WORK FOR PARLIAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume L, 7 April 1931, Page 8

WORK FOR PARLIAMENT

SHORT SESSION PLAN BROKEN PUKTHEE ECONOMY MEASURES MORE USE OE PRUNING KNIFE. All interest lias not gone out of the special session of the New Zealand Parliament with the passing of the Finance Bill. On the contrary, it is certain that even greater attention will be focused upon Parliament when it reassambles on Wednesday, for it will then enter upon the consideration of more intricate questions than the clear-cut issue of wage reductions, states the -‘Dominion.”

All hopes entertained by the Prime Minister of. finishing the session within three weeks have been shattered, for it has taken that long to put through one Bill. In spite of the important nature of the legislation yet to he considered, Mr Forbes said in an interview before he loft for the south on Thursday that he honed to put through the remaining measures within another throe weeks. The opinion is hold in some quarters that this estimate is optimistic, for even the earthquake legislation, upon most of which the House is agreed, contains highly debatable proposals concerning an insurance property tax. Both the Reform Party and the Labour Party have assured the Prime Minister that they will give every assistance to enact this Bill as soon as possible, for the need of legislative authority upon numerous, points is becoming more urgent with the passing of time.

Even if the Bill is not unduly delayed. it seems fairly certain that members will have a good deal to say upon its contents and that it will not he passed without a certain amount of debate. It will come up for immediate consideration when the House meets on Wednesday, and it will be followed by other measures of an even more contentions nature. SECOND FINANCE BILE.

It is now revealed that the Prime Minister intends to bring down a second Finance Bill carrying his economy campaign a step further than the measure providing for wage icdnotions and the variation of Arbitration Court awards. This comes as something of a .surprise in Parliamentary circles, for the Bill will contain proposals arising directly out of the recommendations of the Economy Committee, which has been sitting since shortly after the close of lastsession .

It was known that the committee had reached certain decisions after an exhaustive investigation of departmental affairs, hut it was generally believed that these decisions would not be ready for embodiment in a Bill until the ordinary June session. Working night and day. the committee lias been able to formulate a definite scheme to reduce expenditure mi a large scale by a comprehensive readjustment of departmental expenses and organisation. Mr Forbes stated on Thursday that the Bill was already in the,hands of the law draughtsman. Tt will probably be ready for presentation this week, and the chances are that it will contain some surprises. Ever since the Prime Minister summoned departmental heads to meet Cabinet to discuss the position that has arisen through a sudden decline in revenue, it has been an own secret that the Government has been intent upon using the economy knife throughout the departments. There is a suggestion that several departments are to he merged, that control will he unified in others, and that centralisation "■ill he practised where possible. That drastic measures are proposed is cer-t-tin. and this is borne out by the fact that legislative sanction is needed for the steps to curtail expenditure and stop waste. TAXATION SCHEME. Another point made by the Prime J Minister on Thursday was that he inItended to push ahead with his taxation proposals this session. He said he hoped to dispose of alt his major economy plans before the House rose. With his end in view, Bills for the raising -of an extra £BOO,OOO by direct or indirect taxation will c-ome down in the near future. Tt was originally suggested that these questions should be left to the ordinary session, but, cirS cumstances permitting, there will now be no delay. Little doubt remains 11)7011 the question'whether income taxpayers will have to suffer an additional burden over and above the 10 per cent increase enforced last year. Apart from legislation seeking to remove the railways from political control and to give relief to mortgagors, 1 there is a possibility that the Prime Minister will have occasion to consult Parliament in the near future upon the question of unemployment relief. FTe lias expressed the opinion that this subject is the one looming largest in the mind of Cabinet at the moment, for it is clear that the Unemployment Board ha:s n-ot been able to meet the position, which is becoming worse each week. There are now 38.028 registered unemployed, and the total is mounting steadily. In a recent statement the hoard admitted that it had insufficient money, for there is less than one week’s expenditure in the fund at present. Thousands have not paid the quar- . terly instalment of the levy that fell ; due on March 1. and it appears as though the hoard has reached a position of stalemate.