PARLIAMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 September 1924, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

RAILWAY ENQUIRY REPORT

(Special to “Star.”)

WELLINGTON, September 9.

Members of the House expressed curiosity to-day as to when the House will have an opportunity of discussing the report of the Railway Enquiry Board. “There is a good deal of apprehension in the service,” declared Mr. Smith, “by reason of the fact that during'the recent months some amazing decisions have been given by heads of the Departments, regarding hours and conditions, which have put the railway service back by

twenty years. There is a good deal of « anxiety as to the result of the Enquiry Board’s investigations.” Mfr. Smith asked when the report would be available for consideration, and urged that it was important that the presentation of the report to the House should be expedited. The Minister of Railways (Mr. Coates) said that the report had been received by the Government from the Board, and had been submitted to the executive of the Amalgamated Society of Railways Servants which had asked for an opportunity of seeing it. Mr. Hanan objected that surely the House had the first 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 the 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 ip it.” Mr. Hanan: It is no laughing matter; it is a very serious question.

Mr. Coates: I am afraid that I have committed the Government to allow that to stand.

The report, added the Minister, was in the hands of the printer 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 1 -very glad to see it back before the Cabinet when he would ask his colleagues to decide what was to happen to it. The idea was to print the document and post copies to the newspapers for publication. 1 If it were 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. EXPEDITING THE BUSINESS. The Prime Minister moved to-day that on and after Monday September 22, the House should meet on Mondays at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Holland asked what business the Prime Minister proposed to take for the remainder of the session, as lie took it that the Prime Minister’s motion was an indication that Parliament was getting towards the close of the session. Mr. Massey replied that within a few days he would make an announce-, ment as to what business the Government would ask Parliament to deal with during the present session. He was afraid, however, that they were not getting towards the end of the session as there was quite a lot of work to do, and lie did not expect the end to be reached for two months yet. It was just as well for members to know that they had to face the serious business of the session and get through at as satisfactory a rate as they possibly could. The House worked best when it was on Government business for five days a week. As far as the first of the Monday sittings was concerned, it was not intended to take very important business. \ “We are going to get through in decent time,” said Mr. Massey, “and we have to do the work.” He was not going to drive the House. In reply to Mr. Hanan, Mr. Massey said that there were yet quite a number of bills to come down, and / which would have to be dealt with. He suggested that they should agree to avoid wasting time as much as they possibly could in order to get through in a reasonable way. MISCELLANEOUS. The M. to Z. Committee recommended to the House to-day that the petition of 107 returned soldiers asking for a resumption of operations under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act, for the purpose of receiving fresh applications for building and acquiring homes, should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration.

A new sub clause, inserted in the Police Offences Amendment Bill by the Statutes Revision Committee, empowers the Minister of Railways to authorise by warrant the opening of any railways bookstall pn Sunday. The exceptions to penalties imposed for Sunday trading are extended to include motor garages. The period of imprisonment proposed for the offence of obtaining credit by fraud is increased from three to four months.

A number of petitions were presented to Parliament recently praying for legislation extending the hours of business of small retail traders, who do not employ labour. The Labour Bills Committee has referred the petition to the Government for consideration.