TIRED MEMBERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22896, 26 November 1937, Page 13

TIRED MEMBERS

last of the estimates TEMPERS BECOME FRAYED SOME CONTENTIOUS ITEMS ANOTHER INCIDENT IN HOUSE [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Thursday Consideration of the main estimates of departmental expenditure for the vear was completed in tho House of 'Representatives to-day, when eight separate votes aggregating £2,145,361 were authorised. Possibly the 'fact that the Houso sat until after three o'clock this morning to pass the Finance Bill was responsible for a feeling of lethargy, and although the Opposition again registered its protest against the purchase of Picot Brothers and the control of commercial broadcasting, no serious effort was made to held up the passing of tho votes. When the House resumed this afternoon, less than twelve hours after the adjournment, there was a fairly lengthy argument concerning tho purchase of American machinery for use on public works. Both the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, and tho Minister of Customs, the Hon. W. JS'ash, defended the action of the Government in admitting this machinery at g reduced rate of duty. Application of Closure Discussion also developed on tho administration of native affairs, but after the dinner adjqurnment, when tempers were showing signs of becoming fraj'ed, tie Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, expedited the passing of the vote by the application of the closure. Three of the most contentious items b the Estimates, the Dairy Industry Account, the Internal Marketing Account and the Broadcasting Account, were right at the end of the list and during the discussion on the dairy industry there'was a further political clash when Mr. W. J. Poison (Opposition—Stratford) accused the Minister of Marketing of "deliberately concealing" the reports of the committee set up to advise the Government on this year's guaranteed price. The Broadcasting Account In spite of a protest by the Prime Minister the Chairman -of Committees, Mr. E. J. Howard, ruled that the expression was not out of order and after a lengthy debate the Speaker, the Hon. W. *E. Barnard, supported Mr. Howard's ruling. On the actual items in the three accounts there was remarkably little discussion. The Opposition called for a division on the Internal Marketing Account and moved an amendment to reduce the Broadcasting Account by the amount proposed to be spent on the commercial broadcasting service Both divisions were carried by the Government with ' substantial majorities and the House rose at 10.30 o'clock.

WHANGAREI AIRPORT "" PROVISIONS IN BILL - AN AMENDMENT BY COUNCIL [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday When the Whangarei Airport Bill was discussed in committee bv the Legislative Council to-day the Hon. T. Bloodworth (Auckland) moved to amend clause 17 to make it mandatory that the Airport Board should be represented on a committee given delegated powers.

The provision opposed by Mr. Bloodworth was contained in a sub-clause which stated:' "It shall not be necessary that any person appointed to be a member of a committee under this section shall be a member of the board." The amendment proposed to strike out the word "not" and alter "any person" to "ono or more of the persons." The amendment was carried after the Hon, B. Martin (Auckland), who was in charge of, the bill, had said there was no objection to the amendment but. it would delay the passage of the bill and consequently he would not accept it but w°uld leave it. to the decision of the Council. The Hon. W. Perry (Wellington) suggested that the amended sub-clause should be redrafted as follows: "On any committee appointed under the last proceding sub-section there shall be at least one member of the board." The sub-section was struck out and the suggested new one adopted. The bill was read a. third time and passed. Other measures put through the committee stages without amendment and passed were the Coal Minos Amendment Bill, the Sale of Wool Bill, the Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Amendment Bill, the Timaru Harbour Board Loan Amendment Bill and the Christchurch Tramway Board TOmpowerinc Bill. The Finance Bill was read a first time

LOCAL, BODY MERGERS PROPOSED LEGISLATION EVIDENCE FOR COMMITTEE [BY TELEGRAPH —rRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday The taking of evidence on the Local Government '(Amalgamation Schemes) Bill will begin on Tuesday morning by the special committee appointed by the House of Representatives to report on the legislation. The Hon. >V. fc. Barnard will be chairman. It is stated that with the large number of requests made hv local authorities for their representatives to give evidence, the committee will be sitting fairly regularly from Tuesday onward.