POLITICAL NOTES

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 July 1925, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

DOINGS IN PARLIAMENT. LAGGARD STATE ADVANCES. MR. CORRIGAN’S QUESTION-. (By Telegraph.—Special to- Star.) WELLINGTON, July, 10. The member for Patea (Mr. J. R. Corrigan) has tabled a question asking the Minister for Finance to ascertain when the State Advances Otrice will be supplied with enough money to enable it to overtake applications in hand. Air. Corrigan added that last August the department was twelve months behind in dealing with applications. To-day it is nineteen months behind, with thousands of applications waiting for. ail answer. PERSONAL PLEASANTRIES. At one stage in to-day’ K debate Air. H. Atmore (Nelson) had made slighting references to some members being born outside New Zealand. “The hon. member for Nelson, who is always seeking to impress the House with" liis cleverness, was no doubt wonderfully clever to have selected New Zealand, and particularly Nelson, .as his birthplace,” said Mr. P. Fraser (AVellington Central) a little later. “As to myself, I would rather be corn a man in Scotland than a jackass in New Zeaalnd. (Laughter.) But the New Zealander as a rule is courteous, hospitable, generous and just. It would be unjust for visitors to this country to judge New Zealand by the hon. member for Nelson. “A minature Mussolini, seeing red at every point, showing .glimmerings of wishing to be in the black shirt Mr. Fraser on the member for Nelson. “He sees red and dreams redeverything he touches turn s to blood and mud” —Air. J. A. Lee (Auckland East) on the member for Nelson. IMPROVING- LEVEL CROSSINGS. (BY TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, July 10. The policy of the Government in the direction of improving dangerous railway level crossings was briefly referred to by the Alinister for Railways (Hon. j. G. Coates) in the House of Representatives to-day. „ Air Coates said a certain amount or money had been allocated out of the railway improvement fund for the improvement and abolition of certain railway level crossings. They would not be able to deal with all the crossings at once, because they had not the money to do it, but a certain programme was iaid down by which it was hoped from tiiis time out that the' greatest danger ould lie overcome.

At the same time he desired to impress upon the public that if they only took ordinary care when approaching a crossing and stopped and looked out for the engine accidents would be reduced by 99 per cent. STATEMENT ON FUSION PRO AIIS ED. WELLINGOTN. July 10. In the House of Representatives Air. Holland asked the Prime Minister it he would make a statement to the House on the subject of fusion, as tl\e present position of the House was most unsatisfactory. The Liberal Party was recognised as the official Opposition, hut they were not functioning as an Opposition, and therefore, as he had said, the position was' unsatisfactory. The Hon. Coates said he would make i -statement later on, but not at present. He advised the Leader of the Labour Party to possess liis sonl in oatience.