UNITED ACTION

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1931, Page 11

UNITED ACTION

CONFERENCE OVERHAUL OF THE BUDGET DECISIONS OF COMMITTEE NEED TO AID PRODUCERS PARLIAMENT TO CONTINUE (By ;Wire— Parliamentary Reporter.) . Wellington, Last Night. •The first meeting of the inter-party committee appointed, to consider the financial position of the Dominion lasted two and a-half hours. It was a longer meeting than was expected as the com- , mittee came to important decisions. The committee has already discarded the suggestion that a separate committee of economists, hankers and other experts should formulate a plan for rehabilitation, as .the parliamentarians hold the strong opinion that New Zealand’s position is completely dissimilar from that of Australia, where the ex--ternalj. debt problem is of. such ■ outstanding importance and warranted the adoption of an economy policy extending oyer several years. Members of I the New Zealand committee prefer to.I hear the considered views of-experts, I who will he invited to attend the meetings and .to put questions to them based on conditions as they exist in j ‘ New Zealand. j It is considered the problem for the I ( New Zealand Parliament to tackle is I j essentially an internal one, the out- j standing feature being the impossibility t

of' large sections of producers continu

ing. their operations while burdened with the present obligations for interest or rent. The State is closely concerned in this aspect owing to the large nuinber of Crown tenants who cannot meet their obligations to the Lands Department out of the reduced realisations from wool.

The first duty of the committee, which it; proposes to tackle on Tuesday, is to cross-question departmental heads regarding their current estimates. The ■view was expressed by the Leader of the Opposition that the Customs revenue estimate, for instance, might be regarded as tod optimistic, and thatiit would be possible for the, committee to ascertain frpm the head of the departmcnt'exactly how these had been framed and make similar investigations regarding other large revenue estimates. The committee will proceed farther than the Cabinet economy committee in exploring additional -possibilities of retrench- I ment on the current estimates expenditure.

By holding sittings of the House only in the evenings members of the committee can-give -Undivided attention to its important business, : -and there is a feeling that with concentrated effort its work may be concluded within a fortnight or three weeks. Meanwhile the financial .debate .is to continue, though the Minister of Finance does not propose to make any contribution to it under the unusual circumstances. There are 1 the Transport Bill, the Licensing Amendment Bill dealing with the postponement of the triennial poll, the Earthquake Building By-laws Bill,

the Trading Coupons Bill and a number ■of local Bills requiring attention, so that little time would be lost by the arrangement which the committee has suggested.

-In a statement issued on behalf of the Independent members they declare that the inter-party committee should address itself, primarily to a. clear diag-

nosis of the economic situation and the formulation of an adequate policy to deal with it; also the formation of a National Government to operate such a policy. The Independents are preserv-

ing a free hand to criticise any decision ■whether it. is accepted or not. Mr. C.;A; Wilkinson has been selected to represent the Independents on the committee.