INDIRECT METHODS

Evening Star, Issue 19614, 21 July 1927, Page 2

INDIRECT METHODS

BLOCKING BIBLE-IN-SGHOOLS BILL LONG TALK OH MOTOR BUSES [From Our- Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 20. A remarkable degree of interest apgeared to be taken by members of the [ouse of Representatives to-night, i when Mr Wilford moved the second j reading of the Motor Omnibus Amendment Bill. It seeks to dispose of the right of appeal to the Transport Board from the decision of local bodies In regard to bus licenses, and arises from a ease in the Wellington area, where the local authority considered additional, buses desirable, but _ the Transport Appeal Board vetoed its decision. The significant fact about the long debate which ensued was that, if it continued until 12.30 a.m., no fresh Bill could he discussed, and. the next item Am the Order Paper was the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill. Labor members staged an amusing demonstration of objection early in the sitting. They had a large number of petitions from the State Education Defence League in opposition to the Bible reading in schools measure, >and they endeavored to spread the presentation over as long a time as possible by submitting the petitions one by one. There was much laughter when Mr Speaker intervened with the helpful suggestion to the member for Manakau that he was at liberty to present all petitions on the same subject simultaneously, whereupon amid laughter Mr Jordan produced a largo handful. Mr Eraser (Wellington Central) gave away the object of active talk on the Omnibus Bill when ho congratulated its author on the favorable place it had obtained on the Order Paper, and the great attention it had received. The next Bill, ho added, would take a very secondary place. Mr M'Kcen (Wellington South) ; What is it? (Laughter.) Mr Fraser: It is the Religions Exercises in Schools Bill. (Surprised exclamations from members: “Oh, is it?”) Mr Fraser urged that the Omnibus Bill could bo more profitably debated, and with this opinion a number of members showed agreement by continuing the discussion.