PARLIAMENT

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 19 September 1925, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, September 18. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. CHILD WELFARE. The Child Welfare Bill was reported from the standing committee, without amendments. ARBITRATION BILL. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill was received, from tho House of Representatives. Tho Bill was read a first time, and then referred to the Labour Bills Committee. The Forests Amendment Bill, and the Government Railways Amendment Bill, received from the House, were read a first time. PENSIONS BILL PASSED. The Pensions Amendment Bill was read a second time, and put 'thorugli its final stages unamended. Tho Council adjourned at 3.40 until 2.30 on Mondays. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. TEACHERS’ SUPERANNUATION. Discussing tho position of a number of broken-timo teachers who had petitioned the House for reinstatement in the Teachers’ Superannuation Fund, the Minister of Education said these people left the service to suit their own convenience, remained out for several years, and then applied to corn© hack when it suited their own convenience. It was not merely a matter of dealing with these dozen petitioners, but some 300 teachers left the service every- year, and once the regular superannuation law was broken in favour of the petitioners, they would have a similar position arising annually. The Department had warned him that to grant the prayer of . the petitioners would create a very dangerous precedent. After further discussion, during which several speakers urged; that the petitioners had returned to oblige the Department, when it was short oS? teachers, the report of the Education Committee was referred back to the Committee for further consideration. PUBLIC WORKS. The House then proceeded to discuss the Public Works Statement. Mr G. W. Forbes said the expenditure outlined in the Statement amounted to £7,798,500. The House and the country was getting used to these big figures and huge expenditure, but there was none the less need for care. The attitude taken up by the Government now was that no member who had voted for loans should criticise expenditure, and if they didi so the Ministers went about the country declaring that their opponents were inconsistent. On the basis laid down by the Minister of Lands only Government supporters should have grants for, Public .Works, and no critic should, get any-tiling. He went on to complain of the small amount of money spent by the Hgliways Board in the South Island, which was not getting back a quarter of what it was contributing. South Island)local bodies were chary of borrowing, and therefore had not raised' the large sums necessary for road works under the Highways scheme. On the other hand, in . the North Island local bodies were raising large sums, and were therefore getting large sums from the Highways Board. The policy of the Board was one of borrowing, and was not sound. Large sums contributed by motorists were being piled up as a Highways Fund, instead of being spent -on the' roads. Tho money should be spent by free grants to local bodies, and the Board should not insist upon local bodies contributing £1 for £l. Sir John Luke thought itimperative that a special standing committee or Board shoud be set up to supervise the borrowing of local bodies. Mr D. G. Sullivan defended local bodies against the charge of extravagance made/in the Public Works Statement. They were no. more extravagant than the State. Mr W. D. Lysriar appealed 1 to the Government to expedite completion of the Waikaremoana hydro-electric power scheme. The debate was proceeding when tho HouSe adjourned at 5)30 p.m.

EVENING SESSION.

The House resumed at 7.30 Discussion on the motion to go into Committee on the Public Works Estimates was continued by Messrs Armstrong, Jordan and Sidey. Tho last named explained that tho Minister of Public Works seemed to havo got out of business so far as the South Island was concerned. Only £130,000 was allocated for it this year compared with over a million for tho North Island. Mr R. A. Wright thought tho South Island had alroady received very generous treatment, especially in the matter of railway works. Mr H. E. Holland expressed regret that the Buller Gorge Railway was not beimr pushed along, pointing out that two years ago the Minister had classed this work as one of first importance. Mr J. A. Horn complained that the progress’ of the roa« work in . Otago and°Southlancl had been hold up because local bodies were waiting on tho development of the Highways scheme. He suggested that the local bodies should he able to obtain suhwyjb* R-mni the Main Highways Board to pnn.de them to put works in hand which had been delayed for two years. Mr M. J. Savage objected to tho Government's proposal to establish a Board to supervise local bodies financial projects , ‘ Air J. Edie drew attention to the discrepancy between the allocation of money to the North and the South Islands. Ho also opposed the idea of special supervision of local bodies financial operations. . Mr O. Hawken believed the national svrtem of road administration through the medium of tho Highways Board would he productive of gxflyt good. South Island local bodies had held aloof from borrowing for ronding works, but when the people there realised that piecemeal working was less profitable than mass work with loan moneys, thev would fall' in with tho Government s Hi-diwav’s policy. Air F. Langstono condemned the noliev of" lottinfr Public Works oonfracts to ' privato firms, like AvinsHoiigWliitworth and Co. Our Public A\ nrks (•wincers could carry out work more, cheaply than private contractors. Tl'c debate was carried <m by Moss is Smith (Taranaki), Fluid. H™; ’ Oorrkmn. McKay, Hudson, OBiun, and McTlvride. . . At* 12 38 the Prime Munster rose to ronlv “He denied that Mi-Asters W< in anv way favoured themselves m m matter of votes for roads It was tin merit of the case and .the amount c monev available which influenced allocation of money. (Left sitting.)