PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 July 1928, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE O'F REPRESENTATIVES.

CRITICISM OF. RAILWAYS

(By Telegraph—Cress Association.} WEILLINIGTON, July 27. • The Leader of the Opposition gave notice in the House, of Representatives to-day of his intention to introduce an Education Amendment Bill. Replying to Air T'. D. Burnett (Tomuka),* the Alinister. of Education said that wherever there were facilities for doing so, swimming and life-saving 1 methods were taught in schools. The new syllabus would continue the provision that swimming and life-saving should be taught in all schools. On the motion of Air J. G. Eliott (Oroua), the Wellington City Milk Suppl y Ann en d men t Bi 11 was i ntr odueed. 'r'lie mover * explained that the. Bill was * intended to remove . restrictions put upon nearby fanners by the Wellington City Council. The Bill was read a first time. ~ The Alinister of Health laid on the table the report of the committee on the treatment and- accommodation' of consumptive patients in the Dominion. The paper was ordered to be printed, and it was agreed that the discussihn would be taken at a later date. By Governor-General’s message the Imprest Supply Bill No. 2- was introduced. ' ...... Air AI. J. Savage criticised the policy of the Government in limiting deposits receivable by the Post Office Savings Bank, maintaining that tills, pokey was driving money into the associated banks and was therefore in their interests. Air AV. A. Veitoh quoted freely from the railway returns to prove the correctness of'his previous criticism that the re-laying of railway tracks was being neglected by the Government to the r prejudice of the public safety. He.had been charged with endeavouring to raise a scare and frighten the people into believing the lines and bridges were not vSaife. He cou/l'd not Scty wiiethei\ xliey were safe or not*; -all he knew was that in 1911 the minimum re-laying was fixed at 100 miles a year, and that in the last' 16 years the average re-laying had fallen off to. the extent of , 00 miles, and to-dav the engines were liea-v er ancl the trains were run faster than they were in 1911. He only hoped the margin of safety was still adequate, but accidents we:-e not unknown. Air D. Jones. (Ellesmere) said Mr Veitoh had 'been making the same kind of speech for the last seven years, but the fact remained that the New. Zealand railways were being run with a minimum or risk. The British railways were the best in the world but- they did not altogether avoid accident; so that he did not think Air Veitcli would be successful in scaring the people into refusing to travel on tlie ranrwriys. Mr Jones defended" the policy and practice of the Aleat Board »n the regulating of shipments. To-day meat ships were arriving in London with almost as much regularity as the trains in New Zealand, he said. The result was that New Zealand meat had a stability not enjoyed by that of any other country in the world. _ ~ ~ Air J. A. Lee (Auckland East) said the 'Minister <rf Finance deliberately drove deposits from the Post Omce ba.v----duo-s Bank into the hands of the banks which at first refused to lend money to assist rural credits but ater bought rural credit bonds on their own terms. The Hon. R. A- Wright contended that the criticism of Mr Aeiteh of the railways was without the slightest foundation. The rails were, lifted when they readied the limit of then- wear and heavier rails were laid m their place. He could not see that any accident was due to Government neglect or was likely to he due to that cause. ‘ The Alinister, in reply, defended the policy of the Government m connection with the Post Office Savings Bank,, contending that the large deposits ed were not the mpney of the people but -of large firms, who were simply maklii< T a oonveivience of the post office, which was put to great inconvenience to keep larger reserves to meet heavy wrthdlThe'Bill, which appropriated for expenditure £2,677,000, was then put through the remaining stages and pa>ss-

The House rose at .1.12 a.m. till 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.,