PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 105, 31 October 1933, Page 11

PARLIAMENT

TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. today.

Mr, W, A. Veitch (Government, Wanganui) gave notice, to ask the Post-master-General -whether he would agree to the reopening of the charges on tele- . gram with' a view to increasing the volume of business by reducing the charges on twelve words from Is to 9d..

Mr. R. A. Wright (Government, Wellington Suburbs) asked the Minister of Education whether he was aware that - a number of primary school teachers ■ -would' be absent from tho schools at- ' tending University examinations dur- ' ing November. As that was a critical month for tho children owing to their "annual examinations being in progress, , ho asked if the Minister would temporarily appoint as substitutes some of the ■ unc'mjiloycd school teachers. r The Prime Minister (thc.Et. Hon. G. W. Forbes) replied:—"The regulations .-, relating to relieving teachers read as follows: 'No relieving teacher shall be appointed to fill a vacancy on tho staff of any school for a period of less than ■ four hveeks if, in tho opinion of the senior inspector, the remaining staff can conduct the school in a satisfactory manner;'! provided that no relieving teacher shall be appointed to a grade I school for a less period than two com- » plete weeks or to, a grade II school for less than one week.' Absence due to examination requirements is not. essentially different from absence due to ill health.. When teachers are absent for only a day or two the headmaster can ' usually make arrangements for carrying on temporarily without extra assistance. If, however, so many of the staff aro absent at one time, if only for a few days, then the senior inspector may, approve of relief provided ho is f. satisfied that the school cannot other.wise be conducted with reasonable efficiency."

CLOTHING FOR UNEMPLOYED. Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central): asked the , Prime Minister •whether the Government would make.

'available a sum of money to provide ' clothing for the unemployed workers beforo the Christmas season. ■ The Prime ' Minister said it would not bc_ possible to comply with the.ro"quest)'without jeopardising the Unemployment Fund. Mr. E. F. Hoaly (Government, WaiTau) asked the Minister of Health whether he had read a report that a married woman had died in the Kaikoura Hospital as therosnlt of an error C oh tho part of; one of the 'sisters, arid what steps the Department was taking to prevent a recurrence of the fatality. The Minister of-Health (tho Hon. J. A. Young) said that he had seen newspaper reports on the matter,- but he v,as not prepared to. make a statement at the present time owing to the/fact .that the Coroner had not yet given his • verdict and' the matter was sub judice. In reply to a question from Mr. A. --J. Murdoch (Government, Marsden) as -i to whether he would withhold his approval of the Dairy Board marketing ; proposals till they had been submitted to the dairy companies throughout New .'-Zealand, the .Minister of Agriculture <-(the Hon. C. E. Macmillan) said the > marketing proposals 'wore definitely a -• matter for the Dairy Board, and he understood that the board intended to -handle thorn very carefully, .and not i attempt ■'■to-' act with- undue -haste. In view, however, of the representation's; which had been made of late regarding the proposals'he proposed to take '. an early ' bpportunity" 'of ' looking into the question further. : 1 RESERVE BANK BILL.

Continuing the debate on the Keserve Bank of New Zealand Bill for the passage of "wjijoh urgency was taken, Mr. A. J. Murdoch '(Government, Marsden) said that if the' New Zealand banking system was linked up with the Bajik of England then there would be nothing to fear for the Dominion's monetary system. Tho Bank- of England had stood the test of time and was standi ing up to thepresent crisis in a unique .-, manner. „'- Mr. Murdoch said that it-was' not V' 3 question of the amount ■of money in -■circulation but the confidence of the .people. It was not possible to in- -, 'crease wages and at the same time re- ■ duco hours. A Labour member: What about America? - ' Mr. Murdoch: J think they will fail. * Mr. AY. 3. Jordan (Labour, Manu- • •kau): Have you told them that? . „ Mr. Murdoch said that the Bill gave a definite control over the monetary system a,nd this control would be found to be most satisfactory. They •were not rushing blindly into a Reserve Bank''which had been successful wher- , ever it had been tried. (Proceeding.)