Mr. Speaker . . .

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 748, 22 August 1929, Page 1

Mr. Speaker . . .

; Session Queries and j Asides

(The Sc.V'S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Parliament, which is usually quiet ou Wednesdays, members occupying themselves with Ministerial answers to questions, provided a purple patch or so this afternoon, especially when the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hod. Sir Joseph Ward, rose to castigate soundly three Auckland members who had criticised him on the subject of the Morningside (. Auckland 1 tunnel scheme. Then in the evening followed the dramatic situation when the Leader of the Opposition moved his amendment to the Budget which the Prime Minister took as a motion of want-of-confidence, and having persuaded a member to move an adjournment of the debate., moved the adjournment of the House. Notice of Bills Notice to introduce the following Bills was given:—Counties Amendment Bill (the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle); Shops and Offices Amendment Bill and Apprentices Amendment Bill (the Hon. W. A. Veitch); Patent Designs and Trade Marks Amendment Bill (the Hon. T. M. Wilford); Cable Authorisation Bill (the Hon. J. B. Donald), and the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill (the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy). Wonders of the Heavens One who loves the starry places is Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs). He simply hates to see a good telescope go wrong, and asked a question on astronomy in (he House this afternoon. It was addressed to the Minister of Education (the Hon. HAtmore), whom Mr. Mason asked if he had noticed a statement by Mr. G. V. Hudson in the “Dominion” that Wellington College was very fortunate in possessing a first-class fiveinch astronomical telescope, equatorially mounted, in a good observatory, but that at the present time it was condemned to dust and inactivity and if it were true that the telescope was condemned to dust and inactivity: and if the Minister did not believe that a change in the ideals or organisation of his department was required when the wonders of the universe as revealed by astronomy were not allowed to exfcite any interest • • « In response to a question by Mr. A. M. Samuel (Thames), asking for legislation to provide for a refund of motor spirits taxation, in cases where payment has been delayed and the statutory period within which payment must be made has lapsed, the Minister of Transport, the Hon. W A Veitch, replied that the question of providing a certain amount of elasticity to meet cases of hardship caused by applications for refund of the motor spirits duty not having been made within the statutory period, is receiving the attention of the Government, and it is intended to introduce legislation bearing on the subject during the present session. * * * Lyttelton Tunnel Road According to an answer given by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon E. A. Ransom, to Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) no sum will be placed on the estimates this year for carrying out investigation by experts of the tunnel road project between Lyttelton and Christchurch. * • * Farmers’ Excursions Farmers’ excursions on railway*, according to the Minister of Railways, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, are not confined to farmers alone, but can be taken advantage of by farm workers and wives. This explanation was made in answer to a question by Mr. T. D. Burnett (Temuka), who asked for the arrangement of special excursions for farm workers and their wives.