PARLIAMENTS WORK

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21807, 12 June 1936, Page 10

PARLIAMENTS WORK

FIFTEEN NEW PUBLIC ACTS PASSED TWELVE IMPORTANT POLICY MEASURES FIRST PART OF THE SESSION ENDED [From Our Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, June 11. After being 12 weeks in session, the House of Representatives has now adjourned so that the future legislative programme may be shaped; but already 15 new public acts have been placed on the statute book of the Dominion. All but three of these can be described as important policy measures. The public acts passed so far this session are as follows; Reserve Bank Amendment Act. Primary Products Marketing Act. State Advances Corporation Act. Government Railways Amendment Act. Employment Promotion Act. Labour Department Amendment Act. Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act. Factories Amendment Act. Shops and Offices Amendment Act. Transport Licensing Amendment Act. Fair Rents Act. Distress and Replevin Amendment Act. Broadcasting Act. Imprest Supply Act. League of Nations Sanctions Regulations Confirmation Act. Effect of Reserve Bank Bill The Reserve Bank Amendment Act handed ov§r to the Government complete control of the currency and credit of the country. The principles for the application of t.hat control have been indicated in the Primary Products Marketing Act and the State Advances Corporation Act. These two measures give effect respettively to the Labour party’s policy of guaranteed prices for dairy products, and more liberal advances to settlers and home builders. In both cases provision is made for finance to be arranged through the Reserve Bank. Under the Marketing Act a Minister for Marketing has been appointed, and a new Department of Marketing established, with power to take over all the dairy products of the Dominion and arrange for their export overseas at a guaranteed return to the producer variable from season to season. The guaranteed price scheme will come into operation on August 1. Power is given under the act for a special dairy industry account to be opened at the Reserve Bank, and credits can be made available for the purchase and marketing of dairy products. The State Advances Corporation Act will enable a remodelling of the New Zealand Mortgage Corporation as an entirely State institution to take over all the Government’s lending activities. Important Amendments Important amendments have been made to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the Shops and Offices Act, and the Factories Act, the main objectives being reductions in the maximum working hours, increases in minimum rates of pay, the fixing of a basic wage, and general concessions to the workers. The reductions in working hours will not take effect until September 1. The rent restriction legislation, which was introduced and passed late in the session, has been described as only a ■ temporary ■ measure. Local and private acts have not bulked very largely during the session to date. Only three local acts—the Napier Harbour Board aftd the Napier Borough Enabling Act, the New Plymouth Land Exchange and Empowering Act, and the Taupin Drainage and River Board Empowering Act—have been passedand the five private acts which have passed both Houses are the Moly?eux Gold Dredging Company (Claims Amalgamation) Act, the Michael Connelly Validation Act, the Thomas George Macarthy Trust Act, the United Wheat Growers Act, and the William George David Brown Trust AcL