GOOD PROGRESS

Southland Times, Issue 22898, 25 May 1936, Page 8

GOOD PROGRESS

THE WEEK IN.THE HOUSE BUSY DAYS AHEAD

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter). Wellington, May 24. There has been no slackening in the pace of Parliamentary business during the week just past in the House of Representatives. The Factories Amendment Bill was put through its remaining stages and passed and such good progress has been made with the Transport Licensing Amendment Bill that the measure now requires only the third reading. The Legislative Council too has been working at high pressure and during the week has passed both the Industrial Conciliation and Abitration Amendment Bill and the Factories Bill.

Questions of transport control practically monopolized the attention of the House during the week. The second reading debate on the Bill was opened on Tuesday night, continued on Wednesday night and virtually completed on Thursday, although the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, did not reply until Friday morning. In Committee the House settled down to work with a will. Members of the Opposition continued to contest the measure on principle, but they confined their activities chiefly to putting forward machinery amendments for several of which the Minister promised consideration. It was no mean achievement to have the Committee stages of an important policy measure completed in a day and the Bill itself reported to the House with amendments only a quarter of an hour after the normal time for the adjournment. “Microphone Technique.” The second reading debate on Tuesday and Wednesday nights was responsible for further interesting sidelights in the development of “microphone technique.” In some respects the broadcasting of debates is having a peculiar effect on Parliamentary oratory. Mr Semple, moving the second reading on Tuesday night and Mr Semple replying to the debate on Friday morning seemed two entirely different persons. Faced with the microphones the Minister discarded those verbal fireworks which make him one of the most entertaining speakers in the House. He adhered rigidly to his notes and although his review of transport history in New Zealand and his survey of the provisions of the Bill were both excellently done, he never appeared completely at . his ease. On Friday the microphones were still suspended above the floor of the House, but they were dead. Mr Semple threw himself into the verbal fray with joyous abandon. The natural sequel to the introduction of Parliamentary broadcasting has been the more careful preparation of speeches by members who are granted “microphone privileges.” This in itself has led to a tendency for members to read their speeches, which of course is contrary to the rules of the House. The Speaker, Mr W. E. Barnard, saw fit to draw the attention of members to this fact on Wednesday night.

As the session progresses, there is more and more proof that the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates is the dominating personal force in the Opposition. He has led the attack on practically all the Government’s major policy measures and although he is to all intents and purposes only a private member of the Opposition, he is its hardest working member, just as he was in the last Government. His work so far this session has entirely disproved the suggestion that he was likely to take a back seat, and lends even more interest to his political future. Busy Days. Another busy period is ahead of Parliament this week. A Monday sitting was actually contemplated, but important business has to be transacted by Cabinet to-morrow and in addition the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, has to leave in the evening for Hamilton where he will open the Waikato winter show on Tuesday. When Parliament resumes on Tuesday after the week-end recess, the Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Fraser will act for the first time as Leader of the House.

As previously stated, the third reading of the Transport Licensing Amendment Bill will probably be taken on Tuesday afternoon and subsequently the House is likely to proceed with the second reading debate on the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill which at present is the only other major policy measure remaining on the order paper. However, at least two new Bills are expected to appear this week, so there will be no lack of business confronting members.

The Mortgage Corporation Amendment Bill will probably be introduced on Tuesday. The measure, which provides for complete State ownership of the Corporation <’nd its reconstruction along the lines of the State Advances Department to take over all the lending activities of the Government, has already been approved by a caucus of Government members.

A further Bill dealing with the readjustment of mortgages on the basis of a guaranteed price for dairy products should appear within the next few days.

The Government’s temporary rent relief legislation designed to protect house tenants from evictions without the authority of a Magistrate is also being prepared and may be introduced early this week. All these three new measures, in addition to the Transport Bill and Shops and Offices Amendment Bill are to be passed before the Housp adjourns for the proposed mid-winter recess and the Government also wishes to put through a short finance Bill, one clause of which will provide for the issuing of a general order restoring all salaries and wages to the 1931 levef The mortgage Bills in particular are certain to be strongly contested by the Opposition and the general opinion in Parliamentary circles is that the adjournment will not be taken before the second week in June.