POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20215, 18 April 1931, Page 14

POLITICAL NOTES

[Pbom Otia Specie ~ WELLINGTON, April 17. State Advances. , Replying to Mr B. A. Wright (R., Wellington Suburbs) in the House this afternoon,; Mr Forbes said the State Advances Department was dealing, with applications for loans for workers' dwellings where the cases were urgent or necessitous, but in considering the applicatipns it took into consideration the question whether thero were a number of unoccupied houses m the locality where it was desired to build. Transport Problems. ' . Southern members of Parliament, while ready at any time to meet a national situation in a national way, are quick to protest when they feel that one' section, of the Dominion is being overlooked to the advantage of another. Such a position arose in the House tms afternoon, when tjie Auckland Harbour Bridge Bill was under discussion. "I know that a private company J» ready to bore another hole through the Port Hills and make another highway from Christchurch to Lytteltori. provided they are permitted to do the job in their own way, and charge what tncy like to the people who through it, said Mr E. J. Howard, .in entering his protest., "The promoters of_ this' Bill should be satisfied to have it )>rintea and circulated until members have cpn« sidered it with a view to discussion next session. Why there is -tons /of work in this country for American promoters if we let them do things in their own way."- * , .. Mr P. Waite .(R., Clutha) also had something to say in protesting against a local Bill which, however important, related to transport in one city ' only, while the whole country was waiting for an. idea of what the Government intended doing to settle the general problem of transport. If it were necessary to bring this Bill forward now for examination , how more so was it that the House should have the General Transport Bill circulated 30 s that when the time camfe to. eohsider.it, members would have a thorough grip of the larger problems. • ■■■ ■ ... ■ . ; BaitwayControl. ''Tte last time we handed our railways over to; Commissioners, the wheatgrowers of Canterbury rose - in their wrath and'defeated the Government up« on that issue, because they feared a" rise in the eost of the carriage of wheat," said Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Ind:, Egmont), in the Hou3e this evening, in: opposing the Railway Bill. Mr .P. Eraser (Lab., Wellington Cen: tral) : If they do that now it will be a compensation.

Mr Wilkinson: And~ I believe-if ; a' free vote were taken in the House tonight the Government again would be defeated upon this railway .policy, because eightin every ten would vote, against it, but the Party Whips. had cracked. ...

Mf Jones vigorously replied,. He said Mr Wilkinson had wheatitis. Jle probably was speaking with authority, -as he was the Whip of his own Party (Independent). Sir Wilkinson: There is no Whip on thl3 side'.of the House. Mr Jones:'# .you' had it would 'do you gooff. . . ; Mr, Jones claimed that the system of railway management proposed 'was similar to, tbe eystem adopted by .every company directorate in New Zealand, and Beforni Party, voted for the second. reading. so' that the Billgood i features would , Mr, 'Wilkinson: It is a cheap-jack Board. '

• Mr Jones: That is a cheap-jack' remark.