EMERGENCY SESSION

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 94, 15 January 1932, Page 12

EMERGENCY SESSION

Fixed for February 23 NATIONAL FINANCES Freedom for State Action ARBITRATION AMENDMENT (By Our Parliamentary Representative). Parliament is to meet on Tuesday, February 23, to pass emergency legislation in order to strengthen the position of the State finances. A brief announcement to this effect was ■ "made by the Prime Minister, Rt. , Hon. G. W. Forbes, at the conclusion of a meeting of Cabinet last evening. vif. Nothing but the date of the session -was announced by the Prime Minis er, •but it is understood that the legislation that will be brought down by the Government will be highly important. Although it is unlikely that the mmber of Bills to be introduced will be large, ■they will have an important bearing .upon the future policy of the Coalition ’Government in-’lts efforts to stem the continued decline in revenue and to assist the primary producer in particular, and the country generally, to combgt the influences of the economic de?*Nowt'hat the Government has decided to hold a special emergency ses>sion, it can be stated that the position of the State finances has been causing ’serious concern rdr some time. -It has ‘been' an open secret that the Treasury 'has recently considered that the holding of a special session was highly necessary in order to cope with the Position and to extend the powers of the Government as far as its control of national finances were concerned. At the present time the Government holds fairly wide powers for the taking of emergency measures in a time of financial stress, hut it is considered by Cabinet that these powers must be considerably extended if the present depression is to be combated successfully. ; Brief Programme. - It is understood that, as far as the is concerned, the session ■ will not be a long one. Its proposa.s ';-will be presented within the compass Myf-a brief programme, but it is likely ■‘that the measures to be brought idown 'will be highly controversial, and that ’ the Opposition will do much to block ‘ttheir progress For this reason it .s /•thought that the closure will be re introduced, which will mean that the « Government will be in a positionit prevent inordinately long debates and ’’ to push through its Bills when it is once that they have been ■’fully and that the privileges of mem > hers would not be infringed by bringing debates to a sudden end. . W The most far-reaching part.of the 'legislation to be introduced by the Government will relate to finance. It is expected that this legislation will be tvSy involved, and that it will also be as the Government is understood to have come to the conclusion '•' that if it is to deal effectively with the .' present position it must be free to problems as they arise. ■J.'^There was an opinion that the session would not be held until March, but Mt is stated that the additional powers y-tliat the Government intends to take become operative'as from the be■‘ginning of the new financial year on April 1, and it is therefore necessary to have any required legislation passed before that date. Restrictions of Awards. One of the Bills the Government will bring down will seek to amend the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration '•Act, with a view to removing restrictions relating to award conditions which ?are stated to be pressing unduly upon .-employers at the present time. This was discussed by the Minister ■•of Finance, Hon. W. Downie Stewart •in? his Supplementary Budget presentbed to the House on October 6. He then jgaid that the bearing of the operations the Arbitration Court on farmers’ '■ costs, unemployment, and the industrial in general had received the careful consideration of the Government. Mr. Stewart said it was considered that many conditions and restrictions ...now in operation in many of the Arbi-, Jitration Court awards seriously militat~ed against the employment of the peoi pie. The economic conditions existing at the moment demanded more flexibility. For the purpose of making it for employers and employees tb arrive at agreements that would enviable costs to be reduced, and at the ' same time allow for maximum employ- •• ment and the fullest development of • industries, it was proposed to amend ' the Act mainly on the lines suggested by the 1928 industrial conference, the Jchief feature of which was known as compulsory conciliation and voluntary arbitration. ? This proposal was shelved for want of time at the end of the main session last year. However, it will be introduced J'by the Government during the forthv'cpming short session. ' ? '■ Emergency Measures. Apart from financial legislation and a measure to amend the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, it is understood that other emergency legisla- ; tion will’ be brought down. The Prime :• Minister is expected to appoint a ’•Special Economy Commission almost immediately, and if this body can make any definite recommendations ; before the short session is completed, "they might be embodied in legislation. One of the most controversial ques--tions at the moment relates to the possibility of another wage and salary cut throughout the Public Service. It ' is understood authoritatively that this . question has not yet been discussed in Cabinet, and that .it is not likely to be , considered in the meantime. Much J.will depend upon the work of the .. .Economy Commission, but for the present the Government is confining itself •to activities involving financial readjustments and measures likely to give relief to the farmers.