DEPUTATION WAITS ON MINISTER

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 41, 17 August 1917, Page 8

DEPUTATION WAITS ON MINISTER

This afternoon the conference waited on the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. G. W. Russell), and urged the advisability of securing the services of Mr. C. C. Reade in drafting any Bill that might be brought down dealing with the subject. In the course of his reply, the Minister expressed, on behalf of the Government, the highest appreciation of the work of the conference in dealing with this very important matter. His predecessor in offi.ce, Sir Francis Bell, had already committed the Government to a promise that it woiil-d be prepared to pay as much as £350 towards the cost of Mr. Reade's services. In the days of the Mackenzie Government a Bill was prepared dealing with the subject; it was a section of the Local Government Bill. He would have those clauses lifted out, and see whether Cabin-et would deal with them His opinion was that if such an Act had been in existence for the past 25 years millions of money would have been saved. Looking to the future, he contended that they should watch tho operations of speculators, particularly in regard to sanitation ■ and the provision of schools and sites of public buildings. _He would bring the matter before Cabinet at the earliest possible moment.