PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 22 October 1930, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

THE RAILWAYS. In the House of Representatives, the whole of yesterday was devoted to the consideration of the report of the Railways Commission and that of the Select Committee on railway eonstruetioji. Much as it had to say upon the tho House did not get further ahead an dealing with them, for nothing practical was done by the end of the da}'. Disappointment was freely expressed . with the report of the Select Committee, which stated that, in view of the j short time at its disposal, it was unable to make any recommendations up- . on the various points it was asked to investigate. This means that nothing at all was done as far as railway construction was concerned, but. three Reform mmebers of the committee later handed a letter to the Acting-Prime Minister, in which they expressed the opinion that ample evidence had been placed before the committee to justify the conclusion that work should be stopped at once on the' Gisborne-Waiko- • kopu, the Wharanui-Parnassus, and the Kawatiri-Inangahua lines. Tho first official intimation of his attitude towards the commission’sjjfcort was given by the Minister of Runways, Hon W. A. Yeith, who opened the d> , bate and moved that the report should be referred to the Government for co*. sideration. Ho stated quite that he did not believe the salvation Ol the railways lay in removing them from political control, and he inferred that he was not in favour of the establish’ment of a board of directors to whie.i : would be given complete power.. The Minister mentioned that the only point . Cabinet had had time to consider was the proposal to increase freight anl other rates, and that the principle had been approved. Shortly after, Mr E. J. Howard, Labour member for Christchurch South, moved an amendment recommending the Government to proceed at once with the preparation of legislation covering the co-ordination and control of all transport services, and expressing the opinion that freight rates, fares and working conditions should not be altered without'the consent of Parliament. t. Approval of the 1 policy of completing the construction of main trunk lines was given by the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr H. E. Holland, who added, however, that the railways had to be regarded from an economic viewpoint. Hje drew attention to the number of men who would be thrown out of work if nothing further "were done on lines under construction, although he admitted that railway works could not be justified merely as a pretext for giving employment. The Leader of the Opposition, ' Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, was fully in agreement with the proposal to establish a board of directors, and he considered that the Government should consider the “depoliticalisation” of the railways at the earliest possible moment. * He moved a further amendment press- , ing for the cessation of work . on the three lines mentioned, substituting this for that part of Mr Howard’s amendment dealing with increased freights. The debate was cut short by the midnight adjournment, and the amende ments were not put. f