YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24741, 5 December 1945, Page 6

YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) . _ WELLINGTON, December 4. The House of Representatives spent almost all to-day discussing the statutes Amendment Bill, and shortly before midnight had finished consideration of it in committee, with the exception of one clause which -was referred to the Labour Bills Committee. The House then passed the Emergency Regulations Bill after the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. Fraser) had given an assurance that ail emergency regulations were being revoked as quickly as possible. Altogether, he said, 133 regulations had been revoked and 362 in some measure or other Were still in operation. Of actual controls 64 had been revoked and 178 were still in operation. If there were good emergency regulations which should be retained they would be brought forward next session m the form of legislation. Three bills were introduced to-day. One is the Atomic Energy Bill, which provides for Government control. 4 The other two were introduced just before midnight. Minimum Wages The Acting-Minister of Labbur (the Hon. J- OBrlen) said the Minimum Wage Bill established minimum wage rates for adult workers from April 1 next. The rates were on' an hourly basis. 2s 9d for males,, and Is 8d for females, with equivalent payment for piece work. On a. daily basis the rates were £1 2s for males and 13s 4d for females. On a weekly basis the rites were £5 5s for males and £3 3s for females. The bill proyides for underrate workers and apprentices. The Native Minister (the Hon. H G R. Mason) said.the Maori Social and Economic Advancement Bill provided for an organisation to supersede the Maori Councils A*t.

Mr Fraser said the Supplementary Estimates would be introduced to-mor-

row afternoon and discussed in the « the Factories Amendment ha dbeen disposed of in the afternoon. Members had asked for 24 hours tyr fore jhe Superannuation BUI wa s discussed, and he hoped it mtroduced to-morrow. He added that the Finance Bill would take some time. He did not see how the session could finish before Friday afternoon. *