IN ECONOMIC CRISIS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 47, 24 August 1931, Page 8

IN ECONOMIC CRISIS

TO-DAY'S CONFERENCE

INTER-PARTY COMMITTEE

The. deliberations of the inter-party conference agreed upon in the House of Bepresentatives on Friday to consider the Vest steps to' be taken in the interests of the country in the present economic crisis commenced this afternoon at 2.30. •■ There is no indication as to how long the discussions will continue. The Independent members .of the House met this morning for the purpose of selecting their representative on the Committee. The member for Egmont, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, was chosen as the Independent delegate after a ballot had been taken. The other members of the Committee are the Prime Minister (the Bight Hon. G. W. Forbes), the Minister of Lands (the Hon. E. A. Ransom), the Minister of Native Affairs (the Bon; .'Sir Apirana Ngata), representing the Government; the Leader of the Opposition (the Bight Hon. J.G. Coates), the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Mr. D. Jones, representing the Reform Party; and the leader of the Labour Party '(Mr. H. E. Holland), with Mr. M. J. Savage and Mr. J.M'Combs. COMMITTEE'S AGENDA. Questioned this afternoon regarding the agenda for the sittings of the Committee, the Prime Minister stated that one-of the first things to be decided was how far the Committee should act itself, and to what extent it should delegate its responsibilities to experts. Asked if it was proposed to call upon the assistance of Professor Copland, the economic expert, who is at present visiting New Zealand from Australia, Mr.' Forbes said he did not think that would be necessary; he thought they: could rely on the expert advice of New Zealand economists, who were well versed in New Zealand conditions. Mr. Forbes said that so far as the Government was concerned, they would like to'see Parliament continue its sittings while the Committee was deliberating. There was no lack of business that could be proceeded with. First of all there were the Estimates; then there "were the Transport Licensing Bill; the Building Construction Bill; the legislation giving effect to the proposal to -postpone the licensing poll, which he intended to. introduce to-morrow; and a further Bill, yet to bo introduced, 'setting up a Development of Industries Board.- . • In reply to a question whether the Committee would undertake, a review of the Estimates for the current year with a view-to effecting further economies, tho Prime Minister said that that would have to be determined by the Committee. Putting the Estimates through was a long job, and any delay would, of course, prolong' the length .of. the session. , •"•■•-■; LABOUR'S ATTITUDE; The LeaSer of the Labour Party (Mr.1 H. E. Holland) was disinclined to comment on the proceedings when approached this afternoon. He expressed the. view that no one had the right to anticipate the discussions. He made it .clear, however, that so far as the Labour Party representatives on the Committee were concerned, they would stand by what he had Stated in the House as leader of the party, speaking on Mr. Coates's motion on Friday. The Conference was an' economic committee set up to Consider remedial steps for adjusting the national finances; it was not a committee set: up to consider political matters. That being the case, there,could be-no discussion of the question of postponing the General Election, which, as he had said in the ! House, would constitute a breach of the confidence of the electors. Otherwise, I he said, the Labour delegates would go to vthe Committee with a clear mind. '