BANKS INDEMNITY BILL.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20772, 4 February 1933, Page 19

BANKS INDEMNITY BILL.

REJECTION DEFEATED BY EIGHT VOTES. MEASURE PASSES HOUSE. [From Oun Parliamentary RepoJitjcr.] WELLINGTON, February 3. Party allegiance proved too strong for individual opinion When the crucial division on tho Banks Indemnity Exchange Bill was reached in the House of Eoprosentatives early this morning, and the Government's policy of exchange inflation, to which the Bill gave effect, was endorsed by the unexpectedly large majority of 43 to 35. The division list was as under: — Tor the Bill (43). A usell -K.ylc Bitchoner Linklator Broadfoot Lye Burnett McLeod Campbell Macmillan Clinkard Macphersoii Coates " Massey, J. N. Cobbc Massey, W. W. Connolly Murdoch I)e la i'crrolle Nash, J. A. Dickie Ngata, Sir A. T. Endcan Poison Field Ransom Forbes Rcid Hamilton Samuel Hargcst Smith Hawkc Stuart, A. Healy Sykos Tlcmire To Tonm Holland. 11. Williams Tlolvoake Young J nil" Against the Bill (35). Armstrong Mason Atmore Munro . Barnard W. Bodkin O'Brien f'arr ''arry Chaimian Richards Coleman Rushwortli Eraser Savage Harris Schramm Holland, H. K. Somplo Howard Stallworthy Jones Stewart Langstone Sullivan T jOC . Tirikatcne McCombs Veitch M"l)ougall Wilkinson McKeen _ Wright MeSkimming Although in the later stages it was plain that the Government -would have a comfortable margin, interest in the outcome of the debate did not diminish. Tn the final analysis eight Coalitionists voted with the Labour Party and the Independents, but at least three other Government members who had declared their opposition to the Bill respected their Party tics when the motion was treated as oile of no-confidence. With the exception of Mr Speaker and Mr W. J. Jordan (Lab., Manukau), who is on his way to England, ovory member of the House took part in tho division, and it is interesting to recall that there has not been such a full vote since the Coates Government was defeated in December, 1928, by 30 votes to 28. Keen Public Interest. The Prime Minister's determination to force the pace during the final stages of the debate kept members out of bed all night, for the Government, which had made up its mind to dispose of the Bill before tho week-end, gave no quarter once urgency had been moved on Thursday afternoon. No debate in recent years has captivated the public interest to such an extent, and chiefly because it was common knowledge that the Government stood to lose the support of scvoral of its followers, the galleries were crowded until well after the Prime Minister made his speech shortly before midnight on Thursday. Some even waited until the second reading division was taken in broad daylight. Of the 53 speakers who participated in the second reading debate 27, or over half, were drawn from the Government benches. Opinions were slowly defined during the five days on which the Bill was before the House, and no fewer than eight Government members condemned the move towards exchange inflation. At one stage in the early hours of yesterday morning three Coalition members attacked the Government's policy one after the other, but by 5 o'clock it was evident that the end of the struggle was near, for the House went to a division at that hour on the Labour Party's amendment to refuse the Bill a second reading. This was lost by 47 votes to 31, and three more speeches saw the end of the debato and the removal of all doubts about the passage of tho Bill. Pairs Refused. That the issues at stake were too serious for lobby arrangements was made clear by the Government's refusal to grant a pair for Mr Jordan, who is en route to England on family business. Mr R. McKeen (Lab., Wellington South), who was taken seriously ill on Thursday night, was also refused a pair and came from his home to the House'in response to a telephone message at 6 o'clock in the morning, recording his vote in the lobby but not going into the Chamber. In tho afternoon Mr McKeen wont into a private hospital to undergo an operation. Of the eight Government members who spoke against the high exchange neither Mr H. G. Dickie (C, Patea) nor Mr H. Holland (C, Christchurch North) actually voted against the measure. The eight Government members who voted with Labour were the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Mr A. J. Stallworthy, Mr W. A. Veitch, Mr P. MeSkimming, Mr W. A. Bodkin, Mr E. A. Wright, Mr D. McDoUgall, and Mr A. Harris. They were supported by four Independents— Mr H. M, RUshworth, Mr C. A. Wilkinson, Mr H. Atmore, and Mr E. T. Tirikatenc. The tension of the all-night sitting was considerably relieved when tho House adjourned for breakfast, for even up to the last minute it was not known how some Government members Would vote.

A further opportunity was taken by Labour members to speak on the general principle of the Bill on the short title in Committee, aiid it took three hour* to get past this stage. The remaining clauses went through without difficulty, although several were challenged, and just on 27 hours after the House met on Thursday afternoon the third reading was passed and the Bill put through.

FARMERS EXPRESS PLEASURE. (rBESS ASSOCIATION TELEGiUM.) FISILDING, February 3. A representative meeting of farmers passed a resolution congratulating the Government on raising the exchange level to that of competitors in Australia being convinced that it will benefit the community as a whole, as city people will, benefit by the increased prices for primary produce in more spending power from country districts.