YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25329, 31 October 1947, Page 8

YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON. October 30. The House of Representatives had a busy and varied day to-day. In the afternoon, it discussed two petitions, one concerning the broadcast “How Things Began.” and the other, from the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association, dealing with inflation. In the evening, the main business was the consideration of a series of Customs resolutions. Opposition members strenuously opposed the contention of the Minister (Mr W. Nash) that raising the price of cigarettes and tobacco would necessarily mean a reduction in consumption, and therefore a saving in dollars. The House passed the Customs resolution after a division which the Government won by 38 to 31. Afterwards, four bills were passed py the House. They were the War pensioners and Allowances (Mercantile Manne) Amendment Bill, the War Pensions Amendment Bill, and the Social Security Amendment Bill, all of which were routine measures, giving effect to pensions and social security Increase benefits which had been announced in the Budget and the New Zealand Loans Amendment Bill, which consolidates existing legislation covering the repayment of the public debt.