PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 14, 16 July 1931, Page 15

PARLIAMENT

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The Houso of Representatives mot' at 2.30 p.m. to-day. , Mr. C. A, Wilkinson (Independent, •Egniont) intends, to ask tho Prime . Minister what stops, if any, tho Governnicnt proposes to H>ko to bring about ■ a ' reciprocal trado arrangement, with Canada; whether tho Government has considered tho advisability of sending a qualified trade delegation to Canada to maet the present unsatisfactory position; and whether it is considered.that • tho Government has exhausted dvery means in its power to bring about an •■■understanding between tho two countries. ■ '" Mr. J. M'Combs (Labour, Lyttclton) intonda to ask tho Minister of Education whether'provision will bo made to unable schools to install roeeiving sets •without payment of licence foes., JO. T. Langstonc (Labour, Wannarin'o) gavo notice to ask the Prime Minister' whether Iho Government 'would investigate the exchange rato with a viow to stabilising the position. 1 He asked whether the exchange rato "was governed by tho law of supply and demand, and whether tho Government would take stops to release tho gold hold in New Zealand for the purposo of rectifying tho situation. • Mr. M'Comlis is to ask the Prime Minister whether tho commit-too- appointed to consider hardship cases in tho Public Service had met yet, and if any casos had been dealt with. Mr. G. 0. Black (Independent, Motuoka) will move for a return showing (a) The names of nil mines supplying coal to tho New Zealand Government Railways; (b) the tonnage supplied by each mino, and cost per ton on trucks to I3io Department; (c) the total quantities imported from Australia for railway purposes, and the landed cost per ton in Now Zealand for such coal. - NO CONFIDENCE AMENDMENT. . Resuming the Addre'ss-in-Beply De- ' bato", the Leader of the Labour Party (Mr.- H. E. Holland), immediately . moved a formal want of confidence , amondment. Mr. Holland said,he wish■ed to draw attention to the fact that in recent times: the people had had only ono opportunity to express them- , selves on the Government's fundamental wage reduction policy. Tho Hauraki by-election had been a crushing' condemnation of that policy. Of ' tho four candidates, all but one were ''definitely pledged against wago 'red-uc-tions. The Government candidate poll-! cd' only about 900 votes and lost 'his deposit. This was about a third of tho vote lie received at the last General Election, when ■■ he had stood for the .Government's policy of standard wages. "Ho admitted that cross-currents had entered into tho contest, but the predominant question was that of wage ■reductions. The Hauraki doctors loft ■ nothing uncertain in tho way they voic- : ed their opinion.

■■Mr. Holland' reft|red to the reductionin interest rates as another crumb from the tablo. .One-half per cent, represented a very slight relief, and anything under 1 per cent, would bo of littlo use to the primary producers. If the banks were not willing to moot the present situation, ■ then the legislative .machine, should bo act in motion to compel them. Money was being withdrawn from industry^and- placed at .fixed deposit. ' -.-'-. .■■...

- Mr. Holland said that he had read the prospectus published in England in respect of the £5,000,000 loan, and considered that it contained several mis-' leading statements.. He .wanted to ■ know why the members were not given • the information. , The 40 per cent, reduction in expenditure included the . stopping of. the East Coast and Midland railways, but did not include the enormous.-: coat that' would be involved through the. mannor in which those -.lilies-had boon''stopped;- There would ■> bo,a.tremendous amount of depreciation '.which would have to be paid for. / The •■lines should never have ''been>;'com---menced if-it was not intended to com- • plete;them./ . •', , ;;. •■ ' ■:.-.. The amazing portion of the prospectus •was that there was an implication that we-had £30,000,000 worth of accumulated surpluses. '• What should be said of a Government which sought to borrow money on statements of thatkind? • It,was clear that tho British Press had beon deceived by the statements made in the prospectus. ■ ; ; .'.'■■... ' (Proceeding.), ■ .. ■