PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 21079, 16 April 1932, Page 19

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, April 15. ARBITRATION BILL. On tho Council resuming at 5.5 p.m. Sir James Parr, on behalf of the managers of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendmeint Bill, reported that an agreement had been reached with tho managers from the House. He explained that it had been made ■ arer that in tho case of women workers applications for fixing tho minimum wage should be made by the unions of workers instead of by tho individual women workers. Tho Council had also sought to make the provisions regarding piecework clearer, but had yielded to the objections raised by the House. The report was agreed to, and the Council rose at 5.30 p.m. until Tuesday.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NATIONAL EXPENDITURE ADJUSTMENT BILL. The debate on the second reading of the National Expenditure Adjustment Bill was continued in the afternoon. Mr W. Nash (Hutt) expressed the opinion that the Government’s economy measures in reducing the spending capacity of the people would lead to disaster. He did not regard the J per cent, concession, which he understood the banks 'were _to make in interest rates, as amounting to the same share of sacrifice as was being contributed by other rates of interest and in rents. Mr H. Atmoro (Nelson) said the Government was taking tho wrong course in the Bill before the House. Financial bleeding was not a cure for financial ponicious anaemia. There was more of what constituted real wealth in New Zealand to-day than ever before. Tho science of production had outstripped the science of distribution, because distribution had been held in check by foolish adherence to the out-of-date gold basis for international exchange. Mr H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs) said ho regarded the Government as primarily representing the money-lenders. Some help had been given to the farmers, but no aid was forthcoming for tho traders, who were a vital section of the community. Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston) said ho did not agree with tho proposal that public servants should submit to a further salary cut.' He considered the Government should be receiving money from th> oil companies. Mr A. M. Samuel (Thames): They could get enough from the oil companies to prevent the pensions cuts. _ Mr M'Keen (Wellington South) said there was no need to go outside New Zealand to borrow money when there was £30,000,000 in frozen credits in the banks; It was true the banks had reinvested the money, but he questioned whether they had invested it in tho best inloiests of the people of New Zealand. ■

Mr A. E. Jull (Waipawa) said there was a plethora of boards hi New Zealand to-day, and he advocated _ reducing the number with the object of bringing down administration expenses. He thought committees of the House might be set up to do a lot of tho work at present done by boards. Mr H. G. Dickie (Patea) said if any alternative to pensions reductions could be found, he would gladly support it. Ho suggested a further tax on amusements as ftn alternative. Replying to the debate, the Prime Minister (Mr G. W. Forbes) said he envied the position of those who were able to discuss '.ho Bill with freedom from responsibility, but he had to point out that unless tiro utmost econortiy and prudence were exercised it would not even be possible to make the payments . Inch members had criticised. If there were a crash in the national finances there would be no opportunity to pay pensions or Civil servants’ salaries at all.

The Bill was read a second time by 46 votes to 25, and the House rose at 5.50 p.m. till 2 ;-0 p.m. on Tuesday.