AUCKLAND WATER SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 31 August 1926, Page 9

AUCKLAND WATER SUPPLY.

QUESTION OF COMMISSION. BELL iIAY BE BLOCKED. "(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Monday. "I have no power to stop the bill. That is a matter which rests entirely with the member in charge of it and the House," said the Hon. J. A. Young, in replying to Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Eden), •who asked a question concerning the position of the Commission of Inquiry into the water supply for Auckland City and surrounding district. It was a matter of urgency, said Mr. Mason, as the Auckland Provincial Water Board Bill was before the House. The Minister said the matter of the Commission of Inquiry was under consideration at the present time. It was realised it was a "large and important Question, since it affected the whole matter of water supply for all of Auckland and the surrounding district, including marine boroughs. A rough, draft of the scope of the inquiry had been prepared, and the personnel of the Commission was under consideration. However, the Auckland bill was outside his province. He could not interfere, as it was a matter resting between the member in charge of it and the House. The view of the Health Department was that the bill should be nostnoned till after the Commission, in'order to prevent overlapping. The Mayor of Auckland and the City Engineer had waited on him on Friday, asking him to postpone the bill, but he had no Dower to do that. It is "said that this bill will not go through this session, since considerable opposition will be raised to it in the committee stase. and, as the Government is in a hurry to finish the session the probabilities are that the Senior Government Whip (Mr. J. S. Dickson), who is in charge of the bill, may withdraw it. The bill is set down for the second reading.