PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18763, 17 July 1924, Page 10

PARLIAMENT.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.

GOVERNMENT BILLS APPEAR

WOMEN 'AS JUSTICES.

SECOND READING CARRIED.

ESr.EGIIAI'H. —S'i'ZCIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday.

*26swers to questions occupied the K'ouse of Representatives for practically the whole of its sitting to-day. There were in all 124 answers given by Ministers, the subjects recurring most often being State advances, the moratorium, and pensions. The two hours allotted for discussion of the replies was doubled, and full advantage wa3 taken by members of their five minutes' allowance to speak, or really to criticise the statements made by Ministers. The debate was discursivo and ineffective. The time limit was enforced at 9.15, when the Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill (Mr. T. M. Wilford) came on, and was read a second time on the voices. Tha only dissentient was Mr. iWL 8.. Lysnar (((Sdsborne), who opposed xtH. otusS jpragosal to appoint women

rjjait'dbos.. JSghfc Gownment bills, as well as some jjvivate measures, were circulated during the evening. They included the Sale of Food and Drugs Amendment (Sir Maui Poroare), Local Bodies Loans Amendment (Mr. Massey), Mortgages Final Extension (Mr. Massey), Local Legislation (Hon. R. F. Bollard), Insurance Companies Deposits Amendment (Mr. Massey), Folice Force Amendment (Hon. C. J. Parr), and Auckland Abattoirs (Mr. Parr). Three months' leave of absence was granted to tha three members leaving on Friday as a delegation to the meeting of the South African branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association. Mr. J. Horn (Wakatipu.), is the chief Liberal Whip, and during his absence Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) will act as chief Whip, and Mr. E, A. Ransom (Pahiatua) as junior Whip. Mr. T. D. Burnett (Temuka) was granted a further 10 days' leave of absence on account of illness.

The House rose at 9.30 p.m. The Legislative Council discussed at length the Hon. J. Macgregor's Juries Amendment Bill, ths second reading of which was agreed to. The council adjourned until .Tuesday next.

THE LYTTELTON TUNNEL.

PROPOSAL TO DUPLICATE,

j PERSISTENT CHRISTCHURCH. t

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.]

• WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The question of duplicating the Lyttelion Tunnel was again before the Minister for Railways to-day when a question was asked by Mr. D, G. Sullivan (Avon). He wanted an assurance that the decision of the Government to obtain an " outside expert" report on the duplication and electrification of suburban lines would not mean any delay in the duplication of the tunneL Hie Hon. J. G. Coates replied that the work would take its place in order of re- _ lative importance with other works of a similar nature under consideration by the Government. Mr. Sullivan asked 'where it cam© in the iord'er of precedence. Mr. Coates: I can£»t say whether it is number 1 or number 2.

I Mr. Sullivan: Is the undertaking dependent on the electrification report? Mr. Coates: I do not see exactly how that question comes into it.

AUCKLAND CITY SCHOOLS.

PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT. NAPIER STREET REBUILDING. [B2 TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL « REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The intentions of the Government In connection with the three Auckland city schools—Napier Street, Nelson Street, and Beresford Street—were outlined today by the Minister for Education, Hon. C. J. Parr, in reply to a question by Mr. i\V. E. Parry (Auckland Central) in the House of Representatives. "In accordance with the policy adopted for the gradual replacement of the older out-of-date or worn out large schools," said Mr. Parr, " the Auckland Education Board has been informed that I am prepared to approve of the rebuilding of the old Napier Street School which is regarded by the board as the most urgent case in Auckland, and has been requested to expedite an application to the department for a grant for this purpose. According io the board they will forward sketch plans from Auckland in about a fortnight, for my approval. " For Beresford Street a grant has recently been approved for providing better out-office accommodation and the board has under consideration the question of renovating the school buildings. "At Nelson Street the question of alterations to enable the size of the classes to be reduced is under consideration."

FOREST PRESERVATION.

RESERVATIONS IN WAIKATO. ; PIRONGIA MOUNTAIN AREA, [BX TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. What has been done in the way of forest preservation around Hamilton was explained by the Minister for Lands in v the House to-day. He stated that an krea of 2000 acres immediately surrounding Pirongia Mountain ihad been set isido as a forest reserve, .while additional fcreas, totalling between 9000 and 10,000 »cres, had been set aside as provisional (State forests. A further area of 450 acres was about to be reserved under the Scenery Preservation Act. It would be seen, therefore, that the Government had already done its share bf preserving the forest around Pirongia ind it was considered that any more areas ihat might bo deemed worthy of acquisition and reservation for local purposes by the Hamilton Borough Council should be acquired by that local body.

PUBLIC SERVANTS' STRIKES

METHOD OF BALLOTING. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The raihvaymen's strike ballot was probably in the mind of Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) when he asked recently in Ihe House of Representatives whether in future, before any strike takes place in liny Government department, and where a ballot is taken, the Government will Bee that the ballot is taken under prober supervision, on the same lines as a general election ballot, and that only those "whoso votes are recorded shall be counted for or against a strike. The Prime Minister to-day promised that full and proper Consideration would be given to the proposal.