PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 240, 7 September 1928, Page 4

PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Per Press Association

WELLINGTON, Sept. 6. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 o’clock to-day. The Christ’s College (Canterbury) bill was put through its final stages and' passed. Sir Jas Allen asked the Leader of the Council whether the Government intended to make available for members of Parliament and the public his report as High Commissioner for New Zealand on vacating his office, dated July 28, 1926, dealing with tho work of tho High Commissioner and his office. Sir James Allen said that lie wanted to do what he could to bring about closer connection between the High Commissioner and the Government, and the report referred to covered , the work of the High Commissioner and his office during the term of six years as Commissioner. Sir Francis Bell replied that tho Government did not consider that the publication of the report at this stage would serve any useful purpose. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill, the Public Works Amendment Bill, and Post and Telegraph Amendment were received from tho House and read a first time. The Council adjourned at 2.36 until next Tuesday.. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. MARINE DEPARTMENT’S REPORT. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. The Minister of Internal Affairs brought down the annual report of the ‘Marine Department, which was discussed at length by members airing local questions including the disappearance of fish from tho Hauraki Gulf.

The Leader of tho Opposition referred. to tho degenerating condition of Westport Harbour. He said that there was evidence that the bar was silting up and that ships that in other days would have come out with 3000 tons of coal now went out with only 1500 tons because there was not sufficient depth of water. That meant that the cost of coal was .enormously increased to shipowners, and there was a tendency on their part to send their ( ships to Australia in preference to Westport. There was at present no marine engineer in charge of the harbour. and no one locally was capable of doing what was required - to keep the bar open. What they wanted was the resignation of Government control and the resumption of local control, which would include elected representatives of the people. Recently a deputation had waited on Sir Francis Bell, who seemed to argue himself out of the difficulty by saying that the whole trouble was due to an “act of God.” What thev wanted was a good dredge, guided by tho advice of a skilled marine engineer, and the restoration of local control. The matter was one of the greatest importance not only to the Buller district, but to the whole of the Dominion as it was hampering the development of the coal mining industr-. He asked for information as to what decision the Cabinet had arrived at in reply, to tho deputation's requests. Mr McCombs raised questions of the education of children of lighthouse keepers and the increased cost of living, and urged hotter housing for these keepers. These matters, lie said, would soon be put right if the department would only attend to the reports of its own officers. The Minister, who had only a few minutes to reply, said that there was no doubt that fish round the coasts of New Zealand were disappearing. 1 What else could bo expected when we I disturbed them in their natural con-

ditions? All sorts of interft-orrrecs were taking place and it just meant that we could not have our pleasures and other attributes of advanced civilisation and fish at tho same time.

The Minister’s speech was cut short by the adjournment at 5.30 p.m. and the paper was laid on tho table.

REPORTS ADOPTED.

When the House met at 7.30 o’clock this evening it was agreed, on the motion of the Prime Minister, that the reports' of tho Polico Department, Agricultural Department, Labour Department, Education Department, Tourist Department, National Industrial Conference and Superannuation Board, be printed. It was agreed that the Labour and Education reports be debated at a later date. MANY LOCAL BILLS. The House then went into committee on tho Lyttelton, Harbour Board Loan Enabling Bill (Mr McCombs) the Wliakatane Harbour Amendment Bill (Mr Hockly) the Onerahi Water Reserve Enabling Bill (Mr W. Jones) and the Invercargill Borough Council Special Rate Empowering Bill( Sir Joseph Ward, per Mr J. Mason, Napier). All these bills were passed. The following local bills were read a second time: Ashburton Water Supply (Lagmhqr Creek) Bill (Mr E. P. Lee pro. Hon. W. Noswortliy), Christchurch Tramway District Amendment Bill (Mr Howard), Auckland City Empowering Bill (Mr J. S. Dickson), Whangarei Abattoir Site Amendment Bill (Mr W. Jones), Whangarei Borough Empowering Bill (Mr W. Jones), Duller County Leasing Empowering Bill (Mr H. E. Holland), Johnsonville and Makara Gas Supply Bill (Mr Field), Timaru Borough Empowering Bill (Hon. F. J. Rolleston), Summer Borough Land Vesting Bill (Mr McCombs), Whangarei Harbour Board Vesting Bill (Mr W. Jones). REPORTS ON BILL. The Auctioneers’ Bill was reported by the statutes revision committee with the recommendation that it be allowed to proceed with amendments. The,same committee also reported on tho Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bill and recommended that it be allowed to proceed with the amendment suggested.