UNEMPLOYMENT BILL PASSED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1073, 10 September 1930, Page 1

UNEMPLOYMENT BILL PASSED

LABOUR’S LAST-MINUTE GESTURE RECOMMITTAL MOVE DEFEATED THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS.. Today. THE Unemployment Bill was read a third time and passed by the House of Representatives early this morning’. The committee stages of the second reading were completed soon after 1 o'clock, following' a long discussion on the sustenance clause and then, before the third reading was moved, the Leader of the Labour Party caused a minor sensation by moving' that the Bill should be recommitted to allow the Government to consider the Labour Party's amendments.

The acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. ■ E. A. Ransom, indicated that if the j motion was carried the Government j would take it that the House did not: want the Bill in its present form, butj nevertheless four Reform members ! announced that they would vote j against the Government. When the ! division was taken the rest, of the j Reform Party, after giving Labour a j fright by sitting still for a moment in i their seats, voted with the Government j and saved the Bill. j THE FLAT RATE When the Bill came out of the committee stages Mr. Holland moved it be recommitted with the object of giv-1 ing the Government time to consider ' the questions raised in committee by : the Labour Party, particularly regard- ! ing the flat rate tax. I Mr. M. J. Savage (Labour —Auck- j land West) supported the amendment ' as also did Mr. J. A. Young (Reform '■ l —Hamilton), who said that the clause | relating to the flat-tax should be fur- | j ther considered. ■ Mr. H. S. S. Kile (Reform—Riccar- : j ton) supported Labour, contending 1 ) that he was voting with Mr. Holland j ! because he agreed that the time had , not arrived in this young country for ; such legislation. | The acting-Prime Minister, the Hon.! j E. A. Ransom, said that it would be i unfortunate if the Bill were recom- : j mitted, as the Government would take ! | that as an indication that the House ! • did not want the Bill in its present ! ! form. I Mr. H. G. Dickie (Reform— Patea) ! ; also said his vote would go in favour : of the amendment, as he believed the j ! time was not yet ripe for the system. Mr. W. D. Lvsnar (Reform —Gisi borne) said he would vote with the i Government, as he believed the Bill! was an honest attempt to grapple with a big problem. Mr. T. D. Burnett (Reform— Temuka) gave as his reason for casting his vote with Labour that he believed the Bill was basically wrong in its intentions. Mr.. P. Fraser (Labour —Wellington Central) pointed out that even if the Labour recommittal proposals were carried Labour would not vote against

i the third reading because it believed, i the Bill was an honest attempt to | solve a difficult problem. ! After answering various speakers { the Minister of Labour, the Hon. S. G. J Smith, claimed that it was unfair at I this stage to make an attempt to kiff j the Bill. If the amendment was ear- ! ried it would have the effect of saying j “This Bill is not wanted.*’ I On a division being taken at 2.5 i the amendment was lost bv 35 ro*e« | to 25. i The division list was as follow*: For the Amendment—2s Armstrong McKeen Barnard Macmllteui Burnett Martin l Chapman Masaev | Dickie Nash, W. ( Fraser O'Brien Hall Parry Holland H. K. Savage Howard Semple j Jordan Sullivan ! Kyle Wright 5 Langston® Tounr j McCombs Against the Amendment—3s | Ansel! .Lysnar Bitchener McDonald | Black Macpherson Bodkin Makita.na.ra. \ Broadfnot Minuu i Clinkard Murdoch Coates Nash, J. A. j Cobbe Ngata , de la Ferrell - Ransom i Donald I lush worth Er.aean Smith | Fletcher Stall-worthy Harris Sykes Healv Veitcb | Hogan Ward Holland. H. Wilkinson I J-inklater Williams i Lye Pairs.—For the amendment: Ccrr, Hur.ro and Mason. Against the Amendment.—A: more, Stewart and Poison. For about a minute after the bells bad ceased ringing Reform members sat in their benches, seemingly irresolute and then Mr. A. Harris (Reform—Waitemata) led most of the party int*> the “Ayes'’ lobby, which ensured the defeat of the amendment. Messrs. Kyle. Dickie, Young and Burnett alone of the Reformers voted for the Labour amendment. After the customary third reading speeches the Bill was put through all stages and passed and the House rose at 3.30 a.m.