SLOW PROGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25321, 1 October 1945, Page 6

SLOW PROGRESS

WORK OF PARLIAMENT

SPARRING FOR TIME

ONLY TWO BILLS PASSPn <S.R.) WELLINGTON SnnH Although two hills were passed 1 others were put through their reading, and discussion wag open*? one of the Government's measures, the Employment Bill p be said to bo Mti^h^

Members of the Opposition have W n at pains to emphasise that they do everything to facilitate the burin* before the House in to get on the real business of the &e ssion b }* Government is showing a marked i luetanee 16 come to K rip S with more important and contentious Wi! turn. At one stage during the week the Government appeared to he sto" walling ,ts own measures to gain time' ' luis the .standard of debate sunk to such a low level as on Thursday mg it. wliou Government members V mU \ !r " n ' ! ' v for of speaking in order to prolong the debate until the House rose. "

Full Employment Although there were five sitting days during the week, oratress woe , i i t , • r ■ l " was remarkably slow. Chief interest centred in the Employment Bill, a measure which U destined to affect- many individual* in the .search for fail employment to which -New Zealand, together with the other Lotted Nartons, subscribed at the San Francisco I,(inference.

1 he l.tll represents half the Governmeni s pust-wnr provisions for full elnployment, t |,,. orilol . lm | f hj( . e ™ promised increase in unemployment benefits, provision for which will L made in the >oeia) Security Amendment Hill yet to be introduced. These two measures, together with a propramire tor the promotion of industry and a nlan for the expansion of public* works/will piovide most of the Government- blueprint for post-war employment. It was on the following day.that the Government commenced sparring for time in earnest, and almost the entire day was spent on the discussion of a Ministerial statement on physical welfare and recreation'which had been tabled last session. Opposition Attitude

The Opposition is doing its utmost to facilitate the passage of some of the minor bills, and it succeeded in setting two bills passed without much diccus■sion. file Scientific; and .search Amendment Bill is purely a machinery measure, which provides for the official .standards and weights "to be transferred to the department concerned. Obviously it had the blessing of the Opposition, as did the Nurses and Midwives Bill, which - consolidates existing legislation and provides- for the registration of male nurses . Two other bills were read a 'second time and referred to the Local Bills Committee. They were the Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill, which removes the existing limit of £4OO for other than manual workers, and the Annual Holidays Amendment Bill, the main clause of which makes it imperative for seven days' notice of annual holidays to be given by employers, The acting-Minister of Labour, Mr O'Brien, however, dropped something of a bombshell during the debate on the first bill when he forecast a State monopoly of workers' compensation, and announced the Government's intention of bringing down a bill to effect this. Bank Bill and Country Quota

The usual afternoon was devoted to written answers by Ministers to members' questions, and it developed into a brisk discussion 011 the coal shortage and the merits of open-cast, mining, with particular attention being paid to recent statements by the general manager of railways, Mr J. Sawers, Departmental estimates again occupied two days, but the House was in rather subdued form.

Apart from the Social Security Amendment Bill, this week should see the presentation of the contentious Bank of New Zealand Bill and possibly a Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill. The Prime Minister also has promised a bill "to adjust the voting system of the. country," which lobbyists take to be his nearest public reference so far to the alteration or abolition of the country quota. The session will enter its fifteenth week on Wednesdav and. if the House is to rise by the middle of November, as promised by the Prime Minister, or by November 12, as predicted by lobbyists, so as not to interfere with the annual Labour Party conference, the tempo will hare to be accelerated considerably.

fhe coming week will consist of only three sitting days, and Estimates again will be' discussed on Wednesday and Friday, while Thursday's business will be local bills in the afternoon' and a continuation of the Employment Bill at night.

LONG PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT HEAD RETIRES CPA.) WELLINGTON, Saturday The permanent head of the Prime Minister's Department, Mr C. A. Jetfery, has entered on retirement leav# after 42 years with the public serrice. He became chief private secretary to the Prime Minister's Department whefl Mr C. A. Berensden, now New Zealand Minister to Washington, was appointed High Commissioner to Australia, Be was fnrewelled by the secretarial corps on Friday, and will be officially farewelled by the Prime Minister on Moilday.

HONOUR FOR PROFESSOR

LECTURE IN AMERICA (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Saturday An invitation to address a meeting of the New York Academy of Physiology at an international gathering to _be held next January under the auspices of the Rockefeller Institute has been received by Professor J. G Fec es, of the Otago Medical School. The honour is regarded as an important one, as tba gathering will be of an international character, with the chief physiologists of the world present. Dr Eccles has received only a preliminary cabled invitation, and is awaiting receipt of a letter containing full details. It is Pr°?? b '® that he will make the trip by air It M accepts the invitation.

SALVATION ARMY LEADER (P A.) WELLINGTON. Saturday The international loader of the Salvation Arm v. General George Carpenter, who will * arrive in Wellington accompanied liv his wife, in January I nill r • tire front leadership in June Br tnen he will be 74 rears of age. Offing to the abnormal world conditions General Carpenter was granted an additional vear of office. , Commissioner J. Kvnn South said today that the High Council would meet in April, when all commissioners ana territorial commissioners would 00 called to London to appoint a successor to General Carpenter, who was ele to leadership in 1 !'•*!'•

PERSONAL ITEMS Mr C. W. Williams, postmaster at 1 Remnera, has been promoted to the position of postmaster at Paeroa. Sub-Inspector M. J- Anglatid, who was transferred from Onehunga to Rotorua at the end of last year niH leave Rotorua today to take char„e of the Greymouth police district. Lieutenant-General K. H. General Officer Commanding the _ Zealand Military Forces is visitiK Auckland. During the week-end Jit » spected military establishments Auckland.