HOUSE AND LOBBY PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12204, 31 July 1925, Page 7

HOUSE AND LOBBY PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

Mr T. D. Burnett (Temuka) has been granted six days* leave of absence on account of illness; font days have been granted M rAtmore (Nelson) on account of urgent public husinros; and three days to Mr L. M. Isitb (Christchurch North) on account of illness in his family. ■ * * *

Mr Hawken y protested in the House yesterday against the constant repetition of want-of-confidence ( motions. This was the sixth thiß session. They interrupted the business of Parliament, -and it ■ seemed they were brought forward to confuse the minds of the people. : He knew the ex-Libe-rals for the last three years had. had, the greatest difficulty in puttibg up a, case against the Government; They had voted for Labour and against Labour, and had walked out of the House on occasions without' voting. Their position: was untenable. •

• * • * LIKE THE TIDE They had -the .case of the member for Tjunaru, who had coolly and concisely analysed the Budget, one of the best analyses that he hod heard, stated Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch South), and yet he voted for the. Government. One of the objects of 'the fusion was to beat Labour, because the parties could get together and hold on, to office for some time.. He did not care whether the two .sides got together; or whether they, did not. They had said all through their political history that (here 'was no difference between the opposing parties. But, down in his Corner there were 17 members of the new order that was : coming in as surely as the tide. Mr J. A. Nosh (Palmerston North): When? . '< i ’' Mr Howard: As eoqn as we can get the people to understand the way-you are’rooking them'. ■ . Mr Nash: I thigk that’s a Mediterranean .tide. (Laughter,) . \ ■ » " : ■-. •

Mr F. Dye (Waikato):'' When'one turns one’s attention to the/Dairy .Export Central Bill it’ mikes one wonder wEether there isn’t a Socialistic Government in power in this country. ' Mr J. S. Dickson : I’m beginning to feel red. Mr Lye: I should think you were.

“I ■ understand that thDre Is to be an election In October or. the beginning of .November,” said Mr E; J. Howard (Christchurch' South) yesterday; “Now, the Minister for Education said the other day that this was the nfpst i. prosperous .country on earth.” .: ■ .c . ■

Hon. W. Nosworthy: Hear, hear! Mr Hpward: A: voice from the deep 1 All .the way from Mesopotamia! (Laughter. “Hear, heart”) Now we shall go to the worker and say they’re “There' ThereJ’.’ ■ There '■ they are I Rooking you! When we introduced a measure; for workers’- compensation they blocked it by iritrodpeing all sorts of bogus measures which had nothing to do with it. „ * e *• WHAT WORKERS DON’T LIVE ON “It is not my intention to place before, yon to-day a mass of index figures to prove that‘the present basiowage is not sufficient to pnaintain a worker and his dependants. l Workers cannbt live on hunchea;of index'figures.' They l live on the commodities which the weekly wage can purchase.Mr- James Roberts, daring a deputation to the Prime Minister yesterday.

The Legislative Council will sit. at .11 a.m. to-day to deal' with ImprestSupply, after which it will meet again on Wednesday 6r Thursday of next week. . ; „ '' , Sir Thomas Mackenzie gave notice yesterday that he intended_ to introduce the Animals’ Protection Amenament Act into the Legislative .Council' » • * '* * The Land Transfer Amendment Aot was reported by the etatutes revision committee of the Legislative; Qounoil yesterday, with minor • amendments, was read a third time and passed. The will of James Leydon, who died when living with some Maoris, named one of them as beneficiary, nnd the Publio Trustee as administrator of his estate. This will was rot aside by order of the Supreme Court and Michael Leydon. of Hawera, was appointed 1 administrator. He paid death duties amounting to £642 8s lOd; hut later was saked to pay £67 4s 4d in-terest-duty which accrued while he was waiting for the decision of ike court. He has petitioned -Parliament, point- , ing out that he was helpless until this I was given and asking for s refund.

Mr 0. J. Hawken had complained of the time wasted in no-confidence motions, and when Mr E. J'. Howard (Labour member for Christchurch South) rose he took up the theme. “Think of the miserable exhibition in this House over - fusion,,” he said. “And of the time wasted. As for noconfidence, may I tell ttys hon; gentleman that every time we speak in this House it is a vote of no-confidence not only in the Government hut in the gentlemen on my right (the Opposition). If we don’t say so, take it as such." * * * *

RAILWAY WORKERS Two requests—that the construction of a railway from Rotorua to the coast be ■ seriously considered, and that preparatory work on the East Coast railway from Taneatua eastward he put. io hand _at once—wore put to the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) as Minister for Public Works yesterday, by a deputation from the Bay' of Plenty Development League. Mr G. H. CSinkard, Mayor of Roto-, rua, said that it was in the interests of, the district that the interior region should he connected by rail with the coast. The 40,000'acres bf forest near Rotorua had no other practicable outlet than such a railway. It was not a branch line, hut one connecting two important railways and a continuation of : the already authorised line to Taupo. - Owing to the differing climatic conditions on the coast and in the interior,'there would be a-continuing interchange of products. . ’ Mr Coates, replying, said'that the Public Works Department ,hhd undertaken this year rather too much, work - and employed rather more men than it should, and-all jobs had had to be curtailed to some extent. Instead of going oil -from Taneatua to; Waimana, which was the first objective, work had to be delayed for fear of slowing proSi on the Waihi-Tauranga section. policy would baye to bd followed until men and plant could ( he transferred from that part of the 'line. In the meantime the -preparatory work, inoluding the preparations for moving the road in the gorge, would be carried on, and men would be transferred as soon as possible. • Regarding. the line from Rotorua, Mm Obates said that there was no possibility of starting it 1 at present. The Government must obtain complete .data of the cost of the line; the probable volume of traffio and earnings, eud its probable developmental'valne. This data would have to be supplied by the Department of Publio Works, Railways and Agriculture, and: would be published in order to show / the country that the line was justified* He did not 'know when'the work would he tackled, as several other proposed lines .were being investigated. It had been - decided already, after comparing road and rail transport costs, that the only economic method of handling-the timber from the forests at Waiotapu would be by. rail. The purpose of such ,a> line would be, first, to carry timber, .and, second, to tap a large area of .land in the Taupo district, 'which could ■ not be profitably developed ; withoht cheap haulage:, ' * # * *

■ “The Dairy Association is a nonpolitioal .body and we don't really care who is in Parliament,” spd Mr F. Waite; during a deputation to the Prime Minister yesterday morning. •Mr Coates: I’m sorry to hear it. We don’t get much encouragement. Hon. W. Nosworthy: They’d better wait till the next one 1 (Laughter).

Sir George Hunter. said in the House yesterday that he wished to know if the Minister had yet received the report that was awaited on agricultural education. There was very great interekt throughout the whole Hawke’s Bay district in regard to this report, probably as it was expected it would affeot the disposition of the proceeds of the Howard estate. He hoped the Minister would he in a position to say he had received the report, v andlthat it would be made public in the immediate futurp.

The Hon. W. Nosworthy said the matter was one which had been referred to' the Board of Agriculture for a report. The report had came to hand, but he had not had time to circulate it among his colleagues, and it would go before Cabinet, shortly, and he hoped to lay it on the table of the House soon. ♦.* * *

The District Courts Abolition Bill was reported to the Legislative Council without amendment from the statutes revision committee yesterday, and it was read a third time and passed. It was introduced to the House and 'read a first time.