AN OBSERVER IN PARLIAMENT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20039, 22 September 1930, Page 10

AN OBSERVER IN PARLIAMENT.

THE END IN SIGHT. v ap«am,v Tntrirax »o» taa rr.iiss.} [By Pomticcs.] WELLINGTON, September JU. Though Parliament lias boon sitting for longer hours this week, it has not greatly accelerated its rate of progress. Soveral clauses of the Estimates have been discussed and passed, and the Nurses and Midlives Itegistration Amendment Bill has been taKon to the Committee stage. That is all the real business that has been done, though there has been much talk 0:1 other subjects. But in tho middle of the week the "Washing-Up" Bills appeared, indicating that tho end of the session ia in sight. There are soveral important issues yet to be dealt with, but it almost aeems as if the Acting* Prime Minister, despairing of getting much more done quickly, is preparing to let members array with the work unfinished.

In Search of a Railway Policy. If the House of Representatives does not discover a railway policy this session, it will not be for lack of debate. The first of several discussions on this subject was taken on Thursday, when the Railways Statement was debated. The Statement itself was colourless, as both the Minister and the General Manager eschewed policy issues in their reports, pending receipt of the Railway Commission's recommendations. In opening the debate, however, the Minister (Mr Veitch) gave u review of the general financial and economic position, and members were not slow to follow his lead in expressing their opinions. Mr Veitch's main contention was that there must be legislation giving authority for the co-ordination of road and rail transport. Without this and without permission to adopt the economy and improvement measures contemplated within the Department, the time would come when the railways. would be unable to compete with the road transport. The Leader of tho Opposition took a different line and strongly advocated placing the railways under a directorate modelled on that-' which controls the State Railway system of Canada. Without this stop it would be impossible, ho said, to prevent the railways becoming an increasing burden on the taxpayer, and'ho also criticised the Minister for allowing political considerations to influence his control (as in making new stops on the fast trains). The Labour speakers thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Never having had control of the Railway, they were able to blame both tho other Parties for the present difficulties. Their argument was, in effect, that Reform had made the position bad, and that the present Government had made it worse. But they did not suggest how Labour would make it better. Indeed, one doubted if they were particularly anxious to make it better. Mr Savage, for example, argued that development would be hindered if tne railways were placed on a balancesheet basis, and suggested that they should bo regarded as a public utility for service in opening up tho country. Labour also attacked the ~ Minister sharply for dismissing railway employees and reducing local coal orders, and attempted mis-dcepssfully to com sure him by vote. More to Follow. This debate engaged tho House for tho greater part of Thursday; but it did not exhaust all that members wished to say on the railway system. On Friday morning they took up the subject Ugain in discussing # the Railway estimates, and did not'finieh thoro. As Parliament has yet to receive tho reforts of the Railway Commission and he Soloet Committee, which is investigating linos under construction, tho subject should be thoroughly threshed out before the session is ended. At any rate there will havo boen much talk upon it.

The Training of Nuri.o3. The Nurses and Midwivos Kegistration Amendment Bill has had a stormy and difficult passage, and it is not yet in port. The object of the Bill is to permit nurses to be trained in voluntary hospitals; that is, hospitals which are not maintained by the public authority. The proposal has been strenuously opposed by nurses as likely to endanger the reciprocal arrangements under which' tho New Zealand training is recognised by tho General Nursing Council of England and Wales. The Bill is now, however, strictly limited in Its application. Only voluntary hospitals of a certain size and standard will have any chanco of recognition as training sshools. But this limitation of application has not silouccd opposition. The House took two days to debate the motion for committal (corresponding to tho second reading), and even then a division was. called. Tho motion for committal was carried by 56 votes to 14, but there is a possibility of further opposition in the Committee stages. Enthusiastic Voters.

If Mr Makitanara, tho Southern. Maori member, is correct, some of the Maori voters arc enthusiastic in supnort of tho candidate they favour. They will oven vote for him three times in the one day. This • was Mr Makitanara's Allegation when supporting a plea for reformed electoral methods in Maori elections. Mr Makitanara also stated that it sometimes happened that a returning officer influenced the native voter?. Mr Armstrong had a story to tell about this, too. A native had told him that if the voter wished to vote for the candidate the returning ofiicer favoured, well and good, but if he gave anothor candidate's name, all sorts of questions might be asked about his voting rlghtß. M' Coatfis, whose experience of Nativo affairs and ways is extensive, did not appear to regard thpabuses as very serious, and mentioned the oifflcnlty of compiling an accurate Maori roll when some Maoris changed their names, five or six times in a lifetime to perpetuate the name of thoir ancestors. One would have thought, ho added, that Mr Mnkit-uiara would be the last man to alterations against the returning officers, as he was elected on a returning officer's citing vote. "I was dealing with North t>lnnd." said Mr Makitanara. Sit Donald and Business Men. The Minister for Marine, Mr Donald, recently made some remarks concerning the business capacity of Parliament, which, apparently, nettled some of his fellowrmembors. When Mr Donald took charge of the Marine Department Estimates he had to submit to some i-hlng from M 1" Fraser and Mr Howard, tinfortunately for the Minister the Mnnnc apartment's report had not heen tnhled WVn the Hnn-p is in a fitting mood If w'l' rc»ard that as sufficient cause for a hold-up of, Mip Estimates. Tber" was no hoVl-uT) on this occasion, hut Mr Fraser enquired if this were an errimple of the Minister's outstanding business ability. Mr Howard that if this were tbe business way of doing things, he hoped they would not

have any more business men in tfyp House. However, after Messrs Fraser and Howard had made their protests, they allowed the Estimatos to pass. The Minister was lucky to eseape so lightly for just previously a determined pro* test had been made against proceeding with the Railways Estimates, because the Railways Statement, though presented, had not "been discussed; and in that instance the Acting-Prime Minister had agreed to a postponement.