THE RAILWAY INQUIRY REPORT

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 62, 10 September 1924, Page 5

THE RAILWAY INQUIRY REPORT

Members on the Liberal benches in the_ House of Representatives expressed curiosity yesterday afternoon' as to when the House will have an opportunity of discussing the report of the Railway Inquiry Board. '

_ 1 here is a good deal of apprehension in the service," declared. Mr. 5...G Smith (laranaki), "by reason of'the fact that during recent months some amazing decisions have been given by heads ot the Departments regarding hours and conditions which have put the railway service back by twenty years. J-here is a good deal of anxiety as'to the result of the Inquiry Board's investigations." Mr. Smith asked when the report would be available for consideration, and urged that it was: important that the presentation of the report to tue House should be expedited. t T n ß ,Mlnister <? f Railways (the Hon. J- U. Coates) said that the report had been received by the Government from the board, and that it had been submitted to the of the Amalgamated Society 'of Railway Servants, which had asked for an opportunity of seeing it. .

The Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) objected that surely tho House had the nrst right to discuss it.

'Probably I have committed a hopeless error." replied the Minister, "but the society were the people directly concerned, and they, .asked • that before the report was published they should have an opportunity of perusing- it and discussing it." . ■•■■ , .

Mr. Hanan: "A very bad precedent." 'Shocking,. I know," rejoined . Mr. Coates, with a smile, "but personally I can't see any harm in "it." ' • ' :. Mr. .Hanan: "It is no laughing matter. It is a very serious question." Mr. Coates: "I am afraid I have committed the Government to allow that to stand.". The report was in the hands of the printer, he said, for the purpose of making it public, but he did not quite know when it would be printed." "This week?" suggested Mr. Smith. "I would not like to say/ said the Minister. He would be very glad to see it back before Cabinet, when he would ask his colleagues to decide wihiit was to happen to it. The idea was to print the document and post' copies to the newspapers for publication. If.it wete made public in the House it was possible that the public would not get a full record of the document. He thought it was desirable at least that it should be given full publicity, and not merely a, short summary.