PARLIAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 21197, 25 September 1930, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY’S SESSION CONSIDERATION OF THE ESTIMATES SEVERAL VOTES PASSED (Abridged from Press Association Message.) Wellington, September '24. The committee stage of the Nurses’ and Midwives’ Registration Amendment Bill was completed in the Mouse of Representatives in the early hours of this morning, and the third reading carried. The House rose at 2.7 a.m. till 2.30 p.m. Replying to Mr H. T. Armstrong (L., Christchurch East) when the House resumed in the afternoon, the acting-Prime Minister (the HON. E. A. RANSOM) said that the Workers’ Compensation Bill had not yet been before Cabinet. It. would be considered by Cabinet, shortly after which he would be able to inform members when the Bill would be placed before the House. Rental Value of Crown Leases. MR J. A. YOUNG (R., Hamilton), a sked whether there was a prospect of legislation being introduced this session ■ providing that in ■ cases where the rental value of Crown leases was reduced, such reduced value would apply for freeholding purposes. MR RANSOM replied that it was intended to include in the Land Laws Amendment Bill this session a clause which would meet the position. The New Zealand Institute Amendment Bill (Mr Ransom) was introduced and read a first time. Working Railways Account. The House then went, into Committee of Supply and consideration of the vote of £6,378,003 for the Working Railways Account was resumed. Replying to questions raised by members, the HON. W. A. VEITCH eaid that Garratt engines were still in the experimental stage. A great deal of money had been expended on them and he would not like to take the responsibility of scrapping them. In view of this circumstance an earnest endeavour was being made to make them successful. With regard to Diesel engines, an officer who had been sent abroad had reported that they, too, were in the experimental stage and it would not be advisable at the present time to expend a great deal of money on them. This advice had been Replying to Mr W. 11. Field (R., Otaki), MR VEITCH stated that the question of electrification of the line from Wellington to Paekakariki was under consideration. Alternative schemes were also being considered, and he hoped that it would be possible shortly to reach a decision on the point. Every factor would be taken into consideration and it was intended to adopt the method that would be the most economical and at. the same time would render the greatest services to travellers by that route. . Warning Devices at Crossings. Replying to Mr A. E. Ansell (R., Chalmers), MR VEITCH stated that the greatest attention was being given to warning devices at railway crossings. MR J. A. NASH (R., Palmerston) asked what the Minister intended to do to meet the situation created as the result of the decision not to go on with the Palmerston North railway deviation. He asked what provision was to be made in relation to the eleven crossings in the city. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. and resumed at 7.30. MR VEITCH, replying to Mr Nash, said that attention was being given to the provision of warning signals at Palmerston North railway crossings. The estimate was passed. Labour Department Vote. Consideration of the vote of £56,871 for the Labour Department was resumed. An amendment moved by Mr H. E. Holland when the estimate was previously under consideration calling for a reduction of the vote by £lO as a protest against the estimate being submitted to the House before the report of the Department was presented, was defeated on the voices. MR R. McKEEN (L., Wellington South) expressed the opinion that there were insufficient inspectors in the Labour Department to ensure that the awards were being efficiently carried out. MR A. M. SAMUEL (R, Ohinemuri) asked the Government, to make an immediate effort to grapple more effectively with the unemployment problem. MR D. G. SULLIVAN (L., Avon) urged .that the Government should treat unemployment as the paramount problem of the day. It r should give the special Unemployment Committee every opportunity to present its recommendations to the House without delay and it should lose no time in bringing those recommendations into operation. The HON. S. G. SMITH said that during the short period he had been Minister, he had looked into a large number of cases in which it was claimed there had been breaches of the award. In many instances, it had happened that there was difficulty to get evidence to support such complaints. Replying to Mr Samuel, he said that the Labour Department was only the recording office for the unemployed. It could not create work for men. With reference to the point raised by Mr Sullivan he said that the matter of the special Unemployment Committee’s interim reports etc., was one for the Leader of the House.

MR M. J. SAVAGE (L., Auckland West) moved that the sum be reduced by £5 as an indication that definite proposals for the employment of all those willing to work should be brought before the House before Parliament rises. He could see nothing in the amendment that could not be supported by members. Unemployment demanded the most earnest attention from everyone and he was prepared to do anything except admit that the position was hopeless. Amendment Not Justified. MR SMITH said that the solution of the unemployment problem was not a matter for the Labour Department. There was no justification for the amendment before the House. He mentioned that in his own district of New Plymouth all public bodies were co-operating to deal with the problem and the result was that there were only 41 men out of work. As an indication of the earnestness with which the Government was tackling the problem he said that over 4,000 men had been placed on road works on September 20. Labour members: How many were put off? The Minister said that 100 men left of their own accord last week to go to relief works. MR W. D. LYSNAR (R., Gisborne) said that he could not congratulate the Labour Party on the amendment. The unemployment problem should be faced in a different spirit. MR SAVAGE explained that the amendment was not intended as an attack on the Government. It simply sought an expression of opinion from the House. Mr Savage’s amendment was rejected by 37 votes to 27 and the vote was passed. DIVISION LIST. For (27). Against (37). A. E. Ansell H. Atmore H. T. Armstrong W. J. Broadfoot W. E. Barnard - T. D. Burnett C. J. Carr C. H. Clinkard C. H. Chapman J. G. Cobbe J. S. Fletcher., P. A. de la Perrelle P. Fraser J. B. Donald A W. Hall W. Endean IL E. Holland ' W. H. Field

E. J. Howard A. Hamilton W. J. Jordan A. Harris H. S. S. Kyle R. W. Hawke F. Langstone E. F. Healy J. McCombs J. T. Hogan R. McKeen 11. Holland W. L. Martin J. Linklater H. G. R. Mason F. Lye J. W. Munro W. D. Lysnar W. Nash. T. W. McDonald .1. O’Brien D. McDougall W. E. Parry J. A. Macpherson A. M. Samuel T. Makitanara M. J. Savage G. C. Munns R. Semple A. J. Murdoch D. G. Sullivan J. A. Nash F. Waite Sir A. Ngata R. A. Wright W. J. Polson E. A. Ransom H. M. Ruehworth S. G. Smith A. J. Stallworthy W. D. Stewart W. B. Taverner W. A. Veitch C. A. Wilkinson K. S. Williams J. A. Young When the estimate of ■ £279,400 for the Department of Internal Affairs was under consideration the HON. P. A. DE LA PERRELLE, replying to Mr Fraser, said that regulations dealing with the censorship of picture posters would be gazetted next week. 1 MR D. JONES (R., Mid-Canterbury) stated that during his visit to England it had been a matter for comment that he had not been invited to certain public functions. He had called upon the High Commissioner but he had received no invitation to any entertainment. MR PARRY said he thought that there should be some explanation in a case where a member of the House made a definite statement of the kind. MR PERRELLE said he ’’regretted the treatment that had been meted out to Mr Jones. He would make representations to the High Commissioner on the subject. The Internal Affairs Estimate was passed. (Left sitting at 2 a.m.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. tp-day. The Nurses’ and Midwives’ Registration Amendment Bill was received from the House of Representatives and read a first time. ■ i The Magistrate’s Court’s Amendment Bill was put through committee and passed.