PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 1 December 1933, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

' LABOUR AMENDMENT. Diseusion on the Estimates was held up in the House of Representatives yesterday by Opposition members debating on the motion to go into Committee of Supply to allow consideration to bejgmm to the remaining classes. By way of amendment Mr W. E. Parr} (Lab., Auckland Central) moved that the time had arrived for the Government to favourably consider restoring the cuts made in pensions. All the afternoon and the early part of the evening sitting was occupied in debating this particular subject. A division was taken, resulting in the rejection of Mr Parry’s amendment by 38 votes to 25.

The voting was followed by a criticism by the Labour Party of the administration of unemployment relief. Exception was taken to the reductions in the allocations to relief workers, but for most part the speeches were alongßhe lines of those made earlier in thvsession, particularly during the debate on the last Imprest Supply Bill. An exhaustive inquiry into the film industry at the earliest possible date was advocated by the Industries and Commerce Committee, .in a report it presented on the Hire of Films Bill, introduced by Mr J. A. Lee (Lab., GreyJtrt’hn). The committee stated that m view of the amount of evidence offering and the limited time at its disposal, it was impossible to undertake such inquiry during the present session. It therefore recommended that such investigation should be made by the Government.

Labour speakers carried on the debate on unemployment until its interruption by the adjournment at midnight. Under the Standing orders the debate cannot be set down as an order of the day for to-day, and on resuming this morning Mr Speaker -will automatically leave the chair and the House will immediately go into committee to proceed with the Estimates. TO-DAY’S SITTING. WELLINGTON, This Day. wUcn the House of Representatives met at 10.30 o’clock this morning urgency was obtained for the passage of fourteen classes of the Estimates, including Agriculture, Railways, Customs, Post and Telegraph, and Health and Mental Hospitals. Replying to points raised during the discussion ori the vote for Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Account the Hon. E. A. Ransom (Pahiatua) said that interest from loans amounted to £1,103,750 in the last financial year. There was no danger of the security of the fund being jeopardised by the hypothecation of reserves. The Minister said that if members could show him individual cases in which tenants had not received a fair run he would undertake to reinstate them either on the same farm or on some other. Tenants who felt that they were not getting a fair deal should make application to the Mortgagors ’ Relief Committee and the Government would be prepared to stand by the recommendations, of that committee. “In view of the unstable prices this is not the time when we can reasonably fix re-valuation for the next twenty-one years,” ho added. “I can save an assurance that the Governmenwktends as soon as prices are reasonably stabilised to deal with this question.” The vote was passed.— (P.A.) ~!<bonus for members? In an urgent question in the House of Representatives yesterday, the Hon. A. D. McLeod (Govt., Wairarapa) asked the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, if he had read in the correspondence columns of “The Dominion” a letter strongly- protesting against any increase being made in the salaries of members of Parliament; and, if he had read this, would he, in view of widespread rumours, state to the Souse whether he had been approached by any group of members during the present session urging that salaries should be increased or a sessional bonus paid. The Prime Minister made the following reply: “There is no foundation in fact for the report that members of the New Zealand Parliament have moved for any bonus or payment in addition, to the present honorarium. The suggfckjon may properly be regarded as a miMievous attempt to provoke discord. ”

The reply was received with expressions of approval.