ECONOMY INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 285, 28 August 1931, Page 10

ECONOMY INQUIRY

Work of Committee EVIDENCE HEARD Primary Production CURRENCY NEXT WEEK (By our Parliamentary Representative). Keen interest is maintained in the work of the Special Econoiii.c committee drawn iroin au parties in me House, and which is carrynig out a complete investigation into the finances of the nonunion, with the object of finding a solution of present problems. Much evidence was heard yesterday, but no otticial statement of the day’s work was issued when the committee rose. The opinions oi stock and station agents were advanced during the morning by Mr. -W. D. Hunt, and in the afternoon the viewpoint of the sheep-owners concerning the situation was placed before the committee by Mr. H. D. Aeland an, Mr. James Begg. The committee will sit again this morning, and the House will meet during the afternoon only. Saturday will be a free day for the ten members of the committee, but they will reassemble on Monday, and it is the Prime Minister’s belief that the hearing of evidence will not be finished until the end of next week. Banking Opinions. It is expected that representatives of the banks will appear before the committee early next week, and there is every indication that their views will be followed with the keenest attention, especially by those members of the committee who hold strong opinions upon the currency question and who have given voice to their views in the House or. more than one occasion. Currency problems have been occupying an increasing place, in the discussions of Parliament and this has become most-apparent during the present session. For this reason it is likely that no little weight will be attached to the opinions of tne bankers; especially concerning the problem of exchange and the Dominion's re lationship with England, Sitting hours of the House will have to be arranged again , next week in. order to allow the committee ample time to hear the volume of evidence still in . prospect. There is no indication of Labour’s objection to a complete adjournment bavin- been overcome, and it appears that the same arrangement that was followed this week will obtain until the committee’s work is finished. It seems fairly evident, that once the committee enters upon a discussion of the remedial measures to-be-adopted, its members will require -all the time- they can get, and the question of adjourning the House’ 1 for even a short time will 'become pressing. The .opinion .of the Labour members is that apart from the move being misunderstood throughout the country, an adjournment would result in difficulty being experienced in picking up the threads of Parliament’s work. Imprest Supply Bill. Normally an Imprest Supply Bill would have been brought down before the end of this week, but it is understood that finances in hand will enable the Government to carry on until the first week in September. This was one of the. questions brought up at the committee meeting yesterday, and it is reported that the Imprest Bill will be introduced early next week. This will save the House from a long sitting to-night-and also enable many members to spend the week-epd at their homes. There is still ascertain amount of dissatisfaction among some members of the committee concerning the Prime Minister’s attitude over the Budget. Mr.-Forbes said yesterday that the, question of recasting the Budget had not been raised, but that heads of departments had been called before the committee as they had appeared before the Cabinet Economy Committee to justify their estimates and allow the committee to judge the Budget proposals. There seems. little doubt that this point will be gone into more thoroughly at a later stage. The opinion in the lobbies is that if any action is decided upon, it will involve the drafting of a supplementary Budget, and the view at the moment is that little good can be done by pulling the present Budget to pieces and that the end in view can best be attained by introducing fresh proposals. -