IN REVIEW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 220, 17 September 1938, Page 16

IN REVIEW.

MANY INNOVATIONS.

NEW ACTS NUMBER 185.

PARLIAMENT'S 810 RECORD

<By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.*

WELLINGTON, this dav

The 2."> th Parliament of New Zealand achieved a legislative programme containing more innovations than any of its predecessors of modern times, but it did not make statistical records with its total of 18.» Acts of all types, including local and private measures. The session just closed was responsible for 24 (iovernment measures, 17 associated with local bodies, and two private Acts, a modest total of 4.'5.

In the session of 1030 following the election of the first Labour Government in New Zealand, nearly every new bill was awaited with intense public interest, because the new Ministry had pledged itself to reverse almost every outstanding policy move of its prcdecesaore. It made an extraordinary record in that session, when 40 Acts were passed. Statutory minimum wage>s were imposed in many classes of employment, the Arbitration Act was given back its compulsory feature*, compulsory trade unionism came into operation, and the 40-hour week, of five days wherever practicable, became the law. Finance. Private capital interests in the Reserve Bank and Mortgage Corporation were removed, with a corresponding change in the policy of these institutions, and finance commenced to loom up in imposing figures, the gross appropriations of "money for the seiviion totalling a record figure, which however was eclipsed in the following session with a £">4,000.000 achievement. But in the final session of the Parliament, higher flights were made, the aggregate of all form# of expenditure approved bein« slightly in excess of 01 millions.

Although the new Government made considerable legislative progress during its first session, it introduced a fairlv heavy programme during the session of 1937, which saw the pacing of the Primary Products Marketing Act—a rounding off of the principle of guaranteed prices in respoct to any of the Dominion's export products which may require the application of the principle. Defence administration was reorganised and more changes made in the labour laws, while the four-year period ' or Parliament, which had o|wrated only once, was replaced by the former triennial system. The session ended with a realisation that only one of the Government* important promi/»es remained to be shaped in Statute form, th-s being the national health and sui>erannuation scheme. Social Security. Completing the programme placed before the country at the election in 1935, the Social Security Bill was the only major measure to come before Parliament during the session which ended yesterday. The legislation has two main objects. In the firat place, it substitute* a eyetem of monetary benefit* on a contributory ba«is for the present system of non-contributory civil pension*. In the second place, the bill makes provision for the inauguration of a system of medical and hospital benefits.

The operation of the Act will lie carried otit under a Social Security Depart- ■ meat, which will replace the Pensions Department, and will possibly absorb certain branches of other Department#. The new Department will be under the control of three commissioners acting under Ministerial direction. The Act was passed after discussions extending over a month. The new law will become operative on April 1, 1939, and ia to be partly financed by a tax of one ■hilling in the pound to be charged on salaries, wages and other income.

Every person over sixteen years of age is required to be registered. The registration lee payable by all persons over sixteen years of age and under twenty is five shillings, while for other persons the fee remains at five shillings a quarter, as contributed to the Employment Promotion Fund at present. This fund, which was established under the Employment Promotion Act, is abolished through the repeal of the Act. Sixteen other enactments dealing with pensions and family allowances are also repealed, and the purposes pf these Statutes will be embraced by the new Department of [ State. ' Borrowing Power*. The returned soldiers were not left out of the new scale of benefits introduced by the Government, the Finance Act containing a clause increasing economic pensions and allowances to war veterans. The Finance Act also empowers the Government to borrow £ 14,500,000, of which £8,000,000 will be spent on Public Works, £4,000,000 on housing, £ 1 ,">OO,OOO on the construction of main highways and £1,000,000 on afforestation. The passing of the Native Housing Act marked one more step along the road towards the Government's jjoal of improving the standards of comfort and living conditions of the people. The King George V. Memorial Act, setting up machinery for the administration of a chain of health camps for children, ensures the wise spending of » fi:nd of £177.000 contributed by the Dominion for that purpose. Bills Enacted. Following is a list of public bills passed:— Agricultural Emergency Regulations Confirmation. Appropriation. • ■ ' Arbitration Amendment. ( arter Observatory. Dairy Industry Amendment. Education: Amendment. • Finance, • « . . . ! Imprest Supply. Imprest Supply (No. 2). King George V. Memorial-Fund! Land and Income Tax (Annual). Local Legislation. ; Municipal Corporations Amendment. Native Housing Amendment. Native Purposes. New Zealand Centennial. New Zealand Council of Law Reporting. Reserves and other Lands Disposal. ; Samoa Amendment. Social Security." 'Stallions.' Statutes Amendment. Stock Amendment. Surveyor*.