PARLIAMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22354, 30 August 1934, Page 10

PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (Abridged from Press Association • telegram.) WELLINGTON", August 29. The House met at 2.30 p.m. UNEMPLOYMENT IN SAMOA. Mr A. S. Richards (Roskill) asked the Prime Minister if he would set up a committee of the House to inquire into the administration of Samoa- in relation to unemployment and cases of hardship. Mr Forbes replied that he bad no knowledge of any cases of hardship, but would ask the Administrator to let him have a report on the subject. CUSTOMS AMENDMENT BILL. The debate on the second reading of the Customs Act Amendment Bill was resumed. Mr H. Atmore (Nelson) referred to Japanese competition, and said that a heavier duty should also be placed on Australian canned fruit, that industry in Australia being subsidised. He urged the raising of the duty on Unmanufactured tobacco leaf. Mr A. E. Ansell (Chalmers) said that Great Britain was definitely going to encourage her .own agriculturists, and for that reason had undertaken to carry out the Ottawa agreement. He complimented Mr Connolly (Mid-Canterbury) for his defence of the sliding scale of wheat and flour duties. He contended that more should be done to divert New Zealand trade to Britain. He criticised the increase in the duty on spare parts of motor cars., Mr W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) said that the hew tariff should be withheld until New Zealand knew where Britain stood in the matter of quotas and the deflation of currency-. After the Minister of Customs (Mr J. G. Coates) had replied, the second reading was carried. (Mr Coates's remarks are reported elsewhere.) EVENING SESSION BUDGET DEBATE. • The whole of the evening session was occupied with the opening speeches in the debate on the Financial Statement, the speakers being the Leader of the Opposition (Mr M. J. Savage) and the Minister of Lands (Mr E. A. Ransom), whose remarks are reported elsewhere. The House rose at 9.30 p.m.