TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 45, 21 August 1924, Page 6

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. P. A. de la Perrelle (Awarua) gava- notice to ask the Minister of' Railways whether he will give early and favourable consideration to- the question of reductions on railway freights on dairy produce.

The Leader of the Opposition asked the Minister of Railways whether he «ould repeal the regulation which perimts of. the use of a single ticket for i"ur days.

The Minister replied that he would Lie glad to look into the matter.

The Lauds Committee, reporting on proposals by the. Government to exercise certain options over 600 acres of land for railway duplication pnrposes in the Hutt Valley, recommended that in view of the undoubted necessity to duplicate the railway and the deviation of it through these lands, the demand which existed for homos in the vicinity of large cities, and the necessity of providing room for the people of Wellington, that the Government should negotiate with the owners of the land for the purchase thereof.

Mr. Wilford said he understood the Government had decided to deal with the Eimutaka deviation shortly, and that i,he' options proposed were proper and necessary. He welcomed the proposal, but it would be a calamity for Hutt Valley if land was purchased for the railway and the work was not immediately pros.ecuted. He therefore asked the Government that it give an assurance that the scheme would be undertaken at once after the land was bought; Any delay would be a serious disadvantage to the Hutt Borough Council, because it was now receiving £1558 per annum in rates from tho properties concerned in the option. It was proposed to have a double line of railway, and to have stations abont every threequarters of a mile.' The scheme proposed to open up 1300 sections' for settlement.

Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki) said he hoped there was_ no intention to abandon the existing line on the west side of the Valley. Mr. Wilford: "No." (Left Sitting.)