PETITIONS TO PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 October 1926, Page 5

PETITIONS TO PARLIAMENT.

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE 1 EXPLAINS. TO TARANAJKI POWER BOARD. At yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Electric Power Board an explanation as to the cause of the board not being advised of two petitions presented to Parliament during the last session by several ratepayers praying exclusion from the board’s area was received from the Hon. 0. J. Hawken, Minister of Agriculture, and representative for the Egmont electorate, who stated that he wit* bringing the' matter before Cabinet. “The fact that your board was not notified that the petitions had been presented to Parliament, and that it was not given an opportunity of tendering evidence in rebuttal, discloses an omission or a want of co-ordination in Parliamentary procedure and practice,” he wrote. “I am hopeful that, as a result of Cabinet’s consideration of the question, there will he no cause for future complaint.” The Minister’s letter was prompted by the forwarding to him by tli© board of a copy of the resolution passed protesting against petitions being brought before Parliament against local bodies without notification being given to the authoritv in question. The reply received by the board was a lengthy epistle,, and explained in detail the circumstances which led to the Minister not being aware of the fact that petitions had been brought before Parliament. Briefly they were: The Minister was first notified that a petition had been presented when the hoard telegraphed its protest against consent for authorisation of loan moneys he mg withheld while a petition was being considered on the grounds that previous loan funds were exhausted, and the consequent cessation of work as a result of the funds being completely exhausted would throw 7 100 men out of employment. As a result of the Minister’s aetivties. Cabinet decided to take no action with regard to the first petition, and on the day that this decision was arrived at, while the Minister was engaged in arranging for a loan to be made available, the second petition was lodged hv Mr N. B. Fryday. Enquiry was made ns to the reason why the hoard had not been advised of the petitions and given an opportunity to state its ease before the petitions; committee, and it was learned that it was customary for the Parliamentary enmittee clerk to notify only the member presenting the petition ns to when it would be heard by the committee, and it was left to the member to advise the interested parties.