POLICY MEASURES

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 46, 25 February 1936, Page 5

POLICY MEASURES

For Coming Session OUTLINED BY PRIME MINISTIL. THE MAIN PROPOSALS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. Important features of the policy measures which will be submitted to Parliament during the session to open next month were outlined to-day by the Prime Minister, the Hon. M. J. Savage. The main proposals are: Extension of the rights of workers under the Industrial Con-

ciliation and Arbitration Act; amendments to the Government Railways Act to place responsibility for the prosecution of railway undertakings on the Government instead of the Government Railways Board; financial proposals which (according to, the Prime Minister, will largely I overcome monetary difficulties; over-; haul of the mortgage legislation, | with particular reference to farmers’j finance, and vital alteration in the | control of the Mortgage Corporation i of New Zealand; increased benefits* to pensioners as a stepping stone to i a universal system of superannua- j tion; legislation providing for the shortening of working hours.

The Prime Minister also indicated that a national health service would be instituted at the earliest possible moment and that the question of dealing with 'the unemployment problem was to receive the immediate attention of the Government. The Prime Minister said that legislation would be introduced making amendments to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act with the object of restoring the facilities which workers had previously enjoyed under the Act, -and there would also be something in addition The object of the Government was to place workers in the position of being able to battle for themselves. Amendments would also be made to the Government Railways Act (which provided for life establishment of the Government Railways Board) to enable the Government to proceed, if it thought'fit, with uncompleted railway lines.

Financial Proposals “Under existing legislation,” sa'id Mr Savage, "it is necessary for the Government to pass a motion through both Houses of Parliament before it can proceed with the completion of these railways. The whole control, indeed, is vested in the board, and the Minister is more or less a cipher. The result of the proposed amendment will be to put the responsibility on the Government through the Minister.” Mr Savage said there would be important legislation dealing with finance. There were a number of public works and other Government activities which were all a question of money. The Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, had been going into this matter for some time and when Parliament met he would be in a position largely to overcome the money problem.

The Prime Minister said he was not yet in a position to give details of the financial measures it was proposed to take. He knew there were all sorts of rumours about and that one. suggestion was there would be a compulsory loan. He could say quite definitely that that had not been discussed.