THE DAY’S WORK.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 182, 4 July 1931, Page 7

THE DAY’S WORK.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (By Telegraph—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, July 3. An all-day sitting of the House of Representatives enabled members to discuss the general principles of the Unemployment Amendment Bill on the second reading stage. Though Labour critics predominated, there was a tendency on all sides to examine sympathetically the .proposed' solution to this serious problem. Reform members generally showed appreciation of the principles adopted, the Leader of the Opposition, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, stressing the necessity of paying more attention to land development. Tlie Minister of Lands, Hon. E. A. Ransom, who said that constructive suggestions would be welcomed, offered to confer with Mr Coates on the subject and stated that the Unemployment Board had much wider powers to deal with the matter than the Lands Department. He believed that where private owners of large areas of waste lands could not bring them into production they should be asked to place a price on the areas they could not handle with a view to development under unemployment schemes. Reform speakers showed concern to make the expenditure more valuable in a national sense, while Labour members were uncompromising in their objection to further contributions from workers.

It is doubtful whether the House on resuming on Tuesday will complete the debate, but in any case the important Committee stage is likely to be reached on Wednesday. Aleanwhile the Address-in-Reply debate is suspended.