IN PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 200, 24 July 1936, Page 2

IN PARLIAMENT

JOTTINGS FROM THE HOUSE. HOURS OF PUBLIC SERVICE. The intentions of the Government concerning the application of the 40liour week to the Public Service were sought by Mr It. A. Wright in notice of a question to the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) in the House yesterday'. Air Wright asked, in the event of the introduction of the shorter working week after September 1, what steps were being taken to train the additional men arid women required to effect the change. CHANGED DAYS. Increased prices for wool had brought into the country last year an additional £8,000,000. It was estimated that this year the pay-out for Imtterfat would increase by £2,000,000. The Alinister of Finance had been handed over a surplus of £280,000, in itself a, creditable thing for the Government responsible, said Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, in the Finance Bill debate. That Government (the National Government) had been able to change a huge deficit into a surplus. PEDESTRIANS AND JURIES. “I think that in a motor accident case we should ha ve a pedestrian on ' the jury as well as an ‘esquire,’ for it is just ns well to have one of those liable to be bumped off as well as one of those who do the bumping off.”— Mr J. A. Lee in the debate on the Judicature Amendment Bill. A PROPHECY. From the point of view of butter exports, the Dominion was just as well off in the days when the cuts were made as it was to-day, said Air J. A. Lee. It was good to bear members of tlio Opposition saying that the .cuts should he restored. Probably before long they would start trying to take credit for the guaranteed price. Hon. A. Hamilton : Wo don’t want it. Mr Leo: 1 am willing to prophesy that before 12 months are passed you will bo offering the farmer an extra penny. Mr Hamilton : He will need it, too. OVERSEAS PASSENGER DUTY. ' An explanation of the clause in the Finance Bill dealing with overseas passenger duty was given by the Alinister of Finance (Hon. TV. Nash) during his speech on the second reading of the Bill. “In the past,” said the Alinister, “a person buying a return or single ticket from New Zealand to Great Britain has been charged duty on the full fare. If passengers wish to travel to Sydney bv steamer and then across Australia by land, sailing again from Western Australia, there has been some confusion as to whether they should be subject to passenger duty for the part of the journey covered on land. The provision in this Bill removes any misunderstanding. If a person wants a ticket from New Zealand to any port in Europe, ho must pay' duty on half the return fare, no matter which way he goes.” STATE OF JUDGE’S LIVER.

“In a multitude of jurors there is wisdom.” This was the core of the speech delivered by' Air J. A. Lee during the second reading debate on the Judicature- Amendment Bill. Air Lee developed his theme by stating that a Judge had never administered justice that had nothing to do with the state of liis liver. “UNLIMITED CREDIT.”

“I would ask the member for Grey Lynn (Mr J. A. Lee) to travel back a few months to the time when he was wooing the electors,” said Air W. A. Bodkin. “He spoke of unlimited credit and of an authority in this country which would, by some manipulation of the public credit, give effect to the will of Parliament and restore the cuts. This evening, however, wo find him defending a measure which is a complete and absolute admission of the failure of the honourable gentleman and liis party to give effect to their election promises.” There was no doubt, continued Air Bodkin, that the money for the restoration of the cuts was to come from taxation. What had the member for Grey Lynn to say to the working men’s wives who would find that the restorations would be cancelled out by rising costs? Wonderful benefits had been promised by the Government, but how illusory they were. COMPENSATION FOR INJURY.

The payment out of the insurance pool of compensation for all injuries on the road irrespective of whether the motorist was negligent or not was favoured by the Attorney-General (Hon. FI. G. R. Mason) when referring to road accident cases during liis reply to the second reading debate on the Judicature Amendment Bill. Air Alason said be was of opinion that in dealing with such cases there should be something similar to the Workers’ Compensation Act, which does not require negligence as a basis of compensation. RETIRING CIVIL SERVANTS. The attitude of the Government toward the retirement of civil servants on superannuation was discussed last evening in an interview by the Prime Alinister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage). It was mentioned to him that rumours were current to the effect that the Government was preparing a list of civil servants who had completed or who were about to complete 40 years’ service and that these employees of file State as a matter, of general policy would be placed on superannuation in the near future.

“I did not know that we Jiad got as far as that,” the Prime Alinister said smilingly. “It can be taken as definite that the rumour is premature to a marked extent and that no action in that direction is contemplated in the immediate future.”