WORK OF PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20622, 22 July 1930, Page 10

WORK OF PARLIAMENT.

UNEMPLOYMENT DEBATE.

BUDGET ON THURSDAY.

ADDITIONAL TAX PROSPECT.

PENDING IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

JBY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Monday.

The expectation that the session would end in September was expressed by the Prime Minister, Hon. G. W. Forbes, this evening, when discussing tho programme tof work the Government intended to place before Parliament. The session is now entering on its fourth week without a great deal having been accomplished, but that is no unusual state of affairs. Howevor, it seems clear now that tho Government is anxious to force tho pace to enable Mr. Forbes to leave on August 25 for the Imperial Conference in London.

Tho Unemployment Bill will be further Hiscussed when the House resumes tomorrow, but an adjournment will bo taken in tho afternoon after tribute has ■been paid to the memory of the lato Sir Robert Stout, so that it will bo evening before the unemployment discussion is reBurned. Possibly the debate will then be ended, since the Minister of Labour, Hon. S. G. Smith, has indicated that the bill will be referred to a Special Comhiitteo, and consequently another opportunity for its thorough debate will be available. Civil Servants Not Exempt. 'A statement has gained currency that It is proposed to exempt civil servants from tho annual levy of 30s provided for in .the Unemployment Bill, but that suggestion was denied by the Prime Minister when his attention was drawn to it. The Budget will definitely bo delivered en Thursday evening. Whether it will bo accompanied by the customs tariff is fc point which Mr. Forbes says he has not yet decided, but the indications are that tho revised schedule of duties will be revealed at the same time. Drastic taxation increases aro believed to bo in prospect, but tho proposals aro naturally being jealously guarded. A statement relativo to tho Imperial Conference, which opens in London on September 30, will probably be made by the Prime Minister this week if a convenient opportunity presents itself. Mr. Forbes recalled that such a statement was made by the Leader of tho Opposition, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, prior to his departure for the conference of 1926, and ho said he proposed to do likewise to enable the House to discuss the attitude to be adopted by tho New Zealand representative en tho matters likely to be discussed in London. Limitation of Debate. Once the Budget discussion is fairly launched the Prime Minister proposes to confer with the leaders of tho other two parties regarding the prospective length of tho debate. Each member of tho House is entitled to speak for an hour in the financial debate, but it is believed Mr. Forbes would like to secure an arrangement whereby each party will guarantee to limit the number of its speakers. Such an understanding would greatly simplify Mr. Forbes' plans for his departure. , It is probable that Monday sittings will bo commenced about the second week in 'August,, and it is also a safe prediction that the Standing Orders will have to be 6uspended on occasion if lilie bulk of the session's business is to be disposed of bofore Mr. Forbes' departure. .j The Budget dates in recent years have been as follows:—l92s, July 24; 1926 (Imperial Conference year), July 8: 1927. August 2; 1928, August 7; 1929, August I. It will thus bo seen that in spite of the pending Imperial Conference the Government is only about a week in advance of the normal date in the presentation of tho financial statement.