PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 205, 28 July 1928, Page 4

PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 27. The House of Representatives met at ‘2.30 p.m. to-day. The Leader of the Opposition gave notice,of liis intention to introduce the Education Amendment Bill. On the motion of Mr J. G. Eliott (Oroua) the Wellington City Milk Supply Amendment Bill was introduced. The mover explained that the bill was intended tc remove restrictions put upon nearby farmers by the Wellington City Council. ‘ The bill was read a first time.

INSURANCE DEPARTMENT’S REPORT. The Government Accident Insurance Department report was laid on the table by'tlie Hon. F. J. Rolleston. Speaking on the presentation of* the report, Mr W. Parry (Auckland Central) said that it was time accident insurance was made a State monopoly. If that were done workers would get a much greater return for premiums paid, He believed that the time would come when the State would almost be compelled to take such step, and ho trusted the Minister would take the suggestion with consideration. Under the scheme he proposed it would be compulsory for all employers to insure their employees, and there would be a great deal of saving in expenses and profits, and commissions could be abssorbed in added compensation payments. Such State scheme would be of benefit both to employee and employer. Other Labour members spoke in a similar strain. Hon. F- J- Rolleston, in reply, said that only 22 per cent, of the revenue of the department went in administration charges. The State Accident Insurance Department was not run bv other and rival offices. It was entirely' independent and the present Government should be given some credit for the increase in the business ofthe office. TRANSPORT PROBLEMS. Hon. K. S. Williams, Minister in Charge of Roads, laid on the table the ruport of the Royal Commission set up to consider transport problems in the City of Auckland. The commission found — (1) That the existing transport system is suitable for the said district. (2) That the existing transport services ave adequate for the requirements of such district. (3) That the present transport system of the said district is efficient. The commission recommended the formation of a special transport board to deal with the problems, the board to be a local authority and to consist of ten members elected by ratepayers in specified areas. When the Minister moved liis motion, Mr M. J. Savage (Auckland West) asked if the Government proposed to give legislative effect to the recommendations of the commission. The Prime Minister replied: Wait and see. Mr Mason (Eden) and Mr Lee (Auckland East) criticised the failure of the Government to tackle and solve Auckland’s transport problems and said it had appointed the commission nearly to evade the task. The Prime Minister, in reply, said that the Auckland problems were not

really a Government affair, but there were so many conflicting opinions as to what course should be pursued that it was deemed advisable to appoint such commission. The question was whether the recommendations of the commission concerned the Government. They were really the affair of Auckland’s local authorities, and it was a question for them to say how far the recommendations of the commission met their views. The bus regulations concerned the whole Dominion and affected everyone alike; but the effect of those, regulations on Auckland locally ' was not the business of - Parliament, | which was not called upon to legislate to meet every local problem. What he meant by “wait and see” was that the local authorities had first to be informed of the recommendations of the commission, and it was for them to say what legislation they desired. CONSUMPTIVE PATIENTS. The Minister of Health, Hon. J. A. Young, 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 discussion would be taken at a later date. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. By the Governor-General’s message the Imprest Supply Bill No. 2 was introduced. , c Mr Savage criticised the policy ot the Government in limiting deposits receivable by the Post Office Saiings Bank, maintaining that this policy was driving money into the associated baijks and was therefore in their interests. When the House met at 7.30 p.m., the debate on the Imprest Supply Bill was continued by Mr W. A. Veitcli (Wanganui) who quoted freely from railway returns to prove the correctness of his previous criticism that the re-laying of railway tracks was boing neglected hy the Government to the prejudice of public safety. He had been charged with endeavouring to raise a scare and frighten the people into-,be-lieving that hues and bridges were not safe. He could not say whether they were safe or not. All he knew was that in 1911 the minmimum relaying was fixed at 100 miles per year and that in the last 16 years the average re-lay-ing had fallen off to an extent of 700 miles. Moreover, to-day engines were heavier and trains were run faster than they were in 1911. He only hoped that the" margin of safety was still adequate, but accidents were not unknown. "Mr D. Jones (Ellesmere) said that Mr Veitch had been making the same kind of speeches for tire last seven years. Br.t the fact remained that the New Zealand railways were being run with a minimum of accidents. British railways were the best in the world, but they did not altogether avoid accidents. He therefore did not think that Mr Veitch would be successful in scaring the people of New Zealand into , refusing to travel on our railways. Turning then to the financial criticism of the Opposition, lie quoted from the Sydney Bulletin in support of the Government policy of restricting deposits. The speaker then proceeded to defend the policy and practice of the Meat Board in the regulating of shipments. To-day meat ships were arriving in London with almost as much regularity as trains in New Zealand. The result was that New Zealand meat had a stability not enjoyed by that of any other country in the world. Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East) said that the Minister of Finance deliberately drove deposits from the Post Office Savings Banks into the hands of the banks, which at first refused to lend money to assist rural credits, but later brought rural credits bonds on their own terms. Hon. R. A. Wright, Minister of Education, contended that the criticism by Mr Veitch of the railways was without the slightest foundation. Rails were lifted when they reached the limit of their wear, and heavier rails were laid in their place. He could not see that any accident was due to Government neglect or was likely to be due to that cause. The debate was carried on by Messrs H. E. Holland, J. Mason (Napier), D. G. Sullivan (Avon), T. IV. Rhodes (Thames), R. McKeen (Wellington South), and W E. Parry (Auckland Central). _ The Minister, /in reply, defended the policy of the Government in connection with the Post Office Savings Bank, contending that the large deposits were not the /money of the people, but that of large firms who were simply making a convenience of the Post Office which was put to great inconvenience in investing moneys and by having to keep largo reserves to meet heavy withdrawals. The bill, which appropriated an expenditure £2,667,000, was then put through the remaining stages and passed.