PARLIAMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22392, 13 October 1934, Page 12

PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES .(Per United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, October 12. . The House of Representatives met at 10.30 a.m. ■ * The Acting Minister of Labour (Mr J. Bitchener) gave notice of his intention to introduce the Kent Restriction Bill. Mr D. G.. Sullivan (Avon) was granted five days' leave of absence on account of urgent public business. ] THE ESTIMATES. The House proceeded to discuss the ; Estimates in committee. Mr A. M. Samuel (Thames), on the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement?.account, asked the Government to consider the position of returned sqldiers who had not been able to have a revaluation bo- < cause they had put some of their own capital into their holdings. He thought those men should be placed in the saocM position as those who had put none of their own capital in, but who had, had their valuation reduced 50 per cent. ■The Minister of Lands (Mr E. A. Ransom) said the cases were considered on their merits. The Land Board bad endeavoured- to iassist 'them in every possible way, and the concessions granted had 'been of great assistance, sometimes more beneficial than if the land wefi« revalued. .'.'■'■■' ; Mr A. Stuart (Rangitikci) said Ue Loped the Minister would .give consideration to assisting settlers, as in soniccases men who were shirking their re T sponsibilities were receiving greater consideration from the land boards than! the man who endeavoured to meet all ' responsibilities and was working himself, his'wife, and his children to do so. Mr Ransom said he had to admit there were men who were perhaps less frugal than others, but the department bad to remember that every remission made was a charge on the general taxpayer. He thought some method of overcoming that difficulty might v e found. Mr W. J. Poison (Stratford) said ■ome men were better farmers 'than others. Some soldiers were suffering from physical disabilities that prevented them getting the same from a farm as ethers. Such men, therefore, should receive greater consideration. Mr Stuart agreed that a soldier suffering disabilities should receive greater consideration than perhaps he did receive, but he shoujd receive compensation for his disabilities apart from the farm. His point was that a trier shoul.l receive some consideration, and the shirker should not receive all the assistance. - , The item was passed and the luncheon adjournment intervened. AFTERNOON SESSION The House resumed at 2.30 p.m., when the Railway Estimates were discussed. Members took the opportunity to discuss many matters of particular interest to their own electorates. Mr .Forbes, replying, said it;-was the policy of the_ railways to use New Zealand coai wherever possible. Now it was using 100 per cent. New Zealand coal. Much Jiad been done in recent years by the erection of signals to eliminate dangers at railway crossings, but it was not possible to provide ramps at every crossing. A duty lay on local bodies in that matter to take some action, but, the department was doing what it could. Several members referred to the high charge for meals in railway refreshment rooms, and also to the low wage paid to engine drivers. Mr A. E. Ansell (Chalmers) suggested that tHe Highways Board and the Railways Board should share the responsibility with respect to railway crossings. He thought the share that should be borne by local bodies should be very small. Messrs W. Nash "(Hutt), E. Jones (Dunedin South), A. E. Ansell.and W. H. Fjeld (Otaki) asked why Auckland suburban fares should be lower than those charged in other parts of New Zealand. They considered that every inducement should be given to people to live away from the cities. The suggestion that the age for halffares should be increased from-12 years to 14 years was made by Mr W. J. Jordan (Manukau), and "Messrs Jones and A. J. Stallwortby (Eden) urged that the half-fare age should be raised to 16 and the free age to five«years. Mr Forbes, replying, eaid the attir tude taken up by the Railways Board regarding children's fares was the same attitude that, had always been taken up; that was, that a child took up a seat that could be taken up by someone paying the full fare, but he would go into the matter with the board and see if any further concession could be given. > Progress was reported and the House rose at 5.10 p.m. The following departmental accounts were passed ttf-day:—Discharged Sop diers* Settlement Account, £57,000; Land for Settlement Account, £3454; Railways, £5,380,940; .State Forest, £114,241; Valuation, £9GiOOO; Electoral, £5262; Crown Law, £5434; Public Service Commissioner's Office, £4788; Public Trustee, £261,641.