THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 79, 30 September 1924, Page 7

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Local Bills can very often be morai contentious than other forms of legislation, and laet night the members of the Labour Party showed that they; had a distinct aversion to the Wellington City Mangahao Endowment Sale Empowering Bill, which provides iou the disposal of the city leases at Pahia-. tua. They opposed the Bill on principle, contending .that the City Council had no right to sell its endowment lands, at least not until that course'luid beeii approved by the .municipal electors. When the Bill was in Cominittea they set up a determined "stonewall'" and tried to coax the member in charga' of the measure (Mr. Wright) to giva reasons why the Bill had been brought forward. Mr. Wright's reply was that he did not want to "stonewall" his own. Bill. This was but small satisfaction, for members who were' thirsting for information; which somebody said they, had already received on the second read-; ing. They remained in an inquisitive! mood, but Mr. Wright was stoical to a, degree. He did admit, though, that a look at the land had been enough foB. him, and that has been one reasoa why he favoured getting rid of the en-, dowment. Various amendments w'era moved by Labour members, • " without .avail, and at last the Bill was passed intact. The House rose at 12.25 a.m.: after three other local Bills -had -been read a second time,. members'going to their beds to have nightmare over" thai problem as to how the House, in a per-, kid of a month, is to pass 19 Bills, which1 have already been introduced, and 33 more which the Prime Minister, announced have yet to be brought down. Qh course, this can be done if the House continues to do as the Prime Minister! said it has been doing lately—work very well. . .... .