WORK OF PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20621, 21 July 1930, Page 11

WORK OF PARLIAMENT.

LITTLE PROGRESS MADE, i, NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE. LABOUR HELPS GOVERNMENT. THE BUDGET THIS WEEK. [r.V TELEGItArir. —SPECIAL REI'ORTER.] WELLINGTON, Sunday. 1 lie fust lest of confidence was survived by (lie Government this weok by 47 votes to 24. As lias now become customary, the Uniteds won out with tho help of the Labour Party. The alliance of tho two parties—United and Labour—is apparently to enduro until the normal period of Parliament expires, toward the end of next year. 1 hei'e may be points of difference between lite parties, but both will [iiefer reconciliation of those differences to a general election. This having been clearly demonstrated, the chief interest in the session now centres on the lengths the Government proposes to go in return for Labour's support. Retrenchment and Unemployed.

Judging from the speeches of Labour members in the House, the Government is not pleasing its ally on a number of points. Labour finds tho retrenchment proposals generally distasteful, particularly as they affect the railway service, while the poll tax proposed under the Unemployment Bill now before the House has been vigorously attacked by Labour oil the ground that the levy should be graduated according to ability to pay. Labour naturally favours the scheme to pay a sustenance allowance or "dole" and on that point its principal criticism is that the allowance is not big enough.

Ihe l'inancial Statement is to appear toward the end of this week and it will be interesting to see whether the proposals there made will be such as to causa the Labour Party to swallow any more of its principles. A year ago Mr. Holland and his followers meekly submitted to the doubling of the primage duty, in spite of their protestations that the cost of living was already too high.

A Tactful Leader. While due allowance must be made for the fact that the business of Parliament was suspended for a week as a mark of respect to the memory of fir Joseph Ward, the progress so far made by nho House scarcely conforms with the presessional announcement that a fast pnco would be set from the opening of tiia session. It was indicated, for instance, that the Financial- Statement would appear within a fortnight of the opening date, but a month will have elapsed hefore Mr. Forbes presents his first Budget. In point of fact, the Budget 'is not ready for presentation, as the accounts are still with the Audit Department.* if the Budget precipitates a long debate, Mr. Forbes will have little time to pilot legislation through the House before he departs for the Imperial Conference toward tho end of August. It is true that one of the Government's most important policy, measures, the Unemployment Bill, has already appeared, but the intention is to refer it to a committee after the second reading and another long debate on tho proposals seems inevitable when the bill returns, unless the scheme new being propounded is drastically altered.

[ However, now that the Address-in- [ Reply debate, in which 45 speakers took part, is definitely out of the way there may be an inclination on the part of members to prefer action to words. Mr. Forbes is a tactful lender and rarely brings pressure to bear on the House. When he deems faster progress necessary he has a pleasant manner for the framing of his request and usually the response is made. Some say that patience is his richest gift. In any case, it is a valuable attribute as the House is now constituted. The Education Report. An interesting event of the past week was the presentation of the education report, the work of a select committee which heard evidence during the recess. The reception in the House was generally favourable and the Minister of Education, Hon. H. At more, was obviously delighted that the welcome was so cordial. It was stressed that the recommendations were the work of the whole committee, so ali the members are entitled to share Mv. At more's pleasure at the appreciation generally expressed. The Unemployment Bill will be the principal subject for discussion at. the beginning of this week. However, it is probable that a short adjournment from the afternoon to the evening will be taken on Tuesday, as a mark of respect, to the memory of Sir Robert Stout, who was Premier of New Zealand from 1884 to 1887.