PARLIAMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1943, Page 2

PARLIAMENT

I WEST COAST ROADS ! WELLINGTON,, August 17. 1 In the House to-night, discussing the vote for roads, Mr W. Sullivan (Nat., Bay of Plenty) said that £50,000 were being voted , LJ® Greymouth Road District, whe £41,393 had been expended last year, whereas the Gisborne Roaa District was being voted on y £lO,OOO, and only £4,779 had been spent there last year. Mr W. J. Polson (Nat, Stratford) said it seemed strange that the Wes Coast, where two Ministers came from, could get such large sums. Mr Semple said that a road was being constructed right down the West Coast from Greymouth to Jackson Bay. It was a road of importance to the development of the district, because boats could come into Jackson Bay. Mr Semple addcQ i that the completion of the road w I Jackson Bay would open up some ol i the finest and most beautiful countiy in the Dominion. „ Mr Webb said that there were zOU miles in the Buller County alone, ana roads had to be opened to get to ' mining timber, because, without tim[ber there could be no coal. I Mr O’Brien said that the West (Coast had to be roaded to get to re- ’ sources that were wanted by tne i whole of New Zealand, such as the ; white pine forests. I Reference was made by Mr W.JI Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo) to the 1 shortage of electric power in New Zealand. „ Mr Semple stated he was aware ol that shortage, but he would point out that more than four per cent, of the total generated power in the Nortn Island was going into the hospitals

and military camps. There had been a demand that had never been anticipated prior to the outbreak of the war. From 1935 until 1942, he said, 'no fewer than 1097 hew factories, ; employing an additional, 37,856 employees, had commenced in New Zealand, and these were required additional power loads, which had to be met. Had it not been for the war, he said, there would not have been a power shortage in the country. A plan had been prepared for 10 years; ahead, and as soon as they could gel. the men, the Karapiro scheme on the Waikato River would go on in three shifts. 1 Mr Polson said that power board authorities said the country was now laced with a ten-year shortage ol power. _ ... The Minister of Supply (Mr Sullivan) said that the Minister of Works had visualised the necessity for a steady and continuous growth ol electric power supply, and had advised the power boards that there was no need to get panicky, because the situation would be met. It plan} and machinery which had been held up because of the war conditions, had come to hand, New Zealand today would have been in absolutely a satisfactory position for electric power. RAILWAY RETIREMENTS The announcement that the forty years’ service retirement operated now, was made by Mr Semple, when the Railways Working Account was before the House. Mr Clyde Carr (Govt., Timaru) asked about the position of railwaymen who were kept on over the 40 years’ period, and were thus blocking the promotion of younger men. Mr Semple said, that it had been necessary, because of the war conditions, to retain these men, but now the position was being relaxed. The Minister also stated that, compensation claims arising out of the Hyde railway disaster would be met and paid. Some claims had been submitted and settled already. A complaint regarding the dilapidated state of the old section of Parliament Buildings was made by Mr T. McCombs (Govt., Lyttelton), when the Public Works Account (Public Buildings) vote was under discussion. He asked if the Minister and the Government were thinking of doing away with the old section of the buildings, which were'most disreputable. Mr Semple said he quite agreed that the building was .dilapidated. “I was there one night when an earthquake took place,” he said. “That was the only time I remember putting on my running shoes. I shook a good deal longer than the building shook.” (Laughter).

When Miscellaneous Lands Under the Public Works Account vote were being considered the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, replying to a question by Mr E. B. Gordon (Nat., Rangitikei) regarding the price of woolpacks,’ said that New Zealand was to a.large extent dependent on supplies of jute from India for woolpacks, because a great percentage of New Zealand flax was being used for the manufacture of rope and twine for the British and United States Navies. The price of Indian jute had shown a tendency to rise rapidly of late.

Mr Gordon: Will woolpacks come under stabilisation? The Minister said he was not sure if such was the case, but if it were, then the Government would bear the increase in the price of the raw materials, and there would be no increase in the price of the packs to the woolgrowers. During the day thirteen classes of estimates totalling £20,432,354 were passed. This completed the passing of the main estimates, and the House rose at midnight until 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.