PARLIAMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18832, 21 March 1931, Page 18 (Supplement)

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL By Telesrraph—Pres r Association WELLINGTON. March 20. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. Address-in-Replv. Resuming the debate on the Address-in-Reply, the Hon. W. Earnshaw said that never had there been such a difficult time as the present, and it was the duty of all to meet the necessities of the State. He believed that if the Government persisted in its endeavour to place such an intolerable burden on the workers it would lead to convulsions, if not to revolution. Sir F. D. Bell’s speech came as a bombshell, but its arguments were unanswerable. He favoured a tax on wages. He attacked the work of the Unemployment Board, and said that nothing but disaster could come from its policy. The Hon. G. Witty expressed surprise at the suggestion that there should be a tax on sugar, which was one of the necessities of life. He suggested the doubling of the amusement tax, legalising of national sweeps on the lines of those in Tasmania, the licensing of bookmakers and the manufacture of whisky in New Zealand. A lot of revenue could be derived from these sources. Too much was being spent at present on luxuries. He also advocated the manufacture of paper pulp in the Dominion. The debate was adjourned, and the Council rose at 4.30 p.m. until Wednesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Cost of I.iving. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington), gave notice that prior to the Finance Bill being committed to the Committee of the Whole House, he proposed to move:— “That it be an instruction to the Committee of the whole on the Finance Bill that it had power to make provision in the Bill for ensuring that the cost of living, including food, clothing and rent, be lowered simultaneously, with and in proportion to the amount of reduction in salaries of public service employees as specified in the Bill, and simultaneously with and in proportion to the amount of reduction in wages as ordered from time to time by the Arbitration Court under the Bill.” Mortgagees’ Bill. Mr W. Nash (Hutt), called the attention of the Prime Minister to the | fact that certain mortgagees, in anticipation of legislation for relief of * mortgagors. were definitely taking | action to sell under mortgages, and j asked whether the Government would : take immediate steps to protect mortgagors and ordinary creditors. | Mi- Forbes said the Government ini' tended to insert a provision in the I Mortgagors Relief Bill. making its operation effective at the date of the introduction of the Bill, so that any action taken to defeat the purpose of the Bill would be dealt with by the Court. Pensions Appeal Board. I The Hon. J. G. Coates asked whether i it was intended to alter the constitution and personnel of the War Pensions Appeal Board. He added that returned soldiers had received nothing but satisfaction from the present Board. Mr Forbes said reorganisation of the Board in the interests of economy was at present under consideration by the Government. Urgency Accorded. On the motion of the Prime Minister. urgency was accorded the second reading of the Finance Bill. Labour members called for a division. The motion was adopted by 50 to 24, Messrs Black, Harris, Hogan, Fletcher, Rushworth and Wilkinson, in addition to Labour members* voting against it.