PARLIAMENTS WORK

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 286, 29 August 1931, Page 8

PARLIAMENTS WORK

Postponing Election? LEADERS’ STATEMENTS Two Important Points . \ TIME FOR REHABILITATION < \By Our Parliamentary Representative) Practically the whole of yesterday afternoon’s sitting of the House oi >. I Representatives was devoted to consideration of the Licensing Poll Post- * ponement Bill, /whose object is to ratify the Government's decision to put off the poll this year In accordant* with the wishes of the New Zealand Affiance and the Honor trade* A fair amount of interest' wm shown in the proposal, but the . sitting gained its chief importance from » discussion upon the possibility of extenting the life “J*?,® present Parliament from which emerged several highly interesting statements, (There was not a very full attendance in ’ the Chamber during the early part of J* 18 afternoon, but it was “nS eta? question of postponing the general election M well as the licensing poll had been raised, that almost every nled. There was keen, interest in the two Important points which were clarified, ami which members have sought definite information for some t»me<, . In the first place the Primo Minister, nt Ron, G. WZ Forbes, reaffirmed in definite terms bls opinion that the’ would have to be postponed if the work of the Economic Committee were to be brought to fruition, and he made a Mint of the fact that 1/ this were to be done the formation of a National Government would have to be effected. Pressed for an explanation of. the Reform Party’s viewpoint, the Leader of the ’ Opposition, Rt. Ron. i G. Coates said ■ he would consider the question of prolonging the life of the Parliament in the light of the report of the Economic Committee. Mr, Coates added significantly that if a definite plan for the rehabilitation ' of the country were decided upon, it would have to be seen through, thus inferring ' thata general election, with its consequent disruption of the work of the House, would have to be avoided. In contrast with these statements, the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, once again said his party wotLd not agree to a postponement of the election in any circumstances. . Ten minutes was occupied toward tun end of the sitting in the passing Of the Finance Bill No. 3, which extends the provisions of the Act of last year relating to the use oLhighwaya finance. The .inquiry into thia question which was promised by the Prime Minister, has not been ocfflrpleted, and the additional time Will no doubt allow some headway to a M The House rose at 5-30 p.m. until 7.du p.m. on Tuesday.

radio legislation v No Information Yet ■ \ ■ - • ■ J - J* UMuecesrfnl effort to obtain from th* Hom L BDonald. an assurance as to when the broadcasting legislation win be brought 1 down was made by Mr. R. Semple Wellington East) in an urgent' question put to th* Minister when the House met yesterday afternoon. The matter of radio broadcasting is still under consideration and It is impossible to give the assurance asked for,” said Mr. Donald. LICENSING ISSUE No Poll This Year HOUSE PASSES BILL Practically the Whole afternoon was spent Upon the Incensing Poll Postponement BHI, validating the Governments decision to put off the poll this year. In th* original Bill it was proposed that a poll should not be taken before December, 1933, but an amendment was inserted on the motion, of the Prime Minister yesterday providing that there should not be a poll until the first general election after the passing of the Bill. This gave nse toranch discussion,-members expressing the opinion that the amendment had obviously been drawn up with an eye toward . a possible extension of the life of Parliament. . ™ The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said the suggestion that the poll should be postponed had come from the New Zealand Alliance. Mr. B, J. Howard (Lab,, Christchurch South): The half-dozen of them. ' Mr. Forbes expressed the Government’s appreciation of the action taken by the Alliance. The question was most controversial, and it was one which the Alliance had been fighting for many years, so that one could understand that some sacrifice had been made in agreeing that the poll should be put off. The decision had been made in view of the exceptional economic circumstances, and the Alliance had been impelled to make the move it did . for no other reason. Mr. Howard: All six of them approved Prime Minister said the decision ! was endorsed by the Licensed Victuallers Association. A good deal of expense would be saved, not only to the Government, but also to the organisations concerned. ™ Mr. F. Langstone (Lab., Waimanno): Will any of that money go to the Prohibitionist Party? ' The Prime Minister said that any money spent in the campaign came out of the pockets of the people interested, and it was desired by the Government that as much expense’ as possible should be avoided .as far as the general public was concerned. A deputation had recently waited upon him from the Invercargill Restoration League, which had made all preparations for. the campaign ■ and which had already spent considerable sums of money. However, When the cireumstances had been explained the league agreed to withdraw its opposition to the postponement of the poll. It had made considerable sacrifices and its altitude had to be admired. It was very encouraging to find’such public-mindedness at a time when every possible saving was required. The Right to Vote. The Bill was strongly opposed by Mr. J. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton). “I remember with what burning words the late Mr, T, E. Taylor used to describe the many wrongs which' had been inflicted on the democracy to serve the financial interests Of this vicious monopoly,” Mr. McCombs said. “lie is not here to-day to raise his - voice against this great betrayal, but his widow sends this message, that, the people’s right to vote on tho licensing, question, which has been sb dearly bought, should not be lightly set aside." That was not only the message of Mrs. T. E. Taylor—it was the message of 8000 women belonging to the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, which organisation was primarily responsible for the enfranchisement of the women of New Zealand—the first women to be enfranchised in the British Empire. The Bill meant K partial disenfranchisement of the whole M the people of the Dominion and might easily lead to further disenfranchisement. Everyone knew what happened in the second main session of. this Par’.ament. The licensing law provided that if I armament dissolved within two years there no licensing poll' Therefore jthe

trade's representatives did their best to destroy the Government in 1930 and thus shorten the life of this Parliament. During the 1930 session the precincts of Parliament were infested with the trade’s representatives continually hutton-holing members. ‘‘Governments and Parliaments and the rights of the people mattered not so long as the financial interests of the trade could be served,” Mr. McCombs declared. Having failed to secure a five-year period between the polls, the trade next turned its attention to extending the life of this Parliament, he continued. Now there was a proposal to make it six years between the polls, and when the House went into committee there would be > further amendment proposed which would secure that if Parliament did extend its life to five years there would be no licensing poll for eight years. Whichever way the trade gained its ends, certain political party funds would be benefited. The wealth and influence of the trade was and always had been a menace to Parliamentary government. Apart altogether from the question of prohibition it was desirable that in the very best interests of the people, the people should have the right periodically to pass judgment on the conduct of the tr The exercise of that right had a salutary influence. Many wild statements concerning the cost of the poll had been made, The cost to thy State would not exceed £12,000, every penny of which would be spent in the Dominion. Printers would get some of this expenditure, but most of the money would be spent on returning officers and poll clerks, thus relieving some of the unemployed clerks, both men and women. The big expenditure would be by the trade, and this also would give employment. The prohibitionists would have little to spend. Mr. McCombs then moved as an amendment that the Bill should be .referred to the Special Economic Committee for consideration and report, Alliance In Agreement. The Prime Minister said immediately that he could not accept the amendment, expressing the opinion that there was no need for the Bill to go before the committee. The question had always been looked upon as a non-party issue, and there was no reason to alter that state of affairs now. Eleven out of the 12 areas controlled by the New Zealand Alliance had agreed to the Bill, and the member for Lyttelton could rest assured that there was a widespread feeling throughout the country in favour of the postponement of the poll. . ■ Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Lab., Avon) said the question to be settled at the licensing poll was of vast importance to every man, woman and child in the Dominion, By what authority did the executives of two. organisations come together to doprive, the whole of the electors of the right'to exercise their judgment? Members who'had given pledges could not be absolved from those pledges because half a dozen people decided to change their minds. The position of the alliance in the matter was most illogical. Mr. J. T. Hogan (Ind., Rnngitiltei) considered that the Bill should be held ov.er until such time as it was decided whether the general election was to -be held this year or not. The cost of the licensing poll was a mere circumstance when compared with the cost of a general election. By dealing With the licencing proposal first they were putting the cart before the horse. The correct -attitude was to wait for the report Of the National Committee, to see what was going to be done in respect to the general election. 1 “Purely Political Question.” Mr. W; Nash (Lab., Hutt) supported the amendment, which, he eaid, Was entirely in acdoyd with the reasons given by the Prime Minister for the appearance of the Bill. The Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, said he would not be a party to referring what was purely a political question to the Economic Committee. . ■ ’ . ' , . The amendment was defeated-- by-58 votes toll. The voting'was’as follows: FOr the amendment (11): Burnett, Hogan, Howard, Jordan, Langstons. McCombs, Mairtin,. Mason, MdnrO, W. Nash, Sullivan. ' . - L Against the amendment (58): Ansell, Armstrong, Atmore, Bltcheflar. Black, Bodkin, Broadfoot, Chapman, Clinkard, Coates, Cobbe, de la Perrglle, Dickie, Ronald, Endean, Field, Forbes, Fraser, Hamilton, Harris, Hawke, Healy, Henare. H. Holland, H. E. Holland, Jones, Jull, Kyle, Linklater, Lye, Lysnar, McDougall, Macmillan. Macpherson, Makitanara, J. N. Massey, Munns, Murdoch, J. A. Nash, Ngata, O’Brien, Parry, POlsort. Ransom, Samuel, Savage. Semple, Smith, " Stallworthy, Stewart. Sykes, Taverner. Te Tqmo, Veitch, Waite, Ward, Wilkinson, Young. Pairs: For, R. A. Wright; against, McDonald. The Bill was read a second time. General Election Issue. Replying in Committee to a question by Mr, J. A. Young (Ref., Hamilton), the Prime Minister said his amendment embodied the views of both the parties interested in the licensing issue. The alteration involved in the amendment had been considered ,by representatives ,of both sides arid they had agreed to it. Mr. W. Nash suggested that the difficulty could be surmounted by statingun the amendment that the referendum would be taken in* 1934 if it wore not held before then. “If the question of postponing the general election is still in the air,” said Mr.- Nash, “why. not decide this matter of the licensing poll at the same’ time? f ' - - Mr. Hogan: I have already suggested that. Mr. Nash: We should hold this matter over until the question of postponing the general election has to be decided. The two questions should be settled together. An amendment was moved by Mr. F. Langstone (Lab., Waimarino), to amend the Licensing Act so as to enable newspapers, whether published inside or out oit no-license districts, to publish liquor advertisements without'being deemed to ba soliciting orders for liquor. The Prime Minister said tile Bill had been brought down for a specific object. There were a good many anomalies in the Licensing Act, but they could only be dealt with by .a general amending Bill. Mr. Langstone’s amendment was defeated by 39 votes to 22. - The Bill was read a third time and passed.

HIGHWAYS FINANCE Extension of Act The provisions ot the Finance Act, 1930, relating to highways finance, have been extended for another year by the passing of the Finance Bill, No. 3, by the House. yesterday. Ordinarily the 'section would have expired at the end of this month, the decision to make it operative for a year only being made by the Prime Minister last year, when lie promised that a complete investigation into highways finance would be carried out. .... , , Under the 1930 Act subsidies to local bodies in respect of their general rates, amounting annually to £310,000, were made payable from the Maili Highways Revenue Account instead of from the Consolidated Fund. This was operative until August 31 of this year, and the new legislation extends the provisions for a further year. In moving the second reading the Prime Minister stated that he had submitted the question to the committee on highways finance, which had passed a resolution in favour of tbe present system continuing. A protest against the legislation was made by Mr. E. A.. Ansell (Kef.. Chalmers). “It is to the primary producer, he said “that we look for national restoration, and under this system of relieving the Consolidated Fund he is not able to get the assistance he should from the highways fund. The primary producers should receive every assistance possible and take precedence, over the general taxpayers. They should receive extra assistance at a time like this instead of the general taxpayers being relieved. That is the attitude I have consistently maintained, and I take up that attitude again to-day.” • i ■The-Bill was put through all stages and passed without lurthex discussion.

NEXT ELECTION

•Party Attitudes PUTTING OFF THE POLL Reform Leader’s Statement i s ! r Empty seats were quickly filled during the debate on th? Licensing Poll Amendment Bill when the question of the extension of the life of the present Parliament received unexpected attention. Two outstanding facts were presented during the discussion. One was that the Prime Minister was anxious to have the election postponed in order that the affairs of the country might be handled by a National Government, and the other was that the Leader of the Opposition Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Will be prepared to support the postponement of, the election it the decisions of the Special Economic Committee show that such a course is in the best interests of the country. The issue was raised over certain amendments moved by Mr. Forbes, who explained that, as proposed, the licensing poll would be held at the second general election after the passing of the Act. Mr. E. J. Howard (Lab., Christchurch South) : Supposing the election is postHarris (Ref-, Waitemata): That might mean an elght-year interval. Mr. Forbes: No, the first election will be held in a few weeks’ time. .. . - Reform Members: A few months’ time. Mr. Forbes: Well, this year, anyway. Mr. H. E. Holland: That sounds ominOt *Mr. Forbes: Well, of course, if a dissolution takes place the position will not be altered. , Mr. D. Jones (Ref., Mid-Cantefbury): The Prime Minister says there will be a general election ' in the ordinary course.-• * , , _ ■ The Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Apirana Ngata, and the Minister of Transport, Hon. W. A. Veitch (together): It may. „ „ Mr, Jones: It may? Oh, well, some of the Ministers now say it may. That Appears to ’ be the whole quest!on, I think it was tho assumption of the members, when discussing this. Bill, that there should be a general election shortly. Labour Voices: Hear, hear,. Mr. Jones: But now we find all sorts of doubts floating around the United benches, and the Word “may” has now come into it. Before we. decide to go further the House wants to know what will happen if tfie Government succeeds in postponing the general election for two years. ~ ' . - Mr. H. T., Armstrong (Lab., Christchurch East) : That depends upon you. Mr. Jones: I would give my decision in a moment. This is not a question that can be left to a later period. It must be decided now. When the Minister of Native Affairs says “may,” has he been talking to the other members Of Cabinet and discussed their intentions? Mr. A. M, Samuel (Ref,, Thames): Cabinet cannot do it. Mr. Jones: No, the Government may Ke defeated in the House. But we Want to know the intention <A this Bill, Parliament to Decide. The Prime Minister said the position was quite clear. The question of any postponement of the general election was purely in the hands of Parliament itself. He declined to comment upon the matters which were being discussed before the Special Economic i Committee, and declared that the whole licensing question could again be discussed after the general election, the. date of which would be determined by the House. ,< “I do not want ta be charged with failure to carry out the intentions of those who asked for this Bill,” Mr. Forbes ° Air.. J. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton): One has-a feeling that th* Government would like to postpone the general elec-' tion and prolong the life of this Parliament, but the Prime. Minister will not get up and say definitely :> “I, as Prime Minister, eon say on behalf of the Government, I am opposed to this course.” He, says Parliament will decide. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Ind., Egmont): So it Will. , , , Mr. McCombs: Yes—under the leadership of the Government. But the Prime Minister is not prepared to say whether he will give that leadership or not,' We know the overtures that have lately been made to members of the House and to the Government asking for an extension of the life of . Parliament, and if the Bill We are noW discussing is passed the trade will have served its ends in securing perhaps an eight-year interval between licensing polls, ■■ , Mr. H. E. Holland Said that in discussing the Bill he assumed that the general election was to be \ held at the usual time. ’ He thought the Prime Minister should give his assurance upon this fact. ' There could be no postponement of the election unless the Reform Party chose, however. Reform Voices: And the Labour Party. Labour Will Not Agree. Mr.’Holland: The Labour Party will not agree to a postponement of the general election in any circumstances whatsoever. Mr. Samuel: No matter what the country thinks? Another Reform Voice: Is that definite? Mr. Holland: Yes; that is definite. The country does not want a postponement of the general election. It would be the greatest disaster that ever happened in this country. There is no proposal before the House to postpone it. There is a committee sitting to deal with the problems confronting New Zealand and it is. more important that this committee should continue its work than that we should set up a wrangle as to whether the election should be postponed or not. I am approaching this Bill on the assumption that the election will take place. If the Prime Minister has anything else in mind tiie House has a right to hear about it. A postponement of the ( election would be a breach of faith to the electors of the Dominion. The Prime Minister says it is in members’ hands. Well, so far as they join.with the Labour Party in watching the welfare of the people,' there will be no postponement. _• Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Lab., Avon) said it rested with the prohibitionist members of the House to have a say in the postponement of the election. If they did not want that course to be adopted they could throw their weight in with those who opposed the extension of the lite oi Parliament. , „ L l , Mr. Jones said the Government had definitely said that it wanted an extension of the life of Parliament. The Prime Minister: No. I will tell you what I said. Clear Statement Wanted. , :. Mr. Jones said the Prime Minister was fairly definite when the Economic Committee was set up, that he considered the life of Parliament should be extended. He asked that a clear statement of the Government’s position should be made. At present the House was not sure where the Prime Minister really stood on the question, and that being so it could, not sen the Bill put through while there was uncertainty as to just how long the licensing poll might be put off. Mr. Forbes said he could not see that there was anv uncertainty in the chamber. When tiio Economic Committee' was proposed he had said that the problems facing the country were so serious that tile only possible way to deal With them effectively was to set up a National Government, for the simple reason that it was not in the power of a minority Government to handle the position adequately. If a National Government were formed the extension of the life of the present Parliament would have to be considered. Mr. Jones: That is what I sain. Tiie Minister of Labour: Hon. 8, G. Smith: You did not say that. The Prime Minister said that if the problems of tiie primary producer were as serious as was slated, then they’should be prepared to set aside all considerations that might prevent Parliament from get-

ting down to a real aolution. He believed that the position was sufficiently serious for the House to throw aside any consideration of the general election or of anything else. However, the question was entirely one for the House, If members had made up their mind that the election was to be held, then he could do no more. He did not want to shirk the election. His party had been preparing for it, and it had never been better prepared than it was at the moment. The charge would be made immediately the election were put off that the Government was evading the election, but this was certainly not so. Mr, Jones said he had never expressed the opinion that the election should bs put oft; he had merely asked the Prime Minister for his view of the question. Mr. Smith: You said the Prime Minister said it should be put off. Mr, Jones Said he had said the Prime Minister indicated that the election should be put Off, and he had certainly confirmed that view now. Mr. Sullivan said the Leader of the Opposition, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, could render a service to the House and to the country by indicating where his party stood on the question Of postponing the election. If the Reform Party was of the same opinion as the Labour Party, there would be an election. Mr. Coates had it in his power to clear up the position. If the Leader Of the Opposition would not speak, they might perhaps hear from the member for Dunedin West, Hon. W. Downie Stewart, who, it was rumoured, was anxious to occupy a very high place in the House and secure a compromise between the present two leaders. Mr. Coates’s Attitude. “It gives me much pleasure to comply with the request of the member for Avon,” said Mr. Coates, "I will endeavour to satisfy him. He has asked a very important question. May I say that everything in my mind depends at the moment upon the findings of the Economic Committee and the support that the Labour Party gives to the findings. If we can agree, so much the better. If the plan that comes from that committee is in Our opinion the right one, then I think we have got to live up to it. If, In the opinion of the Labour, Reform, and United Parties, it is the right thing, we have got to see it through.” ' Mr. W. E. Parry (Lab., Auckland Central) : How can you see it through? “We are there, J take it, as representatives of our parties,” Mr. Coates went on, "and I only assume that our parties will support us if we can come out with soine definite scheme that will rehabilitate the country.” Mr. Parry: How do you propose to carry that out? Mr. Coates: I do not see how we can jump our hurdles until we come to them. Mr. Langstone: You will be lucky if you jump them, then. ■ Mr.' P. Fraser. (Lab., Wellington Central) asked Mr. Coates whether he was prepared to consider the postponement of the general election in the light of the report of the Economic Committee. Mr. Coates nodded and said “Yes.’ With that the question lapsed.

TRADING- COUPONS Support for Bill The wholesale and retail traders of Christchurch have now added their protest against the continuance of trading, gift schemes of any nature. A petition signed by 301 Christchurch wholesale and retail firms was presented to the House yesterday by . Mr. H. Holland (Ref., Christchurch North). The petitioners stated that they regarded the Trading Coupons Bill redrafted in such a manner as to prohibit gifts of any kind (other than the usual cash discounts) in addition to the main article purchased, as.-Wise and beneficial legislation'. They expressed the belief that it would be in the best interests of the wholes saler, retailer, consumer, and general public. and urged.that .the'Bill be submitted ,'to the House in that form.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Photographs of Accused PUBLICATION AN-. OFFENCE A further warning that the publication in the newspapers of the photographs of persons accused of serious crimes entailed a grave risk of contempt of court, was issued by the Mon. Sir Thomas Sidey, Attorney-General, in tho Legislative Council yesterday, when replying to a question by the Hon. Sir Heaton Rhodes. The publication of photographs of accused persons pending or during criminal proceedings was, in .most cases, a contempt of court, as being calculated to interfere with the due administration of justice by prejudicing the accused, and embarrassing the prosecution? Sir Thomas said. The same was true of publication of details of the history of the accused, or incidents of the crime, calculated to prejudice the accused, or the prosecution. A warning of the dangers of such .a course had been given by the Chief Justice at Wanganui in August last. In that address photographs were specifically referred to. Sir Thomas said that a general statement was afterwards made public by himself in order' to emphasise the. necessity for the Press observing the law in thid respect Recently, however, some newspapers, while scrupulously refraining from publishing statements likely to prejudice the accused, had published photographs of a person accused of a serious crime. He had given consideration to the question of taking proceedings in respect of these publications, and had communicated with the newspapers concerned, but as they undertook to see that the offence was not repeated and to make the duty of the Press in this respect generally known, he did not think it necesasry to carry the matter further. TEACHERS & SUPERANNUATION Asked by the Hon. W. H. Mclntyre if the Government would take immediate steps to retire On superannuation all tbe inspectors and male teachers with over 40 years’ service, and female , teachers with over 30 years’ service, Sir Thomas Sidey replied that the adoption of the suggestion would result in such a large increase in the number of annuitants that the teachers’ superannuation fund would be unable to bear the strain without vety substantial assistance from the Consolidated Fund, which the Government was -not prepared to contemplate at the present time.

Two Bills Received The Petone Borough Empowering Bill and the Christchurch District Tramway Amendment Bill, which were received from the House- of Representatives, were each read a first time and referred to the Local Bills Committee. The Council adjourned until 10.30 this morning.