THE FINANCE BILL

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 69, 23 March 1931, Page 10

THE FINANCE BILL

OPPOSITION TO CUTS

A LONG "STONEWALL"

The real fight on the Finance Bill, containing tho Government's wage cut proposals affecting the Civil Service, and giving the Court oi" Arbitration authority to review award rates, is expected to commence in the House of Representatives to-day. The progress of tho measure through its romaining stages will be resisted to the utmost by the Labour Party, and it will not be surprising to see "stonewall" tactics adopted early in to-day's proceedings. The Government proposes to seek urgency and to ' put the Bill through the Committee stage at one sitting. The House may,therefore be sitting continuously for somo days. That" the members of ' the Labour Party are determined to fight tho Bill to the last ditch, in accordance with utterances made prior to the session and in speeches in tho House since then, and that they have laid in store an abundance-of" ammunition, is apparent from indications which have already been given in the House. The Labour Party is making no secret of the fact that it intends to use every form of the House in an endeavour to defeat the object of the Government, and it will be a case of "no surrender" while it is passible to move further amendments and while physical endurance lasts All sorts of amendments, may be expected, and Labour members have been spending a busy week-end in studying tho Standing Orders and working out a. plan of campaign. A PRELIMINARY MOTION. The "second reading of the "Finance" Bill having been, passed after several days of debate, the stage iiow reached is that of committal.. Before the individual clauses .of the' measure become open'to discussion and possible amendment, a general debate takes place on clauso 1, defining tho short title. But Mr. P. Fraser has given .notice that he proposes to move prior to the committal "that it be an instruction to the Committee of the Whole on the Finance Bill that it hath power to make provision in the Bill, for ensuring that-the cost of living, including food, clothing, and' rent,, be lowered simultaneously with, and in proportion to, the amount of reduction in the salaries of the Public Service employees, as specified in Part I. of the Bill; and simultaneous with, and in proportion to the amount of reduction in wages as ordered from time to time by the Arbitration Court under Part 11. of tho Bill." . If this motion is admitted by Mr. Speaker, it.will mean that each of the members of the Labour Party, and such other members of the House as choose, may speak to it for half an hour each, thus materially aiding the object _of deferring the passage of the Bill. Similarly, when the House goes into Committee, each and every "stonewaller" will tiave the right to speak four times for ten minutes on the short title,' and four times for five minutes' on each subsequent clause. Motions to amend the various clauses will, of course, give further latitude and put members "on side" for further speeche?. After tho debate has proceeded along "stonewall" lines for some hours members are liable1 to find the Chairman of Committees, rule certain subjects out as being" tedious repetition," and thus the confines of the debate will become progressively narrower. • / GOVERNMENT PREPARED. The Government is fully prepared to meet the position, and in anticipation of a long, "stonewall" has divided "its forces in order that a quorum may be assured in the House, while at the same timtel half of the party, will be able to secure a measure of ''rest. It is anticipated in Government circlos that the Committee' stages of the Bill will occupy at least four days, with the House sitting continuously. The Labour forces have been strengthened by the addition of at least three Independents—Messrs. H. M. Rushworth (Bay of Islands), J. S. Fletcher (Grey Lynn), and G. C. Black (Motueka) — all' of whom have signified their intention of voting against the Bill. Another Independent, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont), has expressed himself as being opposed to the proposal to give the Arbitration Court power to revise existing, awards, but it is not anticipated that he will take any great part in the "stonewall," being content to record his vote against the measure. UNITED CONSOLIDATION. As was perhaps to be expected after the dismissal from the United Party last Friday of the .member for Moutueka, Mr. G. C. Black, rumour has since been busy with reports of further defections, two prominent members of the party being mentioned as having tendered their resignation. When the matter was mentioned to the Prime Minister this afternoon, however, he smilingly replied that- it was news to him. On the other hand, it is sa^id in the. lobbies that .the action taken against Mr. Black in voting against the Government on a motion for .urgency has rather .. consolidated the United Party, or, in other words, had a disciplinary effect. It. was expected that the member for Waifarapa, Colonel T. W. M'Donald, would hay expressed differing views with the Government's proposals on the second reading of the Bill, and it is being suggested that Mr. Black's summary dismissal has caused him to review his intentions. Some little adverse comment has been heard in United Party circles concerning the speech on the second reading of the Finance Bill by the Minister of Education, who advocated a shortening of hours, but the opinion seems to be mainly one of disappointment that tho Minister did not make as vigorous. a speech in defence of the Government's proposal as was expected from so able a debater. The United Party members met in caucus for half an hour before the sitting of the House this afternoon. There was a full muster of members with the exception of the membor for Waipawa, Mr. A. E. Jull, who was accounted for. \