PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21164, 22 April 1932, Page 11

PARLIAMENT.

REDUCTIONS in wages.

CIVIL SERVANTS' PAY.

XOWER SCALE ADOPTED.

FAIRLY close division.

SIOW .PROGRESS ON BILL.

[Bt XELEGEAP-r.—SPECIAL PEPORTEP.] "WELLINGTON, Thursdny

'Although Parliament has worked through the ni?ht almost to dawn on jjje last two silting days, progress with Committee stages of the National Expenditure Adjustment Bill has been painfully s ' ow '- allc * ' c "H e to-night there v , s the almost certain prospect of a jjird successive all-night sitting. By midnight, the House had been 17 Jionrs/ in Committee and was still discussing clauses in the first section of the bill, which comprises six divisions. Almost the whole of the talking had been done by Labour members, whose speeches were to a large extent a repetition of facts and arguments adduced at the second reading stage. Restriction by Chairman.

A restrictive ruling was imposed by {he Chairman of Committees, Mr. S. G. Smith, early this evening, when he laid it dovpn that further references to the report of the National Expenditure Comxnission, many of whose recommendations are embraced in the hill, were out of order on the grounds of irrelevancy and tedious repetition. Several Labour speakers made determined efforts to discuss subjects with no direct bearing on the particular clause under consideration, and stern calls for order were frequently made. A particular offender in that respect was Mr. R. Semple (Wellington East), who had jeveral brushes with the chairman. The particular purpose of the first part of the bill is to reduce Civil Service salaries, and the honoraria of members of Parliament themselves came under consideration in the early hours of this morning. When the previous cut in members' salaries was made last year the corresponding clause was passed without discussion, but on this occasion a lively debate ensued and the issue was tested Jn the division lobbies.' The clause prescribing the scale of the graduated cut in the salaries of civil servants was under sustained criticism by Labour speakers for the greater part of this afternoon, and the closest division up to that stage resulted when the clause pas adopted bv 39 votes to 31. J Four Government Opponents.

In addition to support from Independent members, Labour secured the votes of four Government members, Messrs. J. !A. Nash, A. Harris, A. M. Samuel and fl. A. Wright, It is possibla that even closer divisions irill occur when the section of the bill (dealing with pensions is reached. For several hours in the evening, clause tight, reducing grants to local boards for salary payments, was under fire, particular criticism being directed at the effect of the provision on hospital staff salaries. The supper hour was reached with the Hebate on th 3 clause still uncompleted, fend up to that stage the Prime Minister, the Rfc. Hon. G. W. Forbes, had not once tad recourse to the closure to expedite progress, although such a course would fcwe been usable.

Labour speakers talked themselves out en clause eight at eleven o'clock, and the clause was passed by 43 votes to 29. The ninth clause "dealing with the saving of right;; of contributors to the Superannuation Funds -was passed after the application of the closure. The debate tad then developed an extremely dull aspect and many of the members who .were present to maintain a quorum were stretched out on the benches in attitudes pf repose. TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES. HIGH PAYMENTS CRITICISED. MINISTERS AND JUDGES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. During the debate in the House early this morning on the clause in the National Expenditure Adjustment Bill defining •" salary," Labour members contended that if house and lodging allowances were to be subject to the reduction there should be no exemption in the case of travelling allowances. Mr. R. McKeen (Labour —Wellington South) said hist financial year five departments had spent £109,371 in travelling expenses, and under the same heading, Ministers had charged up £11,753. Judges cf the Supreme and Arbitration Courts, together with magistrates, had collected £11,630 'in travelling expenses. Four officers paid under the Native Land Purchase Account had receiver! £IOB7 in travelling expenses and allowances, ari average of £'27l each. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, subsequently moved to limit the exemption for travelling allowances to £1 a day. This was defeated by 42 Totes to 27." employment of youths. UTMOST BEING DONE. finding work on land. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PR~SS ASSOCIATION.] / 'WELLINGTON. Thursday. Replying to a question in tlie House of Kepresentafivps to-day, Ihc Rt. Hon. J. "• Coates, Minister in charge of Unemployment, said while the Government and the Unemployment Board realised that preference had io be'given to adults, the government was. rloiupr jt s utmost to Secure the employment of youths on (he •yd and to encourage the employment ® Joung people in industry.

training colleges.

amount of allowances.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRKSS ASSOCIATION.] "iVF.LTJXGTON", Thursday. Home of Representatives to-day tni ci r 'fflit (Government—Welling0 i Suburbs) drew attention to the report the National Expenditure Commission ®>ommending that' the allowance to train"f c °llege students be reduced to £52 ' an num. H e asked whether the Govinent intended to adopt this recomtlv 011 ;lll d also whether it was aware students at the colleges had entered 1W i r s * ,l( l' es on the understanding <3uc ( a 'l° %vanc es would not be re-

JTh. Prime Minister, the Rfc. Hon. G. a ' or '} es > said the question of allowces to training college students was at f. f e 'k receiving the consideration of the atu , eruilent - It was not a fact that Wndo 1 * 5 en^ ore( l the service on the rs.anding that the allowances would ® reduced during .their .term.-