CABINET'S PROBLEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20990, 29 September 1931, Page 11

CABINET'S PROBLEMS.

[MINISTERS HARD AT WORK.

programme for house.

RAILWAY BOARD'S REPORT.

KEEN DEBATE ASSURED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Monday. After a very brief respite over the week-end, members of the Coalition Ministry reassembled round the Cabinet table to-day and discussed tho legislative plan for strengthening the finances of tho Dominion/ The conference was resumed this evening In addition to the various administrative questions which invariably come up for Cabinet consideration the economic position and steps necessary to meet it are being dealt with by the Ministry ' However, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, stated this evening that the Cabinet had not yet been able to deal with specific points of the policy which he will announce to the House of Representatives next week, but he was confident tho House would not bo delaved when the time came for tho resumption of business. He expected that a fairly long debate would follow the presentation of his policy statement which would be in the form of a supplementary Budget, and as members would be allowed a discussion of tho whole financial situation in that debate, the greater part of a week would probably be absorbed.' The House would also be given an early opportunity of discussing the report of the Railways Board upon lines under construction, upon which he was assured there was a vital difference of opinion among members. This would mean that the House would not require the 'first of the new Government's policy bills for at least a week after resumption. Mr. Forbes anticipated that although these measures had not yet been arranged in order of appearance in the House, nor had they even been formulated, a programme sufficient to keep members fully occupied would be ready when the House was free to handle it. The opinion of the Prime Minister regarding the controversial nature of the Railways Board report is confirmed in the lobbies. Several members state that the debate yiH assuredly be keen. "There is intense Reeling upon the stoppage of the South Island Main Trunk," one South Island member said to-day, '-'and the debate will be bitter when the report is discussed in the House."