IN THE HOUSE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 306, 24 November 1932, Page 6

IN THE HOUSE.

RECORD PASSAGE OF VOTE. STATEMENT ADOPTED WITHOUT A WORD. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.! WELLINGTON, Nov. 23. A record in recent Parliamentary history was set to-night, when the Publio M orks Estimate, including the highways vote—a total expenditure of £3,620,700 —was passed in three hours. The principal criticism centred around the Government’s decision to pay a retaining fee of £250 a year to Mr F. W. Furkert, formerly Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department. On a division on this issue four Coalitionists voted with Labour, but the vote was passed by 30 votes to 25. The Opposition missed their opportunity to discuss the annual statement of the Minister of Public Works, allowing the motion adopting it to go through without a word being spoken. It is probably the first time in the history of the New Zealand Parliament that the Opposition had nothing to -say regarding a highly important statement of Government policy. The day saw three new Government measures introduced. The principal of these was the Municipal Corporation Consolidation Bill which, among qth«r things, carries the principle of longer tenures of office into effect as far as local bodies are concerned. Of the other measures, the mortgagors’ and tenants’ further relief Bill is another instalment of what might be termed emergency legislation occasioned by the present troublous times. The third >’ ’ provides for the incorporation of the municipal association and the regulation of its functions.