PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20678, 25 September 1930, Page 13

PARLIAMENT.

MORE PROGRESS URGED.

ACTION BY MR. RANSOM.

DAY SPENT ON ESTIMATES.

SEVERAL VOTES PASSED.

RAILWAYS AND LABOUR. [flT TEIJSOR AVJf. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Contending that it was necessary for the Government to keep a tighter rein on members to enable tho session to finish within tho next two or three weeks, tho acting-Prime Minister, Hon. E. A. Ransom, intimated tn tho House of Representatives to-day that more rapid progress with business would bo henceforward enjoined. The day was spent on Estimates, urgency being granted ten classes, after an ineffectual protest by tho Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland. However, tho House made only slow progress. The Railway Estimates had been before the House on two previous occasions without the vote being passed and members spent tho whole of the afternoon in further discussion of them. Tho Minister of Railways, Hon. W. A. Veitch, appealed to tho House shortly before the dinner adjournment to let the vote through without further delay, but there were still members with views to present, mostly on minor matters. However, shortly after the resumption in the evening the railways vote was passed.

The next class was the Estimates of the Labour Department, which had also been lengthily discussed earlier. Labour members were particularly talkative and the subject of unemployment was brought to the fore in spite of the observation by the Minister of Labour, Hon. S. G. Smith, that, his department was only a recording one as far as the unemployment problem was concerned. With a lata sitting in prospect, the House had a half-hour adjournment for supper at 9.50 p.m. Labour advanced an amendment seeking to redtice the vote by £5 as an indication that the House believed definite proposals for all those out of work should bo submitted before the session ended, and this was defeated by 37 votes to 27, after which the vote was passed. The third class on the list of ten was the Internal Affairs, which had also been partly debated earlier. This class was reached at eleven o'clock and the debate was still in progress at a Jate hour.

NEW AUCKLAND STATION.

ANOTHER BRIDGE SUGGESTED " PROPOSAL NOT PRACTICAL." [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The situation of the new Auckland railway station in relation to the city was referred to by Mr. A. Harris (Reform— Waitemata) when the Estimates of the Railway Department were under consideration in the House of Representatives to-day. "I have previously mentioned the distance of the station from the city, said Mr. Harris. "The result will be the surrender of the suburban traffic to the bus companies." Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Independent Reform —Gisborne): You are a bit too late now. Mr. Harris pointed out that the Devonport vehicular ferry was almost opposite the uew station. He suggested it would be a great advantage to have an overhead bridge or ramp erected across the railway tracks from the station to the entrance of the ferry. "I have had the question raised by the member for Waitemata inquired into," replied the Minister of Railways, Hon. W. A. Veitch. "The report of officers of the department is that tha proposal is not structurally practical. That is the chief reason such a convenience will not be supplied."

COAL CARBONISATION. REAL TEST IN NEAR FUTURE, IMPORTANCE TO DOMINION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The future of coal carbonisation in the Dominion was discussed by the Minister of Railways, Hon. W. A. \eitch, in reply to a question by Mr. K. S. Williams (Reform—Bay of Plenty), during consid eration of 'the Railway Estimates in the House of Representatives to-day. The Minister said a carbonisation plant was being erected in the Waikato and ho thought it would be operating very shortly when a real test of the efficacy of the process would be given. He belieyec there was no country in the world that, needed coal carbonisation more than did New Zealand and he was keenly enthusiastic about its future. The Government had also been approached concerning e establishment of a plant in Southland, hut no finality had been reached We sincerely trusted the scheme could be carried out to the benefit of the district and the country as a whole.

LEVEL-CROSSTN G PR OBLEM. MINIMISING THE DANGERS. ACTION LIMITED BY FUNDS. [BY TEtEORArH—SrECIAL REFORTEH.] WELLINGTON, "Wednesday. "No evidence of policy as far as level crossings are concerned can be found in the Railways Statement," complained Mr. l\ G. Sullivan (Lal)our—Avon), when the Estimates of the Railway Department were under consideration in the House ot Representatives to-day. The ciossing problem calls for some definito statement from the Minister as to whether there i s a policy or not. Ihere is certainly neec for a policy." The Minister of Railways, Hon. W. A. Veitch. said the, question of level crossing accidents was one for very serious consideration. Level crossings were not » any means the cause of the bulk of motor accidents in New Zealand. One death a day was stated to bo caused by motor accidents, but the percentage that took place at crossings was comparatively small. Nevertheless, the problem was a serious one. "I would like lo see a ramp over every crossing in New Zealand," said the Minister, "and if someone will find the monev to do that we will get on with the job. I do not, think it. is altogether the job of the Railway Department to find funds to carry motors competing with the railways over the lines. The railways were there first. In spite of the "difficult position of Iho country's finances, however. a very considerable sum has been spent on safety appliances at crossings. AVith the available funds every device that human ingenuity can devise will be adopted to protect people crossing over railway lines.il