COALITION CAUCUS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19945, 1 November 1934, Page 5

COALITION CAUCUS

MEASURE MAY BE REMODELLED (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 31. The passage through the House this session of the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Bill is not proving so simple as the leaders of the Government anticipated, and to meet the growing apprehension of some of the members concerning particular sections of the Bill, a caucus of the Coalition was held during the dinner adjournment tonight. The lobbies subsequently were alive with rumours that the measure was to be held over until next session, but this is not the case. It is understood that members representing dairy districts strongly represented to the Ministers the need for making more adequate provision for immediate and direct financial assistance to the producers of dairy produce, and also sought the reconstruction of the section dealing with the establishment of the Executive Commission of Agriculture. No finality was reached at the meeting, but it is gathered that an effort will be made to meet the requests of the rank and file of the party and so avoid the close call that may be experienced if the Labour amendment to the second reading is forced to a division.

It is reported that the caucus was advised that the Bill will be proceeded with and passed before the adjournment of the House, but that remodelling would be considered. The result of the ministerial re-examination of the situation will be communicated to a further caucus of the party to be held probably to-morrow night. That farmer members are adverse to Parliament surrendering its responsibility to an external supreme body was suggested by a remark made by the Hon. A. D. McLeod (Ind. C. Wairarapa) during the second reading debate in the House this afternoon. He said that there appeared to be agreement outside the House that Parliament had no right to hand over to such a board a responsibility that belonged to the Government. The House should not rid itself of the responsibility. Suggestions are current that the Government could overcome the difficulty by deferring until next session the passage of the provisions relating to the Executive Commission, and that by increasing the finance proposed to be made available to farmers it could defeat the Labour amendment in advance.