PROGRAMME IN THE HOUSE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 231, 29 August 1938, Page 6

PROGRAMME IN THE HOUSE

PROGRESS WITH ESTIMATES. CONTENTIOUS MATTERS AHEAD. WELLINGTON, Aug. 29. In contrast with the speed with which some of the important legislation was dealt with during the first session of the present Parliament, the Social Security Bill is having a leisurely passage through the House of Representatives. Although it was expected that .the second reading stage would be disposed of last week, it is still unfinished, and it now seems likely that the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash), who is in charge of the Bill, will reply to the second reading debate on Wednesday night. Extremely satisfactory progress has been made with the other important task before the House just now—consideration of the Estimates of departmental expenditure, to which part of each week is being devoted. There are not a great many more votes to be considered, but some of the more controversial items are being kept till the end, and it is likely that there will be considerable discussion on such classes as broadcasting, the Dairy Industry and Internal Marketing Accounts, Transport, Industries and Commerce, and the Maintenance of Public Works and Services.

Nothing definite has yet been decided for the last few weeks of the session, largely because the Prime Minister (Bt. Hon. M. J. Savage), having been indisposed in Auckland, there has been no meeting of the Cabinet for more than a week. Local Bills are to be taken to-morrow when the House resumes after the week-end, and in the evening the second Imprest Supply Bill of the session will come before the House with .the almost certain prospect of a late sitting. If Mr Nash replies to the second reading of the Social Security Bill oil Wednesday, it should be posible for substantial progress to be made with the committee stages of the Bill before the end of the week. Once this measure is passed the way will be clear for dealing with departmental legislation and the other odds and ends that are invariably gathered in at the end bf a session.