PARLIAMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18466, 30 January 1922, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

CLOSE OF FRIDAY’S SITTING SEVERAL VOTES PASSED. (Abridged from Press Association Telegram.) WELLINGTON, January 28. During consideration of the Estimates by the House on Friday, and while the railway vote was under discussion, opposition developed towards the proposal to deviate the railway at Palmerston North. Messrs, .FIELD, GLENN, and BDIB protested against the proposal ae an unwarrantable waste of public money. Mr HOLLAND said that no money should be spent on giving Palmerston North a hotter railway while other portions of the dominion had none. Mr MASSEY said this work had been strongly recommended by three experts, and personal inspection had satisfied him that it was necessary, while the Borough Council was pressing for* it to enable it to proceed with certain works which had been approved by the ratepayers. He could not give an assurance that the work would be delayed for a year. Mr FIELD then moved that the vote be reduced by £IOO as an indication that the work should not bo proceeded with. This motion was negatived by 31 to 15. The railway vote (£3,250,000) was passed at 9.15 p.m. The public buildings vole (£379,550) was passed shortly after 11 p.m. A vote of £42,000 for timber supply and sawmills was passed without discussion. Twer.'ty-one thousand pounds was voted for lighthouses and harbour works, after brief discussion. The tourist and health resorts (£25.000) next came under review. The MINISTER, in reply to many applications for extensions and improvements at tourist resorts, informed members that in view of the restricted expenditure it was impossible to grant these requests. In some cases the charges had to be increased to make ends meet. The vote was passed. IMMIGRATION. ’ The Immigration Department vote (£225,000) was then taken. Mr FRASER opposed the item ‘'passage money in payment of reduced fares for nominated immigrants, £190,000,” and an item of £59,000 for payment of the reduced faros of _ other immigrants. He contended that until there were work and homes for the workers more immigrants should not be brought to the dominion. Messrs Parry, Mitchell, Sykes, and Holland adopted a similar line of argument. The MINISTER, in reply, contended that the immigrants coming to .the ''country would not more, than make up for the losses of population incurred by the war. There was not a immigrant who came to the country but what work, housing, and employment were found for liim. There Were 1500 immigrants on the water now, and 15,000 will be sailing in' a few months, all of whom were nominated, and all of whom had employment. Mr FRASER moved that 1 the total vote be reduced by £IOO, as an indication, that the House does not approve of the immi gration policy of the Government. Mr ATMORE said the motion was quite the essence of selfishness. It was our duty to help the people of the Old Country if wei could, and he regretted the narrow outlook shown by the Labour Party, and their failure to 'act up to the professions about the brotherhood of man. The motion pro posed was a disgrace. Mr FRASER retorted that Mr Atmore’s speech was the silliest ever delivered in the House. The real object underlying the ' Government’s immigration policy was to provide cheap labour for employers. \ Replying to Mr Holland, the Hon. W, NOSWORTHY said that he knew nothing of a proposal to bring out from the Old Country mechanics for the New Zealand railways At present the Immigration Department was confining its attention to nominated immigrants. At 1 o’clock a division was taken on Mr Fraser's amendment to reduce the vote, with the result that it was defeated by 31 to 8, and (he vote was passed. . The voters for construction, maintenance, and supervision of roads, £S9,CCO; contingent defence, £17,500; lands improvement, £13,030; irrigation, £85,000; plant, material, and stores,, £176,000; land for settlement, £5000; electric supply, £800,000; and the education lands account, £73,500, werq passed after the briefest discussion. t The House rose at ZSS a.tn.