PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 170, 20 July 1928, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

A QUIET DAY. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.* \\ ELLINGTON, this day. To-dav's session of the House of Representatives was largely occupied by discussion of Samoa affairs, reported elsewhere. Short land Case Again. The mother of Frederick Edward Pietro Shortland. of Auckland, who was sentenced in 1925 to five years' hard labour for a grave assault on a woman, has again petitioned Parliament. She asserts that her son was innocent of the charge brought against him, and that she has now exhausted all lier means in attempts to obtain justice for him. That the whole circumstances of the case be investigated is her plea. Last year a select committee made no recommendation, on the ground that petitioner had not exhausted her legal remedies, nor was there anv recommendation in 1926. The Blind InstituteMr. J. A. Lee has asked the Prime Minister whether he will permit one of the Government's representatives on the Board of Management of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind to be elected by a plebesc-ite of blind inmates. "A deputation of blind inmates, which waited on me recently, requested that I should make representations on their behalf," said Mi. Lee. New Lynn Deviation. A very topical question has been asked by Mr. Mason (Eden), who desires information from the Minister of Railways as to when it is proposed to commence work on the Auckland-New Lynn deviation and duplication works, and whether commencement of the Rotorua-Taupo line will cause any difference to the rate at. which the Auckland-New Lynn work will be prosecuted; at what date does the Minister now estimate that the Auckland to New Lynn work will ba completed ? The Right to Work. Unemployment having been fully discussed on two occasions this session, the Labour Party did not press for a further debate to-night when Mr. Fraser'a Right to Work Bill was called on. Mr. Fraser said he would not ask for a second reading debate, but moved that the bill be read pro forma and referred to the Labour Bills Committee. The Prime Minister rose, smiled at Mr. Fraser. and said he didn t think it could be sent to that, committee. ''And if it's not referred to that I don't know where it could go."' he added, laughing. "Perhaps the hoi<. member might have it postponed." (La tighter.) Mr. Fraser said he would have lik. l the principle of the right to work invest igated. However, he would agree to f bill s postponement for a fortnight. This means the bill will not l>e heard of again this session.

Devonport Relief Work. The Miiii>tpr of Public Work? has informed Mr. Harris, with reference !•> lelief work at Melrose Park. Devonpori. that the. Marine Department is agreeable to the Work proceeding on the unde'- - tanding that the Borough Council applies for the issue of an C*rdcr-in-Coun> i! as early as possible. The estimated is £I*l4 and the Borough Council ] 1 - received public subscription£llio and is donating £!'•"> from itrevemie account. A pound tor pound subsidy will be paid on the work undertaken with public subscriptions and a subsidy of .">0 per cent. of labour, based on relief work rates of pay. on tlie work undertaken from revenue. These subsidies wiil amount to about and an authority for fKit sum ha- been i-sned to the district engineer.