THE HARBOUR BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20851, 18 April 1931, Page 12

THE HARBOUR BRIDGE.

INTRODUCTION OF BILL.

/ SOME MEMBERS OBJECT. PROSPECTS THIS SESSION. / Further Progress unlikely. [by teljsgrafii.—special reporter.] , WELLINGTON. Friday. fj • , After an hours argument to the propriety of bringing forward-such a measure during tho emergency session, the House of Representatives to-day suspended the Standing Orders to enable the „ Auckland Harbour Bridge Empowering Bill to be introduced and read a first time. Judging by tho feoling displayed, however, it is almost certain tho bill will, not pjiss beyond that stage this session.

. The Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, Minister of Health, /moved that the Standing

Orders on private bills should be so far suspended as to allow tho bill to be introduced and proceeded with and passed through all stages in accordance with the procedure prescribed for public bills," provided that such suspension should not remove tho liability on tho promoters for payment'/of fees and printing expenses.* Mr. Stallworthy said it was the unanimous wish of interested local bodies that tho bill should be printed and circulated so that its objects might be understood. Auckland members of Parliament wero also in agreement on that point.

" We Can't Be Bothered."

Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Independent—Gis borne): Oh, knock it on the head.

The Speaker: Order! Mr. Lysnar: We can't bo bothered with & thing like that. A. protest against the' motion was raised by Mr. C. A.. Wilkinson (Independent — Egmont). 11 This is an emergency session and members are here at somo inconvenience/ to 'themselves," he said. " This surely could wait for two months until the next session." /

Mr. J. A. Young (Reform —Waikato) said lie understood all that was desired was that the bill should be printed and circulated. Mr. Stallworthy: That is so. Mr. Young: It is not proposed that the bill should, proceed through all stages. Mr. Stallworthy: Not at the moment. Mr. M. J. Savage (Labour —Auckland West) and Mr. G. C. Munns (Government —Roskill) urged that the bill should be allowed/ to be printed. The latter stated the firm which had recently built the Sydney Harbour Bridge ivould probably be dismantling its plant shortly, and/ if the opportunity was not taken to advance the bill, the bridge might be loaded with a cost of an extra £IOO,OOO. In view of the amount of unemployment, he felt the passage of the till should be expedited this session. Mr. H: T. Armstrong (Labour—Christchurch East) said he would not oppose the motion' if the same right were to be allowed to.me'mbers who had given notice on the first day of the session of intention to introduce bills Matter of Urgency?

The earnest hope that the House would agree to the motion was expressed by Mr. A.'Harris (Reform—Waitemata), who believed it to be ji matter of extreme urgency/that the bill should be proceeded with this session. However, all that was desired at the moment was that members should 'have an opportunity of seeing the bill, which could only be done by having it printed and circulated. He did not say Auckland members were unanimous on all matters in connection ■with the bill, but they were agreed it should be introduced. " We vp,at to finish the session and it is not right for Auckland to come lorvrard with debatable matter like at this stage," declared Mr. Lysnar. I IP Auckland members want the bill printed, let them print it themselves." The Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. G. \V. said it had been represented to him by those interested that the local bodies and local members of Parliament were veryanxious that the work should be allowed to proceed. It was a veiy long bill, which the House should know something about. It had been represented to him as a very urgent matter in view of the possibility of the Sydney plant being dismantled. Mr. W. L. Martin (Labour— Raglan) : Evewasli! II ■ 'Mr. Munns: It is not eyewash. Using Sydney Plant.

Mr. Forces: I understand the purpose of the promoters is to proceed with the bill and pass it into, law this session. I pointed out it might stand over until the ordinary Session, but was told that the opportunity of taking advantage of the Sydney plant might be lost and thus add considerably- to the cost of the bridge. 'That is why I agreed to the motion. It cannot bd a local bill. Mr. P. Fraser (Labour— Wellington Central): It is just one of those bills which may be a local or a private bill. However, because I think the project a great one, and important not only to Auckland' but also to the whole Dominion. I am prepared to facilitate it. The fact that it will result in the employ-ment-of 1000 men in itself cortimends it to me. /At the same time,' the House . will never agree to accept anything blindly. / "It is sometimes good to know what we are talking about before we speak," said Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Labour— "Therefore we should allow the bill to lie circulated. We should not say definitely at this stage whether the bill should be dealt with at this session or next."

Mr. Majttin protested at the procedure adopted. The House had be.en in session five weeks and in the dying stages a Minister came down with a bridge proposal. Mr. Martin said ho remembered seeing an advertisement in which the Post-master-General, the Hon. J. B. Donald, was mentioned as one of the directors. Really a Formal Motion. Mr. W. J. Jordan (Labour—Manukau) hoped the bill would at least be allowed jto be introduced. Replying to the discussion, Mr. Stallworthy said he wanted to make it,perfectly clear that his simple appeal at the moment was that the bill should be printed add circulated. Mr. Fraser: Doesn't the motion mean more than that ? Mr. Stallworthy: The motion is really ft forr/ial one. It is in accordance with the procedure necessary. I am not asking for special permission to proceed with the bill! this session at the moment. I cannot nope it will be proceeded with this session, although I hope ultimately that will be so. If the motion is agreed to, it will still remain with the House to. say whether the bill should proceed further. Mr. Wilkinsoji insisted on a division on the motion, which was carried by 62 votes to 9. The dissentients were Messrs. H. T, Armstrong, G. C. Black, E. J. Howard, W. D. Lysnar, D. MeDougall, [W. L. Martin, J. O'Brien, H. M. Rushworth, C. A. Wilkinson. The bill was then read a first timeIt comprises 128 clauses, details of which .have already been published. In a subsequent interview, Mr. Donald, who did not speak on the matter in the House, denied Mr. Martin's' statement that lie was a director of the Harbour Bridge/Company. He had resigned his directorship and disposed of his shares some! ago in order that no question •f personal interest might impedo the progress of the bill.