BUSY DAY SPENT IN HOUSE

Southland Times, Issue 23612, 13 September 1938, Page 8

BUSY DAY SPENT IN HOUSE

Two New Measures Introduced END OF SESSION IN SIGHT EXTENSION OF SITTING HOURS (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 12. For the first Monday sitting of the session the House of Representatives today was in genuine working mood. Three Government Bills were given their second readings, put through committee and passed, and, in addition, two new measures, the Education Amendment Bill and the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, were introduced. At the start of the sitting an indication was given that the end of the session cannot be long delayed. The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) moved for an extension of the sitting hours to midnight tomorrow and on Wednesday and Thursday and he explained that this course was being taken so that all the remaining business could be disposed of by the end of the week. The three Bills passed during the day were the Dairy Industry Amendment Bill, providing for the appointment of farm dairy instructors, the Annual Taxing Bill, re-enacting the rates of land and income tax which have been in existence for the past two years, and the Carter Observatory Bill, providing for the establishment of an astronomical observatory in Wellington. Subsequently a start was made with the second reading debate of the Statutes Amendment Bill. EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL Of the two new measures introduced during the day, the Education Amendment Bill is the only one of any importance. Its main objective is to give legislative sanction to the new salary scheme for public school teachers announced some time ago by the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) and it also provides for the establishment of a Council of Adult Education. Another note of variety was lent to the proceedings of the House as a result of a statement made by the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) at the start of the evening sitting. The Minister gave a review of the Public Accounts for the first five months of the financial year and drew from them the conclusion that the financial position of the country is sound. The second reading debate on. the Statutes Amendment Bill'was proceeding when the House rose at 10.30 o’clock. f