PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20624, 24 July 1930, Page 13

PARLIAMENT.

'A LONG DISCUSSION.

UNEMPLOYMENT BILL.

debate unfinished.

INTEREST in budget, presentation to-day. r F Y telegraph.— special reporter.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The spurs were gently applied to the House of Representatives to-day when (lie rrime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forks, took the precaution of arranging for the extension of tho sitting hours from j0 30 p.m. to midnight, in order that the Unemployment Bill might bo read a second time and referred to a special committee. Mr. Forbes evidently had in mind the Labour threat of the previous day that the debate would last well into the night. Private members' business would customarily have had precedence to-day, but the Prime Minister said attention could be turned to that later in the sitting. "You aro an optimist," called out a Labour member. Jlr. Forbes indicated that he did not vant private members to suffer. He would be prepared to arrange for Ministerial answers to questions to be discussed at. the Friday morning sitting, and for private members to have their opportunity 011 Friday afternoon. Although the Unemployment Bill had been lengthily discussed at previous sittings, members still had plenty of comment to offer, and the debate resumed in the early afternoon was carried on during the evening. .\i midnight, the debate was slill unfinished and the House, then rose. The debate will be resumed tomorrow afternoon.

The Financial Statement will be presented by Mr. Forbes to-morrow evening. The Prime Minister has given a foretaste of his taxation plans in the Customs Tariff, and his further revenue-raising plans, as disclosed by the Budget, will fce awaited with some anxiety.

CHANGE OF FORTUNES. EX-MINERS' POSITIONS. TWO IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. [BV TELEGRAPH.-—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Parliament provides several instances of the elevation to prominent public places of men who have in years gone by worked >houlder to shoulder in a mine or workshop. This change in fortunes was commented on by the Hon. W. H. Mclntyrc (Nelson) when speaking in the Legislative Council/'to-dav.

"It reads like a romance from the '.Arabian Nights to find myself and the Hon. Mark Fagan together again." he laid. " Twenty years ago, Mr. Fagan anil T stood shoulder to shoulder on the industrial field. Nothing then was further from our minds tjian the thought that one day we would both be. privileged to 'occupy a place in tho Legislative Council Mr. Fag.m has been a miner like Divself . rt

Jii 11> v maiden speech. Mr. l*'agun said hr> had been / associated with one of the largest ull i« 'lis on the West Coast for about 16 years. He was proud to be able to sav that during the whole of that period never once did a strike take place in his union.

THE EVIDENCE ACT. PROPOSAL FOR AMENDMENT. CONFESSIONS OF GUILT. [nv 'iELnr;i:.\Pir. —special nr;rorm:n.] WELLCCGTON, Wednesday. .\ clause in the Evidence Act, 1908, nfatcs that a confession tendered in evidence m any criminal pioceeding shall not be rejected on th<2 ground that a promise or threat has been held out to the person confessing, unless t lie Judge or other presiding officer is of the opinion that tlie inducement was in fact likely to cause an untr.ie admission of guilt to be made. Mr. H. (!. R. 'Mason (Labour —Auckland Suburbs) in an Evidence Amendment Hill, -seeks to have that section repealed and the following substituted: — " In tendering evidence of admissions or confessions in any criminal proceeding, it shall lie upon the prosecution to prove affirmatively to the satisfaction of the Judge who tries the case that such adirissions or confessions were not induced by any promise, favour or advantage, or bv the use of fear, threats or pressure by a person in authority."

TWO VACANT SEATS. INVERCARGILL WRIT ISSUED. POLLING .ON AUGUST 13. [r.T TELECnAPir.—SPECIAL I: EPOJITEtt.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The writ for the Invercargill by-election, caused by the death of Sir Joseph Ward, ■will be issued to-morrow, according to a statement made to-day by the Hon. H. Atmore, Minister, in charge of the Electoral Department.. Nominations will closo on August 1, arid polling will take place, on August 13. The .writ, is returnable, on September 2. The issue of the writ for the Western Maori by-election, caused by the death of Kir Maui Pomarc, is being delayed until the receipt of documentary evidence from California of Sir Maui's death. It is not J'fl- possible to indicate when the, byelection will take place. Possibly in deference to the wishes of the Maoris, the bv-eleclion will riot be held until after *he ashes of Sir Maui have been disposed

SALAJIIES OF MEMBERS. increase advocated. [kv TELEGIIAPFI. —M'ECI.Mj HEI'OtiTER.] WELL [XG TO X, Wed n esd ay. A novel suggestion was made by tho lion. W. ]J. Mclntyre (Nelson) .111 (he legislative Council to-day when discussing members' salaries. In advocating an increase ori the ground that, the present honorarium was not. commensurate with the services rendered, Mr. Mclnt.yre urged that the question should be referred to the Arbitiat.ion Court and dealt with in the samo way as an award. I'e expressed himself also as being in favour of aa extension of the term of l'» rliament. " I am satisfied that the Arbitration Court would deal justly with the matter t'f salaries," sa.id Mr. Mclntyre. " I believe that it would fix the honorarium fit a very much higher rate than it is to-day. An increase would piake for firwter efficiency