STATE ADVANCES BILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 44

STATE ADVANCES BILL.

AN INTERESTING PROVISION. (From Oob Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 22. Though the State Advances Biff had been discussed at great length on tho second reading stage, it had no sooner got into Committee than members, but more especially those on the Liberal Opposition benches, began to go over much of the ground again. The,re is, of course, general unanimity in regard to the Government's proposals, though both the Liberals and the Labourites have been asking for more. The division that took place on Mr Masters’s amendment, with a view- to reducing by 1 per cent, the money to repay the existing mortgages under the 1922 Act, was of more than ordinary interest. Had Mr Nash not broken his pair with Mr Ranson (unintentionally), the Government’s majority would have been only three. Mr J. M*C. Dickson (Chalmers) was the only one who left his party on this division. Notwithstanding a strong protest by Mr Massey that the amendment would strike at the root of the proposal, a protest that was emphasised after some remarks by Mr Dickson, the hitter persisted in following the Liberals and the Labour Party into the lobby against his own chief. Another point of interest was the fact that Mr Lee. the Labour member for Auckland East, did not vote. It is understood that he was so convinced that the Biff is one of the most liberal ever introduced that he preferred not to vote for an amendment that might jeopardise its success —an action strangely in contrast with that adopted by the member for Chalmers. The Bill will now a-o to the Upper House, and it should soon become law.