt Hon G. W. Forbes (Opposition, Hur: unui) if this meant that the end of the session was in I sight, Mr Fraser said, amid laughter, that it looked as if that were so. At the same time he said the interests of private members would be protected. The introduction of ah Imprest Supply Bill in the evening provided an opportunity for a debate on a wide range of subjects. The first speaker was Mr J. Hargest (Opposition, Awarua), who drew attention to the drift in the railway finances. The railways, he said, would soon be a dead weight on the shoulders of the country. The Government’s transport departments were showing worse and worse results. He was followed immediately by the Min? ister of Railways, the Hon D. G. Sullivan, who said there had never been a period in the history of the railways when the service given the public had been as good as it was at the present time. 'The House adjourned at 12.29 a.m. after passing the Imprest Supply Bill.