LABOUR'S PROGRAMME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 287, 4 December 1930, Page 26

LABOUR'S PROGRAMME.

NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS ABOLITION OF UPPER HOUSE. MANY ACTS TO BE REPEALED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) . SYDNEY, November 29.

All classes of the community, both in this State and the Commonwealth generally, have- been watching with interest the efforts, which the new Government intends making in order to fulfil its election pledges to the citizens. Particularly has this interest been centred on the means by which Mr. Lang, the Premier, intends to raise money with which : to, carry out his proposals. A fortnight 'ago, when he attended a meeting of' the' Commonwealth Loan Council, lie defied the authority of that body to stop New South Wales from raising money by loan outside of the country by any other channel than the council. The first move by the now Government to give cffect to their mandate from the electors will be the abolition of the Legislative Council. The Leader of 'the Government in the Legislative Council, Mr. A. C. Willis, started the ball rolling on Thursday, when he introduced a motion that leave be given to introduce the Abolition- Bill. This measure will provide for the voluntary abolition of the Chamber. If it is defeated, the Government will ask for a sufficient number of appointments to be made to the Chamber to ensure that the measure is passed. In cffect, the present members of the Chamber arc being asked to die quietly or be slaughtered.

.Moratorium Bill. Other measures forecast in- the Governor's Specch included an amendment of the Landlord and Tenants Act to provide for the more equitable operation of th© laws relating/to collection of arrears of rent from tenants of large blocks of flats. This measure is designed to protect the property of subtenants and lodgers, who have paid rent to' the tenant. Several measures of the previous Government, Jed by Mr. T. R. Bavin, are to ba repealed. Most important is the Forty-eight Hours Act, passed at the beginning of this year. The working hours will revert to ii a week. Bills to repeal the Western Lands Act and to reorganise the Industrial Arbitration Commission will, also be brought forward. One of the main measures which the Lang Government will introduce will be a Moratorium Bill, to give protection to home purchasers and other time-payment purchasers who are now unemployed. Many cases of home purchasers having paid large sums off mortgages over a number of yeare, and then foreclosure being made—thus causing them to lose big sums—have been made known to the Government, and this new measure is designed to give them relief while they are out of work. Vital Proposals Not Revealed.

Although it was mentioned in the Governor's Speech that measures would be placed before the House "directed towards a solution" of financial problems, no indication of their nature was given. It is known, however, that the Government proposes to raise th© pre* sent unemployment tax on wages from 3d in the £ to 1/ in the £. According to the Estimates, this new tax will net close on £6,000,000. Interest centres on how the new Government will obtain money to finance the many new public works, or halfcompleted operations. Many predict higher motor car registration fees and heavier income tax and company imposts. However all New South Wales citizens can do at the moment is to wait and see.