PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 20 July 1934, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

T TARIFF DEBATE ENDS. Discussion on the report of the Cus- . toms Tariff Commission came to an end the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, when the Minister of /Customs, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, re- , jdjbd to arguments used by speakers who had participated in the debate. Mr •Coates indicated that the Customs Amendment Bill giving effect to the resolutions adopted last week would not make its appearance for at least three weeks. He wished to give full ■opportunity for the hearing of representations and was most anxious that no injustice should be done to any section of the community. Division bells rang for the first time this session in the House when a division was taken on the second reading of the National Credits and Currency Bill, sponsored by Mr H. G. R. Mason (Lab., Auckland Suburbs). In this Bill Currency is based on production and the distribution of credit to the people on the basis of production values for the year. It was defeated by 37 votes to 21. The Labour Party received the support of several Independents. Several other Bills, both Government and private, were dealt with. The Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Bill and the Arms Amendment Bill were both passed, and second readings were accorded the Mutual Eire Insurance Amendment Bill and the Opticians Amendment Bill. TO-DAY’S SITTING. WELLINGTON, This Day. _ In the House of Representatives this morning, Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon) sought leave to introduce the Unemployment Amendment Bill, and said it was aimed to prevent a repetition of what he could - only characterise as a wanton, barbarous cruelty inflicted upon three or four hundred men in Christchurch by the Unemployment Board. The men were taken off relief works and placed on sustenance at half rates. He said the position of the Unemployment Board was indefensible, and asked the House to repudiate the Board’s action. In the name of common humanity, he wanted the Government to tell the Unemployment Board to pay the sustenance rate provided by the original Act, which was still on the Statute Book. Mr W. A. Veitch . (Wanganui) said the men in his district were worse off than those in the cities, and referred to the differentiation in the treatment of. city and country relief workers. **The Leader of the Opposition, Mr J. Savage, said he received representations from all parts of New Zealand stating the conditions under which people are expected to exist and said people were not going to put up with the position for all time. It was a question of humanity. There had to be a stopping place somewhere or some time, yet the Government did nothing. The Hon. A. D. McLeod (Wairarapa) said he knew relief workers were not receiving enough but country men were worse off than city men. No member had yet shown where the money was to come from to remedy the position. Mr R. Semple (Wellington East) protested against wealthy people and firms receiving subsidies from the Unemployment Board. The money should have gone to workers.

AN UNNECESSARY BOARD. A Bill to abolish the Unemployment Board is to be introduced shortly by Mr D. G. Sullivan (Lain, Avon). Mr Sullivan gave notice of it in the House of Representatives yesterday. He explained later that the measure would provide for the abolition of the Unem- j ployment Board and the provision of ; adequate sustenance for unemployed 1 on the scale provided by the original Act. MONEY FOR LOTTERIES. In the Legislative Council yesterday, the Hon. Y. A. Ward asked whether , the Government could give an indication as to the amount of money sent abroad for investment in lotteries, as it had been, reported that £30,000 had been returned to New Zealand from . investments in the Irish sweepstakes,' J and it was a well-known fact that many thousands of pounds had been returned to New Zealand from Aus- j tralian sweepstake lotteries. | The Leader of the Council, Hon. E. Masters, replied that the Government had no information as to the amount of money sent abroad for investment in lotteries, a statement which was received amid laughter. FOUR-YEAR PARLIAMENT. The permanent extension of the life of Parliament from three to four years is the object of the. Electoral Amendment Bill (No. 2), notice of which was given in the House of Representatives yesterday by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes. By section 35 of the Finance Act passed during the emergency session early in 1932, the duration of the present Parliament was extended by one year, so that the next general election will take place in 1935 instead of at the end of this year, as it. would have done had no extension,been made.' The purpose of the present Bill is to extend this provision to subsequent Parliaments, thus making a maxilnum interval of four years between general elections. An Electoral Amendment Bill providing for permanent four-year Parliaments was introduced during the 1932-33 session, but not proceeded with. In that measure there'was also a consequential amendment in the. direction of providing that the elections of licensing committees should take place every fourth year instead of tiiennially as at present. No specific provision is necessary regarding the licensing poll. No such poll was taken at the last general election in 1931, a postponement Bill having been passed by Parliament earlier in the year. It was thereby provided that the poll should be taken at the second general election after the passing of the Act, which is next year. The main Licensing Act of 1908 simply provides that the licensing poll shall be taken on the day of the general election.