INTER PARTY COMMITTEE

Inangahua Times, 25 August 1931, Page 3

INTER PARTY COMMITTEE

THF. FIRST MEETING / important decision '■(►MMITTKE TO HEAR VIEWS OF EXPERTS , C United Press Assn.) ■ IVEr.EIXGTOM, East Night. 1 ho "r-t meeting of the inter-Parry j omnuttco appointed to consider the i.i.nn iai position of the Dominion. T "° a ■half hours, a longer meeting than expected. as the Com Uuttee came to an important decision. U has already discarded the suggestion that a separate Committee of economist*, Imnkers and other experts should formulate a plan for rehabilitation. ns Parliamentarians hold a strong opinion that New Zealand’s lmsition is eompletely dissimilar f ro „, , of Australia, where the extern;,' debt problem is of such outstanding importance and warranted adoption of an economy policy extending over several years

Member* of the Non* Zealand Com mitten prefer to hoar the considered views of experts who will be invited to attend meetings and to put ques tiou> to them, based on conditions a* they exist in New Zealand. ft is considered that the problem for Now Zealand Parliament to tarkle is essentially an internal one, the outstanding feature being the impossibility of large sections of producers continuing their operations burdened I with the present obligations for interest or rent. The Ptate is closely concerned in this respeet owing to the large number of Crown tenants who cannot meet their obligations to the Lands Department out of reduced realisations from wool. rhe first duty of the Committee which it' proposes to tarkle oh Tuesilav, is to cross question Departmental heads regarding their current csti mates. The view was expressed bv tin Leader of the Opposition, that th< Customs revenue estimate, for instance might be regarded as too optimistic an l it would be possible for the Committee to ascertain from the Hoads of Departments exactly how these had

been framed and make similar inves tigaticjfo regarding other large revenuest imates.

The -Committee will proceed further than the Cabinet Economy Committee in exploring additional possibilities of retrenchment oil current estroates and expenditure. ißy holding sittings of tlie 1 louse only in the evenings, members of the Committee can give undivided attention to its important business and there is a feeling that. with, concentrated effort* it- work may be con eluded Art thin a fortnight or three weeks . Meanwhile, the financial debate is to continue though the Minister of Finance does not propose to make any contribution to it under the unusual circumstances. There are a Transport Bill, a Licensing Amendment Bill, dealing with postponement of the triennial poll, an earthquake building by laws bill, the Trading" Coupons Bill, and a number of local -Bills requiring attention, so that little time would be lost.

By an arrangement, which the Committee has suggested in a statement issued on behalf of independent members,- they declare that the inter-Party Committee should address itself primarily to n clear diagnosis of the economic situation and formulate an adequate policy to deal with it, also the formation of a National Government to operate such a policy. Independents arc preserving a free hand to criticise any decision whether it is accepted or not by Mr Wilkinson, thei' chosen representative.