THE ESTIMATES

Southland Times, Issue 22188, 2 December 1933, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES

FOURTEEN CLASSES PASSED. EXPEDITIOUS DISPOSAL. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter). Wellington, December 1. A threat of urgency, meaning that it would sit until 14 classes of the Estimates which the Government wishes to have passed, were put through, had its ellect in the House of Representatives to-day. It was a big hurdle to place before the members, but with the loss of the week-end respite possible, they did not allow their criticism or views to unduly delay the proceedings. The net result was that 10 minutes after the ordinary time for Friday adjournment, the whole of the Government programme had been completed and the spending of £9,477,123 had been authorized.

Three minutes before the adjournment the Health and Mental Hospital Estimates—always a subject for a good deal of discussion—were reached and it was possible that there would be a night sitting, but the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon G. W. Forbes) agreed that facilities for discussing the annual reports of these departments would be afforded, and with that Mr P. Fraser, who had expressed a desire to speak on these subjects, was content to allow the Estimates to be passed. The House did more than a normal day’s work, but there was Thursday’s waste of time to be made up and even the passing of the 14 classes did not compensate for that. However, there are still over 20 classes to be dealt with and members will still have an opportunity to show that they can be expeditious. Tuesday will again be devoted to the Estimates and it is likely that a day will be devoted next week to consideration of Mr E. F. Healy’s Gaming Amendment Bill.