CHESTER STREET SITE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19723, 13 September 1929, Page 10

CHESTER STREET SITE.

COMMITTEE HEARS EVIDENCE. ALLEGED OPPOSITION. [THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON. September 12. The principle of a Select Committee working during the sitting of the House was again debated to-day, when on a division only four members out of sixty-sis opposed a motion to allow the Local Bills Committee'to sit in the afternoon. The division was called for bv Mr E. J. Howard. Labour member for Christchnrch South, and in the course of the discussion which ensued the opinion expressed generally ns that while the practice of allowing Committees to sit while the Hor.se was in progress should not be encouraged, applications should be dealt with on their merits. The suggestion was made that under the new Standing Orders, Committsea had fewer opportunities of sitting. This was combated by the Leader of the Labour Party (Mr 11. E. Holland), who said the cause of such applications was mainly the nbsence of organisation and systemr.tisation on the part of the Committees. "That statement is entirely unfounded," declared the chairman of the Committee (Mr O. A. Wilkinson!, who contended that Mr Holland had no knowledge of the circumstances am} was not justined in making the stricture. The Committee had much work to do, nnd desired to sit to hear witnesses who wanted to return to Christchurch ns =oon as possible, Mr H. T Armstrong. Labour memYer for Christrbnrcb Tvast, said that the opnositi<-n of his colleagues, Messrs Howard and was pn att#>mnt to delav the Pill, on which evidence wa<; to he heard.

Mr W. E. Parrv (Auckland Centra?): D"«'t P"fc the show awav. The Minister for Jvstice (the Hon. Mr Witford): What is the Bill ? Mr Armstrong said it was a measure to enable the erect-'on of a Pb'nkpt hmlding on a City reserve in Cfaristch»rch. On a division, the House bv 6*2 vote* to four gav«? the Committee permission to sit, Mi»«i-k Howard. MeComhs. Kvle. and O'Brien being the only dissentients.