LABOURS POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22905, 12 June 1936, Page 9

LABOURS POLICY

SURVEY OF NEW MEASURES

FIFTEEN PUBLIC ACTS SHAPING FUTURE PROGRAMME fFnoit Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 11. New Zealand's first Labour Government has not been slow to give pffeet to the bulk of its promises which it made during the election campaign last year. After 12 weeks in session the Hoiise of Representatives has now adjourned in order that the future legislative programme may be shaped, but already an imposing list of 15 new public Acts has been placed on the Statute Book of the Dominion. All but three of shcso can be described as important policy, njeasures..

A survey of these measures shows how they fit neatly into the pattern of Labour's general plan. Probably the most important piece of legislation of the session was the Reserve Bank Amendment Act, which handed over to the Government complete control of the currency and credit of the country. The principles for the application that control have been clearly enunciated in the Primary Products Marketing Act and the State Advances Corporation Act. These two measures give effect Respectively to the Labour Party's policy of guaranteed prices for dairy products and more liberal advances to settlers and home builders. In both cases provision is made for the finance to be arranged through the Reserve Bank.

The Marketing Act, although not so general in its scope as the amending Reserve Rank legislation, is definitely a matter of major importance. Under its provision a Minister of Marketing has been appointed and a new Department of Marketing established with power to takeover all the dairy products of the Dominion and arrange for their export overseas at a guaranteed return to the producer, variable from season to season. The guaranteed price scheme will come into operation on August 1The power given to the Government to take over all dairy products and to act as sole salesman for New Zealand's dairy exports has been criticised as being more sweeping than the original guaranteed price proposals. Power is given under the Act for a special dairy industry account to be opened at the Reserve Bank and credits can be made available tor the purchase and marketing of dairy products. There is specific power for the Government to carry on accumulating overdrafts in its guaranteed price payments, but in parliamentary circles at present there is considerable speculation as to the possible effect on the scheme of the recent marked rise in butter prices on the London market. The State Advances Corporation Act will enable the remodelling of the Mortgage Corporation as an entirely State institution to take over all the Government's lending activities. Here, too, there is provision for the Government to call on the credits which can be mobilised through the State-controlled Reserve Bank. State control has, of course, been the principle of the Government in itfl major legislative proposals. The money is now in the hands of the State, and its powers of lending are materially increased, while, as already stated, there can be rigid State control of the Dominion's export trade internally. Various national services which were previously conducted by appointed board* have'"heen brought under direct ■ Ministerial control. This aspect of the Government's policy has been applied to the railways, road and air transport, unemployment, and broadcasting. The other point to. which the Government has devoted special attention is the reorganisation of the Dominion's labour laws. Important amendments have been made to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the Shops and Offices Act. and the Factories Act, the main objectives being reductions in the maximum working hours, increases in the minimum rates of pay, the fixing of the basic wage, and general concessions to the workers. The reductions in the working hours will not take effect until September 1. ... , . , The restriction legislation, which was introduced and passed Jate in the session, has been described as only a temporary measure, but there, too, was evidence of the desire of the Government to exercise control over the existing situation until such time as its housing scheme puts it in a position of even greater authority.