PRIME MINISTER’S RESOLUTION CARRIED BY HOUSE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 257, 8 October 1931, Page 5

PRIME MINISTER’S RESOLUTION CARRIED BY HOUSE

* r SEVERAL AMENDMENTS MOVED AND DEFEATED [ Members Express Disappointment With Results i MR. HEALY DECLARES HIS PARTY LET HIM DOWN I Press Association. —Copyright. ; ’ WELLINGTON, To-clay. THE Prime Minister’s resolution calling for approval of the Railway Board’s recommendation for the cessation of work on the Wharanui-Parnassus, the Putorino-Wairoa, and the Te Kuha-Inangahua lines, continued to occupy the attention of members of the House of Representatives throughout the early hours of this morning.

Discussion on Mr. Jordan's amendment, suggesting the resolution should bo referred to the Railways Commit-

tee of the House, was brought to a close at 2.20 a.m., when on a division it was rejected by 43 votes to 22. The division list is: For the Amendment (22): —Armstrong, Atmore, Barnard, Black, Can*, Chapman, Fraser, Tlealy, Hogau, H. E. Holland, Howard, Jordan, Langstone Lysnar, McKeen, Macpherson, Makitanara, W. Nash, O'Brien, Parry, Savage, Semple. Against the Amendment (43): —AnBell, Bitchener, Bodkin, Broadfoot, Burnett, Campbell, Clinkard, Coates, Cobbe, Perrelle, Dickie, Donald, Endean, Field, Forbes, Hamilton, Harris, Hawke, H. Holland, Jones, Jull, Kyle, Linklater, Lye, McDonald, Macmillan, Martin, W. W. Massey, Munns, Murdoch, J. A. Nash, Ngata, Ransom, Rushworth, Stallworthy, Sykes, Ta Tomo, Waite, Ward, Wilkinson, WilJiams, Wright, Young. Continuing the debate on the resolution, Mr. P. Fraser (Labour) said yhen the United Party had attained office it had immediately stopped railjway works commenced by Reform. Both Parties' Proposals Now that both parties were in office they proposed to stop all construction yrork. He accused members of the United Party of a vacillating attitude. Mr. Forbes, replying, said the Government could not disregard the hard jpconomic facts. Construction of railways had been ■justified at a time when the country could have stood the loss they would Involve, but to-day it was necessary to carefully scrutinise every pound of 3xpenditure, Board's Calculations The board had been accused of having taken a pessimistic view, but, he pointed out, it had based its calculations on money being raised at 5 per cent, whereas the Government had had to pay 6J per cent, for tne last Joan. Mr. Forbes contended that if the Labour Party were in office at the present time it would find it wovld have to do the same as now is being proposed. We Would Resign \ Mr. Holland: If we reached the stage when we couldn't give effect to our declared policy we would get off the Treasury benches. Mr. Forbes said he had never \ heard of any Labour Party get- ' 1 ting off the Treasury benches for such a reason. He again referred to the inadvisfebility of expending money on railway construction at the present time. ! Mr. Lysnar: What about Tawa JBlat? Mr. Forbes: We are dealing with lines mentioned in the resolution just How. We will deal with Tawa Flat j Bnd others if necessary later on. Our , business is to cut down unprofitable \ Jworks. Properly For ] Mr. Forbes assured members that

Mr. E. P. Healy moved an amendment to exclude tiie Wharanui-Par-nassus line from the schedule of railways concerning which it was proposed to adopt the board's recommendation not to proceed further with construction work. This was rejected by 40 votes to 24. \ The division list, is: For the amendment (24): —Armstrong, Atmore, Barnard, Black, Carr, Chapman, Fraser, Hawke, Healy, Hogan, H. E. Holland, Howard, Jordan, Langstone, Lysnar, McKeen, Macpherson, Makitanara, W. Nash, O'Brien, Parry, Savage, Semple, Ward. Against the Amendment (40): Ansell, Bitchener, Broadfoot, Burnett, Campbell, Clinkard, Coates, Cobbe, Perrelle, Dickie, Donald, Enuean, Field, Forbes, Hamilton, Harris, H. j Holland, Jones, Jull, Kyle, Linklater, Lye, McDonald, Macmillan, luartin, W. W. Massey, Munns, Murdoch, J. A. Nash, Ngata, Ransom, Rushwortif, Stallworthy, Sykes, Te Tomo,, Waite, Wilkinson, Williams, Wright, loung. Pairs: —For the amendment: McCombs and Sullivan, MacDougall and Mason. Against: Poison and j. N. Massey, Stewart and Fletcher. Mr. K. S. Williams then moved to exclude the Putorino-Wairoa line from the list of undertakings on wnich work is to stop. Mr. Fraser asked that the Mohaka Viaduct should be finished as a gesture of good faith that the line would be finished. The material was on the job. Mr. Coates said Cabinet; had not yet decided how best to preserve the steel girders, which were exposed to the sea air at Tauranga. This question would be decided in the near future. All the material having been paid for, he believed it would be better to leave these lines ship-shape. Mr. O'Brien: The men will whack it.

Mr. Coates: Oh, no; sensible men will not take drastic steps against the country's interest. Mr. Semple: We have memories of the past. Mr. Coates: I know you have; horrible memories; but the men will be sensible and will not do any damage to construction. Mr. Williams' amendment was defeated by 38 votes to 25. An amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition to exclude the Te Kuha-Mangahua line from the schedule was defeated by 40 votes to 22, and the resolution was then adopted by 41 to 24, and reported to the House. Badly Let Down Mr. Healy expressed disappointment with the decision, and said he felt sure the people of Marlborough would realise he had been badly let down by his own party. Mr. Holland said he believed the utmost disappointment and resentment would be felt throughout the whole of the West Coast district at the stoppage of work on the Inanga-hua-Westport line. It had been stated the stoppage was merely a temporary arrangement, but he declared it was really permanent, because the work could not be started again, unless there were a majority vote of both Houses of Parliament, and unless the consent of the board were attained.

Jthe work of construction already carried out would be properly cared for,', jand said no one would be better ■ pleased than he if at a later stage it ] became possible to complete the lines, i It would.be possible to review them lall If economic conditions improved. t He agreed the lines should be com- : pleted if the country eoum afford to t»ear the loss. ( Replying to a point raised by ] JWr. K. S. Williams, Mr. Forbes t said the Government would wel- • come anything like a definite J offer from any responsible private < or public syndicate to carry on t the work of completing the rail- ] jways. .

Into Committee The House went into committee on the resolution at 3.30 a.m. Mr. Holland asked the Prime Minister if he would agree to hold over the question of stopping the railways until after the general election. He said it would be the utmost foolishness to Btop the work when it must be known if an election took place there would almost certainly be big changes. It would simply be adding to the cost if the work on the railways were now stopped, only to be resumed on a new jparty coming into office. Instructions to Engineers Mr, Forbes said instructions had

The Leader of the Opposition said he trusted a definite assurance would be given the workers on the lines affected by the resolution as wed as their wives and families, would not be left in the same plight as had been the case when the work on the Midland and other railways had been stopped. Disappointment with the decision was also expressed by Mr. Lysnar. The House then agreed to the resolution as passed in committee, and the House rose at 5.40 a.m. till 7.30 this evening. (See page six for earlier proceedings.)

been given to engineers to take proper care of the work already carried Out, The question of an election did not enter into consideration. If the Labour Party came into office it would not be any more able to raise money for railway construction than the present Government was. He informed Mr. Holland that he would let him know as soon as it was possible to give the information as to when the general election would take place.