The Press TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1934. The Session

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21320, 13 November 1934, Page 10

The Press TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1934. The Session

After a burst of legislative activity remarkable even for the depression period, Parliament has been adjourned till February. Everyone will be glad of the break, members because they have been worked very hard in the last few weeks and the public because it needs time to reflect upon what has been done. Its reflections will necessarily be varied. The budget and the various financial measures show that, for the first time in at least six years, there has been an improvement in the national finances. As yet little of the improvement has been passed on to the public. Pensions and public service salaries have been slightly increased; and taxpayers have had to be content with a few pence off the wages tax. Nevertheless, there will be fairly general agreement that the Government was wise to wait for another year before making substantial concessions to those who have borne, either through salary cuts or increased taxation, the burden imposed by the shrinkage in the national revenue. Of the remaining important measures, one other will command general approval; and that is the Companies (Special Investigations) Act. The two reports of the Companies Commission revealed practices which shocked public opinion; and the speed and efficiency with which Parliament dealt with the very difficult situation created constitute the most creditable achievement of the session. On the other important measures only provisional judgments can be formed. [The Customs Amendment Act, as the Minister himself frankly admitted, is an experiment. The downward revision of the tariff has been made in the expectation that the volume of New Zealand's external trade will before very long return to the pre-depression level. If that ; expectation is disappointed, the Government will have no option bit 1 ; to offer more substantial encouragement through the tariff to domestic secondary industries. The most questioned and the most questionable measure of the session has, of course, been the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Act. That drastic reorganisation of the dairy industry was necessary, and that reorganisation could only be accomplished by an unprecedented degree of government interference, was recognised before the session began. Even so. the first draft of the Government's [proposals aroused much criticism. It was held that the powers sought for the proposed Executive Commission of Agriculture were wider than was necessary to deal with tho problems of the dairy industry and that the commission itself was not sufficiently accountable for it:; actions. In consequence of this criticism the measure was substantially modified; though even as it stands there is clearly wide scope for arbitrary action. It is, however, unwise to form judgments in advance. The success or failure of the act will be determined, not by its provisions, but by the wisdom and tact of those appointed to administer it. The most notable political event was the resignation, regrettable but inevitable, of the Minister for Native Affairs. Though the personal side of the incident is best forgotten, its general lesson is one which Parliament should take to heart. The administralive experiments made necessary by the depression have resulted in some relaxation of the ordinary checks on the expenditure of public funds. JThe report of the Native Affairs Commission lias shown just how dangerous such a relaxation can be. If Parliament is wise it will in future take very seriously its constitutional right to guard the public purse.