BUS REGULATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 2, 2 July 1926, Page 8

BUS REGULATIONS

SIR JOSEPH WARD PROTESTS

BILL SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTRO

DUCED.

A strong protest against the bus regulations being introduced by Order-in-Council was made by Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill) in tho House of Representatives last night. "Why don't we bring it lup in the House and thrash ■it out?" he asked. "AVhat is the good of having a sword of Damocles hanging over your head such as this is? ,Why don't we settle it?"

Sir Joseph Ward said that the regulations should never have been brought in by Order-in-Couneil. What was. Parliament for? Had the matter como before Parliament they would not have had the spectacle of a member almost breaking down under the weight of a petition with 75,000 signatures, as they had had the other night. (Laughter.) "Why should it be done by an Ordcr-in-Council created for war purposes?" asked Sir Joseph. "Buses and tramcars have nothing to do with war." If a Bill had been introduced the House could have arranged a modus vivendi to meet the position, but under the system of which he complained there was shot out from the archives a set of regulations which had never been considered except by those people in the Department where they had been drawn up. That was not just to the people or to the members of Parliament.

He was not going to give his personal judgment on the regulations, but they appeared to be extraordinarily harsh. What was the hurry for these regulations? The matter was too important to hurry. "I have no interest in buses," said Sir Joseph, •"not a shilling." Tho matter was one affecting people in all walks of life, and the proposals should have been made in a Bill which would have given the people plenty of time to consider them.

"I want to enter ray personal protest," said Sir Joseph in conclusion, "because I do not think it is right."