SESSION’S END IN SIGHT

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 October 1931, Page 5

SESSION’S END IN SIGHT

RUSHING THROUGH BUSINESS LABOUR AND ELECTIONS [FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, October 29. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Hamilton gave notice of intention to introduce the Mountain Guides Bill.

Mr Forbes moved that for the remainder of the session, the House should sit daily from Monday to Saturday from 2.30 p.m. till midnight. Mr Hogan said there had been four months of wasted time. Practically nothing had been done, partly because the House has not been led. It was regrettable that business should have to be rushed through in the dying hours of the session to enable "the parties to hurry off to the electorates. The House should have been advised months ago as to the probable date of the election. The Government had endeavoured to manipulate matters for the purpose of maintaining its occupancy ■of the Treasury benches. Mr Mason said he was only sorry Mr Hogan had not discovered the nature of the Government long ago. Mr Hogan: So am I.

Mr Mason declared that Mr Hogan’s contention that the House had lacked leadership was profoundly true. Mr McDougall referred to the number of Bills Mr Mason had had on the, order paper, and said that the two members who had spoken had wasted as much time as anyone else. It seemed to him to be a case of sin reproving sin.

The Leader of the Opposition said the sooner Members went before the electors the better it would be for the country. The Labour Party had committed itself to the statement it would enable the session to be brought to an end as soon as possible, and would honour that commitment. He hoped the Prime Minister would go on with the Broadcasting and Transport Licensing Bills. Mr Parry said that Mr Mason had a perfect right to bring forward Bills he considered necessary. “It ill becomes the Prime Minister to sneer,” he began, but was ordered to withdraw the word “sneer.” Mr Parry: I will withdraw the word “sneer.” I will say his school child smirk ill becomes a man occupy, ing such an important position. Mr Coates said that it was important that the election should be held sufficiently soon to avoid interference with the normal Christmas trade. There were quite a number of important Bills that would have to be dropped. Mr Barnard: Does that include the Transport Bill? Mr Coates said an amendment to the Transport Legislation would be put through. It would, at any rate, be sufficient to get over immediate transport difficulties. He presumed that immediately after the elections, it would be found necessary to put through some other measures, no matter what Government was elected. Mr Forbes remarked he felt very disturbed by the warmth of Mr Parry’s remarks. He had even been castigated when he had smiled. He assured the House that the Government would go on with the main Bills. The motion was adopted.

The Counties Amendment Bill (Mr Hamilton) was introduced and read a first time.

Speaking on the motion to go into committee on the estimates, the Leader of the Opposition asked the Prime Minister if he would state on what date the elections would be held. Mr Holland said there had been disquieting rumours that certain candidates were being asked to stand down on the strength of promises of appointment to the Legislative Council. He asked for a definite statement from the Prime Minister that there would be no appointments of this nature in the event of the Coalition returning victorious. Messrs Howard, Sullivan, and McCombs, stating the Christchurch electoral rolls were in a very bad state, asked whether steps would be taken to bring them up to date prior to the election.

Mr Forbes said that the date of the election depended entirely on the date on which the session ended. The election would take place within three weeks or a month after that date. He had anticipated that the session would end on Saturday week, but he now doubted whether it would be possible to complete the business by then.

Mr Atmore: Are you putting the Broadcasting Bill through? Mr Forbes: Oh, yes.

Replying to Mr Holland, Mr Forbes said that no inducement of any description had been offered to any candidate to withdraw from a contest Any man who withdrew would do so unreservedly, and only in accordance with a sense of duty to the country. No promises had been made nor would they be made. The Prime Minister undertook to look into the matter of the electoral rolls. A GRANT CRITICISED Discussing a vote of £186,320 for the Department of Land and Survey, Mr. Wilkinson drew attention to a grant of £625 to J. B. Thompson, late Under-Secretary, for special services rendered. He said he thought that the item required some explanation.

Mr. Ransom said the amount represented six months’ pay granted to senior officers retiring from the service. This had been the practice for some time, but at present, the amount was limited to three months’ salary. Mr. Wilkinson said that the Minister’s answer was not satisfactory. The House was not justified in passing such a vote at a time when salaries were being reduced all round. It was being asked to grant £625 to a man who Jiad drawn a salary of £l2OO and woulj now be drawing tvXo-thirds of that amount in superannuation. He proposed in view of the country’s financial difficulties and the fact that thousands of people were without a shilling to their names, to move that it be reduced by a hundred pounds. Labour Members supported the amendment. Mr. Ransom said that a number bf senior officers had been asked, this year to retire earlier than they had

reason to expect. In view of that fact, the Government did not think they should lose in comparison with what had been granted officers in previous years. He understood the amount of Thompson’s superannuation wgs £B3O. Mr. Thompson had rendered very valuable service and was responsible for saving substantial amounts as the result of the part he had played in protracted negotiations for the purchase of estates. Members supporting the amendment pointed out it was not directed against Thompson, but against the principle of making such a grant at a time when public servants were being paid a wage on which they could hardly subsist. The amendment was defeated by 36 to 24. When the House resumed at 7.30, , the discuslion on the estimate for the Land Department was continued. Members again criticised the granting of £625 to Thompson, and as a fur-, ther protest, Mr. Mason moved tto reduce this sum by £5O. Labour Members supported Mr. Mason’s motion, and the debate on the subject was continued for some time, the chairman eventually ruling a number of aspects out of order on the ground of “tedious repetition.” . Mr. Samuel asked whether the debate was a manifestation of the Labour Party’s promise that the business of the House would be expedited. He suggested the motion should be put to vote without further delay. . .! A division taken on the motion resulted in its rejection by 41 to 23, and the vote was then passed; . u The following estimates were' then adopted in rapid succession:—Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Account £37,000; Land for Settlement Account £9,729; State Forests Account £252,766; Valuation Dept. £46,979. Votes of £444,045 for naval defence and £240,000 for the Defence Department were passed, and the estimate of £140,591 for the Justice Department was then considered. Mr. Black moved to reduce the sum by ten pounds, contending It was not according to the principle of equality of sacrifice that the services were retained of the administrative head of the Department, who had forty-five years, ten months’ service, while other officers with thirty years’ service were being superannuated. * Mr Cobbe explained that the officer to whom Mr. Black had referred knew his Department from the top to the bottom, and it would be difficult to replace him. Mr. Black did not press for a division and the motion was lost on the voices, and the vote passed. Progress was reported after a vote of £424,188 for the Police Department has been passed. The House rose at midnight till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WELLINGTON, October’29. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 P The Land Transfer (Hawke’s Bay) Bill, and the Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Relief Funds Bill, were received from the House, read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee.The Statutes Revision Committee recommended that the Directors’, Protection Bill should not be allowed to proceed this session. The Native Land Bill and Native Purposes Bill were received from the House, read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Native Affairs Committee. Mr. Carrington asked how nW cases had been dealt with by the Adjustment Committee set up for the purpose of dealing with cases of hardship, arising out of salary cuts imposed during the short session. Mr. Masters replied that 615 applications had been rece ved. Of that number 176 case had been dealt with, including those from the navy. Relief had been granted in many cases' affecting the navy, and in respect of other branches of the service, relief had been granted in 24 cases. The Stamp Duties Amendment Bill and the Air Navigation Bill were put through all stages, and passed without amendment. . The Council rose at 3.45 p.m. untu to-morrow. AUCKLAND CANDIDATES. AUCKLAND, October 30. A conference of United and Reform Auckland Provincial executives agreed on Coalition candidates for two of the twenty-four Auckland seats. Nine Reform and seven United sitting members were endorsed. The Reformers, Allen Bell, S- Reid and R. Marryatt were endorsed as the Coalition candidates for the Bay of Islands, Raglan, and Auckland suburbs. United, W. H. Murray and W. HWackroy were endorsed for Grey Lynn and Waimarino. The Uniteds will also contest Auckland Central. The two seats undecided, Auckland West and Manukau, were left for negotiation. Reformers, J. A. Allan and S. Rickards, have been announced as respective candidates, but the United hope to secure an agreement to the nomination of their candidates, in which case the candidatures in 24 seats of the Province will be equally divided between the parties.