HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 8, 10 July 1934, Page 9

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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

Mr. R. Scmple (Labour, Wellington East) gave notieeof his intention to ask tho Prime Minister if" his attention had been drawn to the manifesto issued by the executive of the Auckland Council of the Christian Congregations against. the present unemployed relief standard^ particularly that of. sustenance, idiot". "Reference to this manifesto appeared in last Thursday's issue •'of the 'Evening Post,' and'it declares that the council views with alarm thepersistence of unemployment and the inadequacy of the standard of relief paid," said Mr.- Semple. "Tho council invited the clergy and ministers of all. denominations to niako last Sunday a day, ,of -' special prayer for Divine guidance ' and 'wisdom, concerning unemployment, and to bring before- their ■ congregations the pitiful state of a largo section of their fellow-citizens at present in receipt of a sealo of relief insufficient to supply tho bare means of subsistence. la view of the fact -that/the Prime.Minister, in conjunction with other Ministers and supporters of his party, has declared that we have turned the corner, will the Prime "Minister at once take the necessary s,teps to increase the allocations for relief throughout the country and thus give effect toy.the prayer of these religious organisations,..and end this starvation and misery referred to in theiivmanifesto.?".; ■;. ...'.' Mr. Semple also, gave notice to ask the Minister of Employment 'for a return showing tho number and class of buildings, alterations or renovations and nature 6f' same, - that havp been carried out by the following companies that received subsidies from the Unemployment Fund and the amount each company received:—Auckland'Farmers' Freezing Co., Ltd.; Thomas Borthwick an,d Sons j (Australasia), Ltd.; CanterBury Frozen Meat and Dairy' Produce Export, Co., Ltd.; Gisborno. Refrigerating Co., Ltd.; Gisborne Sheepfariners' Frozen Meat ana Mercantile Co., Ltd.; Hawke's-Bay Farmers' Meat Co., Ltd.; National Mortgage and Agency Co. of New.Zealand, Ltd.; "Nelson's (N.Z.), Ltd.; The New Zealand Refrigerating Co., Ltd.;: Southland Frozen Meat and Produce Co., Ltd.; The West Coast Refrigerating., Co., Ltd.; Westfield Free'zing_Co., Ltd. :' Notice of his intention to ; introduce the1 Religious Exercises in Schools Enabling Bill was: given by Mr. H. Holland, . (Government, . Christchurch Xorth),-; ■-.-'■• . .-'• : Mr. W. A. Vcitch (Independent, Wanganui) gave notice to ask the Minister of Transport whether he"would take action to prevent a) burden in the fiiit juices of harbour boards and an inquisition on ratepayers through uneconomic competition by the "Railways' Board in "an" efEort tcr obtain a transport mono-poly-by eliminating coastal services. J ; Mh J. O'Brien (Labour, Wcstland), .'.is^to ask;the1 Mrnister.'of Pensions'^, he lias seen the report in tho newspapers to the effect that a returned soldier, meagrely clad and suffering from severe exposure, was found dying on the roadside' between Waharoa and Matamata. The soldier died shortly after medical < aid had been summoned. The deceased soldier seemed destitute and to have insufficient means of support. Mr. Q'Brien asked the Minister if he would take steps to have work found for returned 'soldiers br give them a pension , sufficient to keep them, from destitution, "and dying of exposure "by the roadside. . ■'. ■ ■ "■Mr. A. S. Richards (Labour, Roskill) asked the Minister of Education whether the Government would arrange for the children of relief workers to sit .for. their accountancy examinations without the payment of the usual fee ■of£3-3s'.: : ■ '"■"■ The Minister of Finance' (the Rt. 'Hon. J. G. Coates) said the ex;imiria- . tion. was not conducted by the Education Department-!'"but":by'"thb: New Zea-. land University tea- the. New Zealand Society "of 'Accountants. He suggested the member, should..approach tlie University authorities. ■Therß'ev.-'.C. "Carr -(Labour, Timaru) gave notice to ask the Minister, of Customs whether he would-remove the gold tax of 12s 6d for development and prospecting work. •' ' (Proceeding/)