POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21243, 15 August 1934, Page 10

POLITICAL NOTES

—* — [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 14. Lewis Pass Road Completion of the Lewis Pass road, connecting Canterbury with the West Coast, was urged on the Government to-day by Mr K. J. Holyoake' (C, Motueka). Mr Holyoake asked the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. J. Bitchener) whether he had given due consideration to the urgent and repeated requests which had been made for the establishment of a working camp on the West Coast side of the Lewis Pass saddle, with a view to the early completion of the road. He said that this route was unquestionably the most suitable by which the east and west coasts could be connected by road, and that its completion would fill a long felt want in the South Island. The Minister, replying, said that the question was not being lost sight of, and that it was being reviewed from time to time; but in view of the urgency of other public works it was not possible to do anything further than the work on the Canterbury side of the pass. Fruit Crops and Frost The possibility of protecting fruit crops against frosts by means of smoke bombs was mentioned by Mr W. A. Bodkin (C, Central Otago), in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr Bodkin drew the attention of the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. C. E. Macmillan) to a newspaper account of the use of smoke bombs in France for this purpose. Such a bomb, costing £3 12s, could throw a smoke screen 30 feet high over 20 acres of vines, guarding the vines against spring frosts, and because of its sulphate of ammonia content assisting fertilisation. | Mr Bodkin asked the Minister if he would arrange for his department to institute enquiries about the method, and bring the result of his investigations before the notice of the fruit growers of Central Otago. A Sharp Reproof A sharp reproof from Mr Speaker was drawn by a remark made by Mr F. Langstone (Lab., Waimarino) in the House to-night. In the debate on the Electoral Amendment Bill, Mr Langstone declared that the rights of the people were being sold for pelf outside, a statement which he was called on to withdraw. "I would like to remind the honourable member," said Mr Speaker, "that veiled suggestions of what amount to bribery and eorruption are most improper and most unfair. That sort of thing should not be tolerated in this House. It is the right and duty of any member who knows of anything of that sort to bring it before the House at once; but in a proper and constitutional manner." "Coalition Not Happy" "This bill is a clear indication that the Coalition is not happy—that it is only held together by its political embarrassment," declared Mr A. M. Samuel (Ind., Thames) during the second reading debate on the, Electoral Amendment Bill, providing for permanent four-year Parliaments, in the House of Representatives this evening. "This is a method of perpetuating that state of affairs for another 12 months." He added that the Coalition was like two inebriated men, one with his arms flung round the other. They were at loggerheads, and intensely disliked one another, but had to keep together because if they parted they would fall. They had to keep in their drunken political step, because if they faltered for one moment they were gone.