The Waikato Independent TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1931. THE SESSION.

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXI, Issue 1450, 10 March 1931, Page 4

The Waikato Independent TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1931. THE SESSION.

An emergency session of Parliament opens to-morrow to consider the measures put forward by the Government to balance the Budget, and to reduce production costs throughout the country. Mr Forbes has announced with firmness and courage that the Government will stand or fall by his proposals and that they will not brook obstruction or delay. These are brave words, having regard to the fact that the Forbes administration has been dependent since its formation, for its Parliamentary majority on political opponents. The Labour leader, Mr Holland, has already intimated in no uncertain fashion that ho is critical and hostile. Consequently if Mr Forbes '* proposals become the law of the land, it can only be with the support and assistance of the Independents and the supporters of Mr Coates. This fact invests the situation with unusual interest. There are two courses open to Mr Holland. He can challenge Mr Forbes on a noeor.fidcncc motion, with the object of bringing down the Government which Labour has kept in office for the past two years; or he can divide the House. as occasion offers on the actual pro-/ posals themselves. Possibly Mr Holland will do both. It is clear from the utterances of members of the Labour party that they are out to exploit to ;ho fullest extent, the discontent arising out of the depression, and the dissatisfaction that has been engendered iji the public service and among wage earners generally at the prospective cuts in salaries and wages. All is said fro bo fair in Love, War and Polities, and with their eyes on an early general election, Labourites see an opportunity of gaining an accession of Parliamentary support, such as has not occurred for years. On the other hand it seem;; to be certain that the leader of the opposition will rally to the support of Mr Forbes and help him out of the defection of his Labour allies. In thus placing the interests of the country first, Mr Coates will only be doing what s right and proper in the present crisis. Mr Forbes will need all the support the leader of the Opposition can give him, because there are already indications that the United Party is far from united at the present moment. Certain members are at variance with their leader and their support cannot be relied upon in a division. It is hard ro say at the moment how long the session will last or in what form the measures proposed by Mr Forbes will reach the Statute Book. The situation is so delicate and complicated that it will not take much to upset the political apple cart. Sh;uld Mr Forbes' Government fail to survive, there would appear to be no alternative but an election.