ALL-NIGHT SITTING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17958, 9 December 1932, Page 5

ALL-NIGHT SITTING

LONG DEBATE IN HOUSE FINANCE BILL HOLD-UP LABOR PARTY AMENDMENT (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Sitting throughout the night, Parliament is now able to complete its business in time to take the Christinas adjournment as from this afternoon. Although the manoeuvre had the effect of considerably delaying progress and 'causing members to breakfast at Bellamy’s, Labor failed in its attempt to hold up the second reading of the Finance Bill to enable Parliament to consider various specified means of meeting the Dominion’s financial and economic difficulties and placing the national revenue and finances on a sound basis. The necessary amendment, an outline of which was published yesterday, was moved by Mr. M. J. Savage (Lab., Auck. W’.), and the Opposition staged a full-dress debate in which several Government' members participated,, although none were “caught” by the terms of the motion.

A division was reached at 3.20 a.m., and resulted in the defeat of the proposition by 40 votes to 24 as the first streaks of dawn discovered jaded members at their benches in the Chamber.

The effects of the all-night sitting were reflected in frayed tempers, and two lively debates, one dealing with the appointments of retired civil servants, in which the Government escaped defeat by three votes; and the other, dealing with the payment of Mr. $• 0. Smith and Mr. E. A. Ansell for their services in investigating juvenile unemployment, produced some tense moments. Two bills were passed at the sitting, the Wailangi National Trust Board Bill, and the Taieri Drainage Bill. The Appropriation Bill was introduced, and the Finance Bill was still under discussion at the breakfast adjournment.

INSULT TO NERO’

The Hon. W. Dovvnie Stewart, in moving the second reading of the Finance Bill last evening, said lie did not propose to make a formal speech because the bill contained a wide variety of subjects which could well be explained in committee. In moving the Labor amendment, Mr. M. J. Savage (Lab., Auckland W.) expressed disappointment with the bill, declaring that 1 it was deplorable that in the midst of the greatest financial crisis in the history of the country, the Finance Bill should not contain a line of matter of interest to anyone. Mr. Savage declared that the Government was doing nothing, while commercial houses were tumbling, farmers were being faced with ruin, and wage-earners were destitute.

Mr. T). G. Sullivan (Lab., Avon): Nero fiddling while Rome was burning. Mr. Savage: Why, that is an insult to Nffio. Nero was at least playing a tune. The Government has not got one to play. It played the tambourine a bit at Motueka, and left it at that. NO RELIEF TO ANYONE

Mr. Savage reiterated that the bill did not give the slightest relief to anyone. It appeared that the Government could not afford to bring down anything worth while, because the component parts of Ooaiition were quarrelling among themselves about the proposals. He insisted that the House Jshould not adjourn until the major measures outlined in his amendment had been discussed. His side of the House did not necessarily pin their faith to all of them. There was room for difference of opinion as to the problems facing the country. He appealed for an opportunity to discuss these problems before members returned to (heir homes, and stated that his amendment had been moved in the best spirit imaginable and ho invited the Government to accept it in that spirit. Mr. Howard (Labor) seconded the amendment. lie said the terms of the amendment moved by Mr. Savage were sufficiently, wide to “rope in” all members. He asked whether any of the business of the session, with the exception of the Mortgagors and Tenants Further Belief Act had been of a helpful nature, and contended that the country had waited in vain for a lead from the Government. ADJOURNMENT OPPOSED

Mr. A. D. McLeod (Coal,, Wairarapa) complimented Mr. Savage on the reasonable manner in which his amendment bad been moved, but said he could not extend the compliment to Mr. Howard, who, he said, had given the game away when lie referred to members being “caught,” by the terms pf the amendment. Was the whole object of the amendment to catch- certain members? Personally be was too old a bird to be caught with that sort of chaff. It had been offered too often, from the Opposition benches.

Continuing, Mr. McLeod said the difficulties of the day presented many aspects, and there were varied opinions as to how a solution could be reached For that reason the Government was wise in seeking an adjournment of Parliament for the purpose of enabling the whole position to be re-considered. Replying to a question as to where he personally stood, Mr. McLeod said he had been elected pledged to support the Coalition Government, and he would support it. If .the time came when he was unable to abide by that pledge, he would know what to do. There was only one honorable road for a man to take under such circumstances, so far as his duty to the electors was concerned. Mr. C. 11. Chapman, (Lab., Wellington N.) said Air. McLeod was wrong in his assumption. The purpose of the amendment was to bring before the House the urgent necessity for discussing certain suggestions designed to assist in the solution of the difficulties facing the Dominion. MR. HOLLAND’S CRITICISM The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. |£. Holland, complained that the Government had clone nothing in the direction even of mitigating unemployment, which was tho greatest problem at the present moment. The position was more desperate and more dangerous than ever before in the country’s history. Tho Government did riot seem to realise the danger of a situation in which there was absolute destitution in the midst of plenty. “We sometimes hear a single voice sliouting down into the Chamber,” Mr. Holland said. “Unless something is done to relieve the distress it is not going to remain a single voice. It is oiio voice to-day, but it may be one hundred next week, and, before long there may be a thousand rnen demanding, and justly demanding, relief from Parliament, on whom there is the duty to protect people from starvation.”

Mr. Holland went on to declare that the whole essence of the present economic situation was the breakdown of capitalism. He asked the Minister of Finance whether ho would cause a note couched in similar terms to those of the British note to the United States to be sent to the United Kingdom in respect of New Zealand’s debt there, with a view to easing the position of the Dominion in the present crisis.