HARBOUR BRIDGE BILL

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 11

HARBOUR BRIDGE BILL

MR. W. P. ENDEAN'S POSITION. Mr. W. P. Endean, M.P. for Parnell, writes: — I am of opinion that the letter in your issue of the 18th inst. concerning the Harbour Bridge Bill is unfair and misleading. Last week your Press gallery representative submitted to me a statement in writing which he had compiled without reference to me. and requested me to state whether I approved of the statement. I answered in the affirmative. The gist of that statement has been published in your paper. On Tuesday last a motion was submitted to the House to the effect that leave be given to proceed with the bill during this session of Parliament; the House understanding that the first reading would be proceeded with and the bill printed to inquire into its merits. I endeavoured to speak on this motion but was excluded from speaking owing to the fact that the Hon. Minister of Public Health had arisen to address the House before I did, he being the last person with a right to speak under the rules of the House. I intended to inform the House that I would support the motion on the understanding that the bill would be read for the first time and the bill printed. This would give members an opportunity of inquiring into its merits before the next session of Parliament.

I also intended to inform the House that I wae against any proposal further to proceed with the bill daring this session unless the following facts could he proved:—(l) That a definite contract for the erection of the bridge had been entered into conditional on Parliament passing the bill; (2) that the contract

price is reasonable; (3) tliafc satisfactory evidence be produced that the contractor will carry out it® obligations and that the sum of £1,500,000 can be raised; (4) that all the local bodies concerned are agreeable to the terms of the bilL This will involve a special committer of the House, and as this session should only I act one week further rc is difficult to see how a special committee could bring down its report and the matter dealt with by the House in that short space of time in view of the most urgent matters still to come before the House in the dying hours of the session. I voted for the above motion, and it wag carried by a majority of the House. It must be apparent, therefore, that I am not against the harbour bridge being proceeded with on compliance with reasonable common sense conditions. I appreciate the fact that it is estimated that there arc 35.000 unemployed in the Dominion, and I am not opposed to any reasonable scheme properly tested being brought into effect which will alleviate the unemployment problem.