PARLIAMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21325, 28 October 1932, Page 13

PARLIAMENT

LONG BUDGET DEBATE '/• ANOTHER FULL DAY SPEECH BY MINISTER ✓ DEFENCE OF ARAPUNI . / MEMBERS YET TO SPEAK [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL REFORTER] "WELLINGTON, Thursday It was demonstrated to-day that the Government is in no hurry to conclude the Budget debate, for of eight speakers, six were Coalitionists. Thus, the week, which opened with the prospect of the debate being finished by Wednesday, has almost run its course without the end yet being reached. There are eight or nine members still anxious to speak, so only a special effort will result in the debate being concluded to-morrow, and the way cleared for the beginning of the tedious task of considering the Estimates. One of the most interesting speeches of the day was made by Mr. W. P. Endean (Government —Parnell), who criticised Parliamentary procedure and suggested methods whereby the cumbersome machine might function with greater efficiency. The last speaker of the day was the acting-Minister of Public Works, the HonC. E. Macmillan, who was only the second Cabinet minister to take part in the debate, to which 44 speakers have so far contributed. He' devoted a considerable section of his speech to reprimanding Jeremiads who had declared that the Arapuni hydroelectric scheme had been built on a volcanic ash-heap, and declared that there was every prospect of the works proving B, real asset to the Dominion. If to-morrow's speakers can be kept within reasonable compass, it is probable that the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, will wind up the debate late in tlje afternoon. THE CUSTOMS BILL NOW PRACTICALLY READY INTRODUCTION NEXT WEEK [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] ;/ WELLINGTON, Thursday The Customs Bill, incorporating the resolutions embodied in the Ottawa agreement, which have already been passed by Parliament, is expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives early next .week. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said this evening that the bill was now practically ready. The Government had intimated that it would delay the introduction of the bill in order to allow those concerned in the customs changes to make their representations. Mr. Forbes stated that very few representations of that kind had been received, a fact, which supported the Government's belief that the concessions made woulcl be accepted by manufacturers as fair and reasonable. In any case, the agreement with Great Britain had now been ratified by the House, and nothing could be done to change it. TRANSPORT BOARD FINANCE h • SINKING FUND PAYMENTS CHANGES PROPOSED IN BILL [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday Notice of his intention to introduce the Transport Board Conversion of i Loan Empowering Bill was given by Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Labour —Auckland Suburbs) in the House to-day. It was explained by Mr. Mason in an interview that the purpose of the bill is simply to enable a sinking fund at not less than 1 per cent to be substituted for the rate of 2£ 'per cent now being paid in respect of debentures issued by the City Council, in respect of which the Transport Board is now the body liable for payment. There was no arrangement for any specific rate of sinking fund made with any other party upon the issue of the debentures, which were the debentures issued on the purchase of the tramway system from the old company. The City Council fixed the sinking fund at 2£ per cent, as that would clear all capital liability at an early date out of revenue, which was then plentiful, and easily admitted of the payment. Now that times were harder, and the revenue not buovant, it was expedient to reduce the instalments of capital payments which were being made out of Transport Board revenue, and the bill, which had been agreed on by the City Council and the Transport Board, would make a very substantial contribution toward that result. The foregoing description applies to the bill as it will be amended in accordance with the agreement between tho City Council and the Transport Board. DOMINION CEREALS INCREASE IN ACREAGE FIGURES FOR PRESENT SEASON [BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday The Census and Statistics Office publishes in the Gazette to-night the estimates of acreages under wheat, oats and barley throughout the Dominion for tho season 1932-33 as follows, the actual returns for the previous year being given Sn parentheses: —Wheat, 294,000 acres (280,602); oats, 407,000 ( 364,354); barley, 19,C00 (27.040). The total acreage devoted to the growing /of grain is 720,000, compared with 671,956 last season, an increase of 48,044 acres. In potato growing there is a reduced acreage of 2486, the total this season being 2i,300 acres, against 23.786 last season. Cards were sent out to grain and potato growers throughout the Dominion, asking them to state the areas they had sown or planted or intended to sow or plant this season. Only holdings of one acre 'or over outside borough boundaries are covnred by the figures. AUCKLAND CITY BILL FIRST READING PASSED [by telegraph—press association] ' 1 WELLINGTON, Thursday The Auckland City Empowering Bill "(Mr. M. J. Savage) was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives to-day.