Close Voting on Wages Cut

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6840, 22 April 1932, Page 7

Close Voting on Wages Cut

MAJORITY OP EIGHT ONLY Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. Urgency was by 44 votes to 24 accorded the. passage of the National Es-

penditure Adjustment Bill iu the llouso of Representatives this afternoon. Speaking on clause 7, the leader ot tho Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) said that this clause, which provided for ,the application of salary and wage reductions to civil servants, and the clauses relating to pensions reductions, were tho most serious' features of the bill. Ho referred to the petitions presented to the House urging that there bo no further reductions in salaries and wages, and stated that tbeso had been signed by well over 40,000 people, mostly the business element. There were tens of thousands of business people who, having regard to the experience that had followed tho previous wages reductions, were now asking that thoro should be no further reductions, because they realised that such a course ■would be followed by serious economic consequences.

Mr. Holland declared that further reductions would bo followed by a far greater proportion of unemployment, and ho said that this contention was borne out by international investigation and by the ovidcnco presented to the Inter-party Committee. Other Labour members supported the views expressed by Mr. Holland.

Rt. Hon. .T. G. Coates said that a committee of departmental heads would bo set up to investigate any anomalies arising out of the reductions.

The clause was passed by 39 votes to

Messrs. Atmore, Black, Harris, J. A. Nash, Rushworth, Samuel, Wilkinson and Wright voted with Labour. Exception was taken by Labour members to the clause reducing grants to education boards, governing bodies of university colleges, and local bodies. It was alleged by Mr. .T. A. Leo that patients were being forced out of hospitals before they were convalescent on account of the retrenchment policy, and he said the position would be worse as a result of the latest proposal. He complained that the Government was economising at tho expense of sick people.

Mr. 11. M. Rushworth submitted an. amendment which he said lie had been asked to move by the Bay of Islands Hospital Board. The amendment sought to provide that bequest money used for the maintenance of hospitals should be subsidised out of the national funds. The House adjourned at 5.30. Discussion on the clause reducing grants to education boards, local bodies, etc., was continued when lie House resumed at 7.30.

Labour members protested against further reductions in nurses’ salaries, contending that great hardship would be inflicted on junior nurses, who were being called upon to perform arduous duties for a very small remuneration. It was also contended that country schools would suffer as a result of the reduction of grants. Further reference was made to tho position that would be created if grants to hospital boards were reduced, and it was suggested that the necessity might arise for increased fees.

Four and a-lialf hours were spent debating the cluuse which was eventually passed by 43 to 29 votes. Messrs. Harris, Samuel, Atmore, Black, Rushworth and Wilkinson voted with Labour. Mr. Rushworth’s amendment was lost on tho voices.

At midnight the House was discussing saving tho rights of contributors to the superannuation funds. The closure was applied to the clause dealing with the rights of superannuants and Labour divided the House, but allowed the clauso to be carried on the voices. The clause saving the rights of Magistrates to a retiring allowance was passed without discussion and members proceeded to debate the clauso saving the rights of other pertons not otherwise mentioned. Left sitting.