TALKED OUT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 August 1941, Page 4

TALKED OUT

WANGANUI HARBOUR BILL

TEARING UP OF CONTRACT CONDEMNED.

YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT.

(Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day.

After the long weekend recess the House of Representatives met at 2.30 yesterday afternoon. An unexpected debate was provoked over the Wanganui Harbour'District and Empowering Amendment Bill. The Local Bills Committee haa recommended that it be allowed to proceed. The Bill was at once attacked by the Opposition on the ground that it permitted the tearing up of a contract by the Wanganui Harbour Board in respect of rating for its port improvements, imposing unfair burdens on the rural areas. The Opposition discussed the measure throughout the afternoon. It was talked out and its fate is now unpromising.

The evening was occupied with the continuation of the second reading debate on the Finance Bill. The only contribution of any real interest was a short speech by Mr Hamilton, a member of the War Cabinet, who gave hitherto unpublished figures showing the state of the War Expenses Account, much to the House’s satisfaction. Since the start of the war, he said, New Zealand had spent almost £47,000,000 for war purposes. To meet this expenditure about half was raised through borrowing and half by taxation. The House adjourned at 10.30 until 2.30 this afternoon.