PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 42, 18 August 1930, Page 11

PARLIAMENT

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. Mr. C.H. Chapman (Labour, Wellington North), intends to ask the Minister ..of- Industries and Commerce if it is proposed to set up a committee to inquire into the possibility of fos-ve-rSig a establishing certain industries, as was proposed to bo done last session. Notico ■of his intention to ask for Icavo to. introduce the Coal Mines Amendment Bill was given by tho Leader of the Labour Party (Mr. H. 13. Holland).' ' UNEMPLOLYMENT SUBSIDIES. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon) asked the Prime Minister whether local bodies were availing themselves of the Government subsidy of £2 for £1 on wages paid by local bodies for unemployment relief works, and whether he has knowledge as to the extent to which the subsidy will assist in the relief of unemployment in the Dominion. The' Prime Minister (the Hon. G. W. Forbes) said that since the Goverment decided to increase the rate of _ the subsidy 68 applications for subsidies totalling: £58,454 had been received from 49 local bodies, and had been approved. He could not say the exact pxtent to which the works had afforded relief, but it must have been considerable. One City Council alone had over. 300 unemployed on relief works.-- . PRICE OF PETROL. . Mr. Sullivan asked the Prime Minister whether he had obtained any assurance from, the oil companies, following the reduction in the petrol tax, that the price of petrol would be reduced. The Prime Minister said the prices charged by the petrol companies was a matter for their own consideration; the Government did not enter into the, arrangement at all The companies had given no assurance that the prices would be reduced, bu,t, as he had previously intimated, an investigation into the question would be hold during the recess. . RAILWAY CASUALS. The Leader of the Opposition (the Right Hon. J. G. Coates) asked the Minister of Railways whether it was the policy of the Government to dismiss from the Railway Departments permanent casuals. He pointed out that in Auckland a number of returned soldiers, who were married men and who were designated as permanent casuals, had- received notice of the determination of their engagement on Saturday, 16th August The Minister of Railways (Hon. W. A. Veitch) said that it Was not proposed to dismiss those men, but to classify them as emergency casuals. In order to avoid hardship it was the policy of the Department, if there was not enough work to go round, to apportion at, and the notice given to the men had been merely formal. Mr. Coates: "Will returned soldiers get any preference!" Mr. Veitch: "If preference was given to them before, it will be .continned." . I£r. CoatesJ. "It is very unsatisfactory." ... ' . .. . The Leader of the Opposition asked the Prime Minister whether it was his intention to keep his promise and present to the House an estimate of the revenue and expenditure on projected railway lines. Mr. Forbes said he hoped to be able to finalise the figures in time to enable him to present them to-morrow or on Wednesday. Asking a further question of the Prime Minister the Leader of the Opposition said that ■ the Finance Bill woultjl be keenly, contested. '. .■.'lVtr-. Forbes said he wanted to have the fullest discussion on the measure. (.Proceeding.)