MEMBERS CRITICAL

Hawera Star, Volume L, 25 September 1930, Page 5

MEMBERS CRITICAL

ESTIMATES UNDER FIRE

POLICY OF RAILWAYS.

DIVISION ON UNEMPLOYMENT,

(By Telegrapn —ness Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 24. The acting-Prime Minister (Hon. E. A. Ransom) moved in the House of Representatives to-day that urgency be accorded the passage of a number ox classes of estimates, including Railways, Labour, Industries and Commerce and Internal Affairs. Mr H. E. Holland said it appeared there was nothing to be gained by a suspension of the Standing Orders. The House had had a late sitting the previous day and it ought to be able to do its work within reasonable hours. A division was taken, the motion being adopted by 51 votes to 16. The House then went into committee of supply and consideration of the vote of £6,378,003 for the working railways account was resumed.

Replying to questions raised by members, Hon. W. A. Veitcli said Garratt engines were still in the experimental stage. A great deal of money had been expended on them and he would not like to take the responsibility of scrapping them. In view of these circumstances an earnest endeavour was being made to make them successful. With regard to Diesel engines an officer who had been sent abroad had reported that they too were in the experimental stage and it would not be advisable at the present time to expend a great deal of money on them. This advice had been accepted. The reason for the curtailment of Sunday services had been the heavy losses/ An attempt to meet tlie situation by increasing fares had only resulted *in making matters worse. Mr H. G. R. Mason expressed the opinion that it would have been a more likely means of effecting an improvement to have experimented with reduced fares. This would surely have been more likely to result in successful competition with the suburban bus services.

ELECTRIFICATION OF LINE,

Replying to Mr W. H. Field, the Minister stated that the question of electrification of the line from Wellington to Paekakarikl w'as under consideration. Alternative schemes were. also being considered, and he hoped it would be possible shortly to reach a decision. Mr J. A. Nash asked what the Minister intended to do to meet the situation created as the result of the decision not to go on with the Palmerston North railway deviation. He also asked what provision was to be made in relation to the eleven crossings in the city. Mr Veitcli said attention was being given to the provision of warning signals at the crossings. The estimate was passed. Consideration of the vote of £56,871 for the Labour Department was resumed.

An amendment moved by Mr H. E. Holland when the estimate was previously under consideration, calling for a reduction of the vote by £lO as a protest against the estimate being submitted to the House before the report of the department was presented was defeated on the voices.

Air R. MeKeen expressed the opinion that there were insufficient inspectors in the Labour Department to ensure that the awards were being efficiently carried out. Mr A. M. Samuel asked the Government to make an immediate: effort- to grapple more effectively with the unemployment problem. Air D. G. Sullivan urged that the Government should treat unemployment as the paramount problem of the day. It should give the special unemployment committee every opportunity to present its recommendations to the House without delay, 'and it should lose no time in bringing those recommendations into operation. Hon. S. G. Smith said that during tlie short period he had been Minister ho had looked into a large number of eases in which it was claimed there had been breaches of awards. In many instances it had transpired there had been difficulty to get evidence to support such complaints. Replying to Air Samuel he said the Labour Department was only the recording office for the unemployed. It could not create iwork for men. With reference to the point raised by Air Sullivan he said the matter of the special unemployment committee’s interim reports was one for the Leader of the House.

DEBATE ON UNEMPLOYMENT

Mr M. J. .Savage moved that the sum bo reduced by £5 as an indication that definite proposals for the employment of all those willing to work should be brought before the House before Parliament rose. He could see nothing in the amendment that could not be supported by members. Unemployment demanded the most earnest attention from everyone and he was prepared to do anything except admit that the position was hopeless. iMt Smith said the solution of the unemployment, problem ivas not a matter for the Labour Department and there was no justification for the amendment before the House. He mentioned that in his own district (New Plymouth) all the public bodies Avere co-operating to deal AA r ith the problem and the result Avas that there Avere only 41 men out of work. As an indication of the earnestness Avith which the GoA’ornment iwas tackling the problem lie said over 4000 anon had been placed on road works up to September 20.

Labour members: IToav many Avere put off? The Minister said 100 men left- of their o wn accord last Avcek to go to relief Avorks.

Mr Lysnar said he could not congratulate the Labour Party om-the amendment. The unemployment problem should be faced in a different spirit. Mr Savage pointed out that the amendment was not intended as an attack on the Government; it simply sought an expression of opinion from the House. The amendment Avag rejected by 37 to 27 and the A r ote was passed.

When the estimate of £279,400 for the Department of Internal Affairs Avas under consideration Hon. P. A. de la Perrello said regulations dealing A\ith the censorship of picture posters Avould be gazetted next Aveek. Mr D. Jones stated that during his visit to England it had been a matter for comment that, he had not been invited: to certain public functions. He had called upon the High ■Commissioner

j but he bad received no invitation to ' any entertainment. . , Mr W. E. Parry said he thought there should be some explanation in the case Avhere a member of the .House made a definite statment of that 'kind. Mr de la Perrelle said he regretted, the treatment that' had been meted out to Mr Jones. He would make, representations to the High 'Commissioner on the subject. The diAusion list oh iMr .Savage’s amendment was:— Ayes (27). Ansell MeKeen Armstrong Martin 'Barnard Mason. - - : T Carr Munro ■ - - 'Chapman Nash, W. Fletcher O 'Brien Fraser Parry Hall . Samuel Holland, H. E. Savage IloAA'ard Semple Jordan Sullrtan Kyle Waite Langstono WrightMcCombs Noes (37). At more McDougall Broadfoob MacPherson Burnett iMakitahiara Clinkard' Munns Ccbbe Murdoch de la Perrelle Nash, J. A. Donald Ngata End can Poison Field Ransom Hamilton EushwortlT . Harris Smith HaAvke StalhvortTiy liealy Stewart -• Hogan Taverner " H. Holland Veitch Lin'klater Wilkinson Lye Williams Lysnar Young McDonald A LATE SITTING. ‘ ESTIMATES PASSED. WELLINGTON, Sept.' 25. In the House of Representatives the • following estimates were passed in i committee, of supply after the telegraph i office closed at 2 o’clock this morning: l Department of Industries and Com--1 merce, Tourist and Publicity, £126,500; Audit Department, £28,200. 5 The acting-Prime Minister announced r that the second reading of the 6am- - ing Amendment Bill would be taken to--2 day. r The House rose at 2.7 a.m.