PARLIAMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 15

PARLIAMENT

CUSTOMS BILL REDUCING BEER DUTIES SEASON FOR CONCESSION LABOUR PARTY DOUBTS A PERSONAL ARGUMENT [BT TELEGRAPH- —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Friday A controversy regarding the equity of the Government's proposal to reduce import and excise duties on heer by 3d a callon resulted in the House of Representatives making poor progress to-day on the Committee stages of the Customs Acts Amendment Bill. The argument developed alone personal lines, the principal parties involved being the Minister of Customs, Mr. Coates. and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage. The result was that Labour members determined to hold up the progress of the bill in retaliation for what they considered to be an unfair attack on their leader. There seemed to be a reluctance on the part of Labour members to accept Mr. Coates' explanation that the reduction in the excise duty on beer ■was wrapped up in the question of developing a market for New Zealand hops in England. An/, interesting division on the beer duty question was in prospect, but owing to Labour's blockading tactics, the division bells had not rung when the time for the adjournment arrived. Earlier in the sitting, the argument on the wheat duty question was renewed. The real issue on this question will arise when the items in the schedule of the bill are reached, but a division was forced on clause nine of the bill, which has reference to one aspect of the question, namely, the conferring of power on the Minister to make decisions if any dispute arises as to the current domestic value of wheat. The clause was retained by 59 votes to 6. Several important reports were tabled to-day, the priucipal one being from the Select Committee of members of Parliament which inquired during the recess into the monetary system. This report has been the subject of facetious inquiry in the House ever since the session began, and it came as no surprise to hear Mr. P. Fraser (Labour — Wellington Central) inquire whether the Government proposed to set aside a session for its discussion. The report covers 92 pages, while the evidence runs into 746 pages. As* confidently predicted, the committee's findings were not unanimous. Other reports tabled to-day covered the year's activities of the Post and Telegraph, Agriculture, Lands, Mines and Crown Land Settlement Departments. When the House resumes on Tuesday, ''consideration of the Customs Bill will be continued. POST OFFICE PROFITS YEAR'S TOTAL OF £551,814 REVENUE SHOWS DECREASE [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER 1 WELLINGTON, Friday A decrease in revenue of £93,518 compared with the previous year is shown in the annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department, tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. Tbe sum of £3,200,414 was received during the year ended March 31, against £3,293,932 for the year 1932-33. The report, however, states that the position showed an improvement toward the end of the year, an improvement which had been 'maintained and which had become general in the opening months of the new financial year. Payments for the year in respect of working expenses, including interest on the capital liability of £553,000 and £36,739/ provided by the depreciation fund, totalled £2,648,600. The excess of reofeipts over expenditure was therefore £551,814, and the sum of £154,388 was paid to the Consolidated Fund during the year. PEOPLE'S SAVINGS 4*o ST OFFICE BANK BEST YEAR SINCE 1921 / ■' fBY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER! WELLINGTON. Friday The result of the past year's working of the Post Office Savings Bank is the' best obtained since 1921, and a vast improvement on the previous three years, according to the annual report of the Post and Telegraph Depresented to the House of Representatives to-day. Deposits amounted to £19,420,00« J. compared with £16,933,176 for the previous year. Interest credited to depositors was £1,231,089. Withdrawals totalled £17,818,1/2. compared with £19,635,928 for the previous year. The excess of deposits °^® r withdrawals amounted to £1,610,681. compared with an excess of withdrawals over deposits of £2,702,752 lor the previous year. • ; , The total amount at the credit of depositors on March 31 was £44,8/0,091. an increase of £2,841,/70, compared with the previous year. The amount accumulated in the bank represented an average of £28.95 per capita for l /he Dominion. THE WHEAT DUTIES CLAUSE NOT ALTERED [by Telegraph—press association] WELLINGTON, Friday When the committee stage of the Customs Acts Amendment Bill was resumed in the House of Representatives to-day, the question of the wheat duties again aroused considerable discussion. Mr. W. Nash (Labour—Hutt) moved an amendment giving the Minister power to make such provision as would ensure (a) the. complete control of the pioduction and importation of wheat and whesit products; (b) the control or prices of wheat, flour, bread and other wheat products; (c> an adequate guaranteed price to wheatgrowers; (d) the payment of standard rates of pay in wheat, flour and bread-making industries. . , The Chairman of Committees ruled the amendment out of order, as it was not pertinent to the clause concerned and should have been dealt with under the Board of Trade Act, and also as it involved an appropriation. Mr. Nash said in that case he would move the amendment later as a new clause. » A division was called for on the briginal clause, and the < clause was fcgreed to hy 59 rotes to six».