HOUSE OF REPRESENTS TIVES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 8, 9 July 1931, Page 11

HOUSE OF REPRESENTS TIVES

1i ,.-■ The- House, of Bepresenta'tives met ,"it 2.30 p.ro„'to?day, ~'.'' ft 'ft Mr. C.. Carr (Labour, Timaru) m- . tends to ask the Minister,of Internal . Affairs if he will consider allowing

opossums to be released in suitable areas of bush land Where they aro not already Hberated, especially Australian species 'bearing, high-grade fur.. Mr.' H. G. It, Mason (Lab., Auckland Suburbs) gave notice to introduce the Licensing;-Amendment Bill. : .';-v. ■ '"Mi. H. S. S>Kylo (Beform, Bieearton) moved that ft return be laid on _tlie table giving the names of all the •'offt'eors' in. the public Servico : receiving a salary of £500 or more per annum, who received 'moro than £200 yearly

for travelling allowances during the two

years preceding 31st March last. He ■also -asked that the amount received by each officer be stated also. : ftThe" Jle'v.. C. ; Carr (Labour, Timaru)

ft,', gave notice'to ask the Minister of Lab- -.:■ our whether those engaged on relief 's "work under'the, No. 5 scheme, who re-' • 'eoived casual work during the odd week, -'were, debarred from obtaining relief

' work in the following week. • ■"' JSIr.'F. Langstono' (Labour, Waimar- "'- iho) asked tho Postmaster-General whether ho will amend or rescind the reeont instruction issued by his Department requiring that all drivers of departmental motor vehicles shall pay their own drivers' licences with tho exception of chauffeurs.-., ■■"•'The'Hoii. J. B. Donald "replied that tho regulation applied right throughout* . the Public .Service, and not only, to the " Pftand T. Department, ""Ho would like to havo a little time to look into the matter.

RELIEF WORK IN THE HUTT. Mr. W. Nash (Labour, Hutt) gave notice to draw tho attention of the

of' Labour to the serious situation which'had arisen in Lower Hutt ".'.and Pctoiio, clue to the 'curtailing of employment under the No. G scheme, and '"stated" his "intention of asking tho Mm

ister whether he would take immediate

.-steps to provide .sufficient .funds to rek 'iicve the unemployed iv the-district by issuing instructions to onsuro that tho amount required to give relief work under tho No. 3 scheme was made avail-

able. Mr. Nash said that tho estimated •■-'-amount ' required to" find ■ work at the 'relief rates for next week at Petone

was' £993; whereas the amount allocat-

.' ed'ivas £'(303'only,'and tlio'allotmont to ' "ed by*ft£3ou, and-unless the estimated' "' amounts'wero provided much ' distress *' "and hardship.' would be experienced /throughout the district. ■

" UNEMPLOYMENT BILL. The Committee stago of the Uncim , ployment .Amendment Bill was con- . ft'tintfed,' the Prime Minister:being -granted urgency for the passage of the measure. • !

"' Mr; M. J. Savago (Labour, Auckland West) moved to .'delete tho levy of &1. ft He said that a flat-rato levy was total--ly unfair, becauso it-did not take into • "account ability to pay.- Labour consid- '-•" ored that the most equitable tax was a • graduated tax'on incomes, no matter what their, source-might be. In support of the amendment, Mr. R. Semple (Labour, Wellington East) condemned the principle of a flat tax as very unjust. He objected to taxing the poor to. feed the poor, aud he suggested that'moneys placed to reserve by large companies should be taxed. / Mr. J. A. Nash (Reform, Palmerston North) thought that a general injustice . was being meted out to men who_ wore " registered unemployed. It was impos-' ; sible for a man receiving 13s 6d to pay .-.- his levy, because he could not even pay his board.. , - On being ;.taken to a division —the ~ |first of the session—the amendment was , defeated by 43 votes to 23, Reform ' supporting tlie Government. Messrs. G. 0. .Black (Independent, Motucka); .H. Mi Rusliworth (Country Party, Bay .. of Islands), and J. A. Young (Reform, , Hamilton) voted for tho amendment. .'.(Proceeding.).