THE DEBATE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 77, 31 March 1931, Page 9

THE DEBATE.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, March 31. The House of Representatives met at 10.30 this morning. Urgency was accorded the passage of the Finance Bill. A division taken on the question resulted in the adoption of the Prime Minister’s motion by 42 votes to 24. Immediately. the House went into committee a division was taken on Mr Parry’s amendment seeking to exclude sums of £2lO and under from the operation of the cut. The amendment was defeated by 42 votes to 27, Messrs Hogan, Massey, Black, Rushworth, Wilkinson, Wright and Young voting with Labour. Mr J. M’Combs then moved that the cut should not apply to the “ wages of married men or single men with dependents in receipt of £5 0s 8d a week or less.” He said that he hoped the Prime Minister would see his way to make this concession, but he feared that Mr Forbes was not prepared to listen to appeals from any section of the House other than the Tories. Mr Forbes said he was satisfied that no one would be one whit worse off after the cut had been applied. It would be infinitely better for the workers if the finances of the country were kept on a sound basis. Threats Of No Use. The Prime Minister said if the people making outside demonstrations thought that threats were likely to deter the Government from doing its duty they did not know the British race. Mr Forbes proceeded to reiterate his opinions concerning the reduction in the cost of living which were bound to follow. He was repeatedly interrupted with cries of “ Resign,” “ Resign! ” and “ Go to the Country,” from the Labour benches. Mr J. S. Fletcher (Independent, Grey Lynn), declaring that he was no foreigner, took exception to the tone of the Prime Minister’s remarks and stated that protests against the reduction of wages had not been confined to outside the House. He complained that the Government had taken absolutely no notice of suggestions from members as to alternative ways of meeting the present position. Other Labour members supported Mr M’Combs’s amendment. Resources Of Country. Mr Coates said that the House had to accept the Prime Minister’s assurance that there were insufficient resources to continue paying the present rates of wages, and if there was a reduction of the cost of living there would be no hardship. The Prime Minister had promised that if there were cases of hardship they would be dealt with by a tribunal. The Hon S. G. Smith (Minister of Labour) said that he was making a statement to-day about the unemployment position. He stated that of 33,000 unemployed work had been found for at least part of a week for 28,000. Division List. A division was taken at midday on the amendment moved by Mr M’Combs which was rejected by 41 votes to 30. The division list was as follows: For the Amend- Against the Amendment (30). mend (41). Armstrong Ansell Barnard Atmore Black Bitchener Carr Broadfoot Chapman Burnett Fletcher Campbell Fraser Clinkard Harris Coates Hogan Cobbe H. E. Holland De la Perrelle Howard Donald Jordan Endean Langstone Field M’Combs Forbes M’Keen Hall Martin Hamilton Mason Hawke Massey ITealy Munro H. Holland W. Nash Jones O’Brien Jull Parry Linklater Rushworth Lye Savage M’Donald Semple M’Dougall Sullivan MacMillan Sykes Macpherson Wilkinson Makitanara Wright Munns Young Murdoch Ngata Poison Ransom Smith Stallworthy Taverner Te Tomo Veitch Waite Ward Williams Williams Mr Parry then moved to limit the ? pp i^vl lon cut to sums exceeding £2OO. After a very brief discussion this was rejected by 41 votes to 30, whereupon W - Nash moved a similar amendment with respect to £l9O. The debate on this issue was continued till the adjournment of the House at 1 p.m. Labour members urged the Government to give some guarantee that it would endeavour to force down rents and interest rates. Lower Prices. Mr D. M’Dougall (United, Mataura)

gave the _ House the results of visits to shops m the city during the morn--“e said that he had ascertained that, meat prices were down and mutton in particular was down 35 per cent. Groceries were down 10 to 14 per cent, butter, eggs and cheese prices had been reduced ‘and boots had fallen 25 per cent. Mr M Dougall said that Labour members were asking for a guarantee that something would happen when that very thing had already happened.