PARLIAMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18831, 20 March 1931, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Tress Association WELLINGTON, March 19. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. Chairman of Committees. The Hon. E. H. Clark, was elected Chairman of Committees, and was warmly congratulated by several speakers. Address-in-Reply. Resuming the debate on the Address-in-Reply, the Hon. Mr. Fagan congratulated Sir Francis Bell on his attack on the Government’s proposals. He agreed that the Budget should be balanced, but disagreed with the methods the Government proposed to adopt. He was particularly opposed to a ten per cent, cut and to the proposal to give the Arbitration Court power to revise awards. By taxing the lower paid man they were limiting his ability to live, but by taxing the higher paid man they were merely taxing his ability to save. He had little faith in the ability of the Industries and Commerce Department to keep down the cost of living The Hon. M. McCallum expressed the opinion that there were hundreds of civil servants who were grossly overpaid. Sir Francis Bell had shown great sympathy for lower paid civil servants, but he had had no word of sympathy for the worker outside the Service who would suffer just as acutely. He hoped the day would be a long time coming when they would find it necessary to put a tax on tea and sugar. He opposed the proposal to hand the railways over to an outside board. The debate was adjourned and the Council rose at 4.35 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House of Representatives met met at 2.30 p.m: Fire Losses. Replying to Mr W. E. Barnard (Napier), the Hon. G. W. Forbes, said arrangements had been made with the Fire Underwriters Association to assist in determining the extent of losses in the earthquake area. Price of Bread. The Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, replying to Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston), said it was not possible to state specifically the actual cost of the production of bread, for the reason that costs varied considerably as between different bakers in the same district. The production of special shape short-weight loaves and “fancy" bread had a material influence on costs per unit of production. Distrij bution cost, which might in a sense be ! regarded as part of production, also varied considerably. Bakehouse production cost in the main centres per nominal 41b loaf varied from approximated 7]d to Bid. The distribution cost for the same loaf varied from approximately 3id to 2d. General expenses must be added to these figures, and these varied from approximately a half-penny to l|d per loaf. The debate on the Finance Bill was then resumed.