MORE NEW BILLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22481, 27 July 1936, Page 11

MORE NEW BILLS

WORK' FOR HOUSE SOME DELAY INDICATED mortgage adjustment LEGISLATION THIS WEEK [by telegraph—SPEClAL reporter] WELLINGTON, Sunday Apparently refreshed by their respite of five weeks, members of Parliament lost no time in getting down to business after the House of Representatives resumed last Tuesday to deal with the second instalment of tho Government's legislation. There were only three real working days during the •neck just closed, but in that time three bills which were introduced before tho adjournment hast month were passed a nd two new policy measures of importance, ihe Finance Bill restoring wage and salary cuts and the Prevention of Profiteering Bill, made their appearance. For Government members it was a particularly busy week. They met in caucus on Monday to be given details of the Government's plans for the balance of the session and the caucus discussions continued daily during periods trhen the House was not sitting until Thursday. Even then it is understood only three hills were considered in detail, but doubtless tho whole trend of future policy was discussed. Slackening the Pace

In addition some significance has been attached to a statement made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, after he had met his supporters in caucus, to the effect that the Government intended to slacken the pace somewhat during the next "three months and to study the effects of legislation already passed so that alterations and corrections could be made if they were found necessary. In some quarters this has been taken as an indication that the rank and file of the Government have come back from the country with a realisation of the value of caution in politics as in most other things. Exactly how far the pace of legislation can be slackened remains to be seen.- The Prime Minister has already agreed that at least nine bills, all of some degree. of importance, will be necessary this session and it is presumed that a reasonable amount of time must bo allowed for the Budget debate and the discussion on the Estimates. Apparently the Government's aim is to bring the session to a close about the middle of October, but a legislative programme has the habit of growing while the House is sitting and it may well be, the middle of November before the adjournment is taken. The House "Marks Time" Members of the Opposition are starting on this part of the session with much more confidence than they displaved when the House opened. They " hold that the anti-Government forces which were partially scattered by the force of the election verdict are now consolidating and that the Opposition itself will be able to give a voice to this body of public opinion. Although the Government's immediate legislative programme is comparatively well advanced, unavoidable delays in, the final drafting of bills saw the House "marking time" on occasions during the week. This was most notable on Wednesday and Thursday when the Government was obviously playing for time in- a desire to have the second reading debate on the Finance Bill delayed until Thursday evening. Accordingly, practically the whole of Wednesday's sitting was given over to a long processional of praise from Government members on the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, while Thursday afternoon witnessed an unusually protracted debate on the Judicature Amendment Bill, a comparatively simple measure Providing for the restoration of trial y jury in certain civil cases. Mr. Lee's Bright Speeches Thursday was an oratorical gala day for Mr. J. A. Lee (Government —Grey Lynu). It is no easy task for any member to hold the attention of the* House for the duration of two speeches in one day, but with his contributions to the debates- on the Judicature Amendment Bill and the Finance Bill Mr. Lee scored a Parliamentary triumph. There is no man in the House who ; can use more skilfully the weapon of ridicule, and, with his flair for a phrase spicing his comments on Judges and juries, ' increased wages and decreased interest, lie not only hold the attention of the House but had members on both sides of it laughing with him throughout two delightful interludes in the sobriety of Parliamentary debate. The new legislation which has appeared to date is of far-reaching significance. In the Finance Bill the Government's proposals for the restoration of all wages and salaries to the 1931 level have been shaped with painstaking detail. There are many who have thought that the restoration could have been effected by a much more simple legislative procedure, but the Government's aim is to make the restoration apply to all to whom it can be made to apply. Accordingly there was a genuine effort not to leave anv loopholes in the bill. ' ■ Prevention of Profiteering The second. new measure, the Pre- ; mention of Profiteering Bill, was intro- j duped by Governor-General's Message only a few minutes before the House adjourned for the customary week-end recess. It, too, is likely to be farreaching in its effects, providing as it does for tlio declaration of basic prices for all commodities at the lowest rates ruling on June 1, for proceedings on the grounds of profiteering against any people who make unreasonable increases above the basic prices, and for the set- i ? in g up of a judicial tribunal comprising a specially appointed magistrate v 'th authority to control and regulate r ™. cs 011 this basis. *he debate on the bill will be opened as soon as the Finance Bill is passed, and some interesting discussion is anticipated. Another major bill, that providing ror the readjustment'of all mortgages 'bo basis of the guaranteed price mr dairy products, is expected to make I its appearance during the coming week. fl s operate in conjunction with "e Government's guaranteed prico scneiue it, will probably have to be Passed before August 1. when the State marketing of dairv products will come into operation. '