EMERGENCY SESSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20823, 16 March 1931, Page 11

EMERGENCY SESSION.

• TIME BEING WASTED.

LABOUR PARTY TACTICS. \

DELAY OF URGENT BUSINESS

REFORM'S OFFER TO MR. FORBES. ' [BY TELEGR.VI'H. —SPECIAL REPORTER. I / I t j WELLINGTON. Sunday. Called to deal with urgent business, Parliament is still wasting time on preliminaries. a state of affairs for which the Labour Party is completely responsible. There is no excuse for the delay. The normal session will be held in Juno and matters not of immediate concern will bo deidt with then. However, the Labour Party is avowedly bent on breaking progress lo mark its opposition to the Government's proposals for squaring the national ledger and reducing costs of production throughout, the industrial activities of the Dominion. Thus, the Addressiri-Reply debate ivhich should not have outrun one <lay, has occupied two, without tho fnd being brought to view. Indeed, by moving amendments Labour speakers are taking the opportunity of making more than one speech each in what is virtually the same debate. Messrs. F. Langstone (Waimarino) and C. L. Carr (Timaru), both rank and file Labour members, have already spoken twice and it is freely stated that others will follow the same tactics. No one, of course, denies Air. Holland's right to move a no-corfulence amendment, but the issue he raised has now been decided and there is no/point apart from party tactics in prolonging the debate. Mere Word Spinning Efforts.

However, Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) has sponsored another amendment on which a vote has yet to be taken, and there is a possibility that further amendments will be launched by Labour. Meanwhile the special business for which Parliament was summoned must wait. Jwentv seven speeches have been delivered in the debaia and 17 have come from the Labour Benches. Labour's offence is aggravated by the fact that most of the speeches have been mere word-spin-ring efforts, monotonously reiterative of .views already plainly expressed by the party Leadei. Realising the national issue at stake the Reform Party has largely waived its traditional privileges as the official Opposition and only four of its members have spoken in tie debate. Mr. Coates, in a speech wh.ch recalled his generous and sportsmanlike attitude in the hour of defeat two yen's ago, announced that his party woulci assist the Government in the expeditious presentation of business to the house. While the right to criticise the Government's measures and suggest improvements was fully sustained, party fldvantage/'vould be made subservient to the nationa! weal. This was no light offer to mate for the United Government during its brief reign had not hesitated to. make pa-ty capital of alleged shortcomings of its predecessor in office and secure in !he support of the Labour Party had treated Reform's repeated offers of co-operation with scant courtesy. Reform Party's Attitude. However, much can be forgiven and much has to be forgotten when a national emergency arises and indications now are that the economic crisis will result temporarily in a new alignment of political forces. From what one hears in the lobbies fusion is definitely dead, but so long as it presents legislation which Reform agre?s to be in Ihe national interest the Government is assured of the support of the official Opposition. That does not signify that Reform is completely satisfied with the Government's announced proposals,/but it does mean that Labour no longer hclds the key to the situation. For instance, there is a. conviction in Reform quarters that the proposed 10 per rent, wage "cut" in the Civil Service will fall with unjustifiable harshness on certain lower-grade workers in the Railways r.nd Post and Telegraph* Departments. Then, as Mr. D. .Tones (Mid-Canterbury) explained in the House on Friday, there is an urgent call for assistance To the farmer.

The need for making finance available at a cheaper rate could not be ignored. Budgets and Interest Rates.

The poini; was well expressed by Mr. Coates when he said that while he agreed it was necessary to balance the national Budget there were other budgets which had also to be balanced, the budgets of the business man, farmer, salaried man and wage-earner. The Government was thinking too much of the necessity for finding the £4,500,000 necessary to balance next year's Budget and not enough o f the £26,000.000 which New Zealand yas short, in the national income. He also suggested that the Government should reduce the interest, rate, it, paid on its own money, as the present rate the Government paid made, it very difficult for the average farmer to secure the money ho Heeded at rates he was able to pay. These 'are all points likely to be elaborated later in the session, the prospective length of which it is yet impossible to predict. Mr. Holland's suggestion that legislation affecting earthquake problems should be laken first would indicate that his party, determined to make a, stern fight agajnst the wage-reduction plans, :s concerned est it should earn public censure for delaying unnecessarily the rehabilitation of the d evastated area in Hawke's Bay. Firm Stand by Mr. Forbes.

Mr. Forbes, in rejecting the suggested change in .iiis plans, declared that, all the talking in the world would not alter the Government's intentions with regard to Its economic proposals. The issue should Vie disposed of in 24 hours. Mr. Forbes* fldamaijt determination has pleased his party. He gave a convincing glimpse of ■this quality when facing unemployed demonstrators en the steps of Parliament. Buildings on Thursday and his refusal to "beat about, (he bush" has undoubtedly Increased the regard in which he is held personally.

Parliament will henceforward meet on six days cf the week. In the. meantime sittings/'will not continue past midnight, but, should Labour's opposition be as protracted as is threatened, it is likely thai even longer hours will be worked. Tn tin's atmosphere of uncertainty the House v ill resume to morrow. The danger of the Government yielding to Labour seems now to, be past. Indeed, it i= possible the Government will prove uncompromising on all the main points and elect to stand or fall entirely on the programme announced by Mr. Forbes a month ago. How seriously, the .Government views the position i$ illustrated by an authenticated statement that Mr. Forbes is gravely concerned lest a further wage "cut." should be necessary later.