PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 November 1932, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

PREMIER'S REPLY

TO REPORT OF COMMISSION

(Per Press Association — Copyright.)

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, November 2

In the Legislative Council yesterday, on the motion of the Hon. D. Buddo, the Regulation of the Speed oI Vehic’l'ds Bill w/as road a second time pro I'of/ila, -and referred to the local 811 Committee. The Bill' proposes to fix the maximum speeds for vehicles at twenty miles per hour in any borough or' town district, and thirty-five miles per hour in any county. The Council rose at 3.45 o’clock until Thursday.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES A

In th© House of Representatives notice was given of the intention to introduce the following Bills ; —Eh > toral Amendment (Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes), Rent Restriction (Hon. A. Hamilton, Wallace), Shops and Offices Amendment (Mr P. Fraser, Lab., Wellington .Central), ‘ * On the motion of Mr Forbes, Mr Speaker was instructed to issue a warrant to the clerk of the writs to make out a new writ for the ©lection ' * a member for Motueka in lieu of Mr G. (?. 0. Black deceased, The Budget debate was concluded.

Mr 'Forbes, in reply, dealt with the Expenditure Commission’s report, and' said that there were a'number of recommendations which .could be, and were being, put into effect. There were other recommendation which it was not possible to put into effect. Some of them might achieve economies in one : direction, . but they would add considerably to expenditure in other directions. The Government wOul,d shortly ‘introduce legislation bearing on the Commirf-ion’s:. recommendations relating to the re-organisation of the Native Department. It did not consider that impr-.yement could be effected by adopting the -Commission’s recommendation to transfer the Highways’ and Unemployment Board’s funds to the consolidated- fund. He . considered that some improvement might be effected in the direction of the reorganisation of the hospital system, and the Commission's suggestions regarding hospital boards would be referred to a' commission, which it was intended to set up to deal with the question of local body administration.

"Tile Government was not of the opinion that it was desirable to adopt the- -Expenditure Commission’s suggestion to abolish land, boards, as it was more than ever.: necessary at the present time to maintain" clo'e and intimate (touch with Grown tenants, and this could only be done through co-operation, of - the land boards with the Lands Department,' and the Government,

The Commission had proposed that the operations of the industries and commerce department should very largely be left to private enterprise,. While he agreed ilt was' desirable to commercial matters t 0 private enterprise as v far -as possible, lie pointed out that there w.ere times when it was essential that assistance- should be given to private enterprise by the Government. While it might be possible to do away with the Industries and Commerce De: artment, it 'would not be wise to take this step, especially at a time luce the present, when the Dominion was anxious- to extend its markets. On the contrary it might be necessary to extend this department’s activities in certain directions.

Referring to tourist' services, Mr Forbes said that the commission had also proposed that matters in this connection should 'be left to private enterprise. “If private enterpilse is P re * pared to take over these services, well and good” Mr Forbes said, “but at the present time private enterprise is not looking for these services. Continuity must be maintained, and, ” for that reason, the- Government, will carry them ' on. When times are ‘ better, everything possible should be done to enable private concerns to, undertake them.” s

Mr Folbes next dealt with the suggestion that local bodies should be charged, for certain services. He said that it was known that lodal bodies were experiencing difficulty in managing their own finances, and it was not considered advisable to do anything to add to their burden.

Tfif formal Budget motion was adopted a-m 1 the House went into committee on t.-.e Estimates at 11.30 o’clock and progress was immediately reported. Replying to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Forbes said that private members’ Bills wou-!d be taken to-day, and the Customs Bill would be brought tk,wn. The Minister of Public Works would be in charge of the Bill. Mr Forbes said that he could not say for certain whether it would be necessary to bring down further resolutions. If further resolutions were necessary they would have to be dealt with before the 'Bill. If there was

time for other business to-day, the House would go on with the Bill relating to miners’ widows’ pensions. The House rose at HAS' o'clock.