Western Star WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE. FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1938. PARLIAMENT.

Western Star, 4 March 1938, Page 2

Western Star WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE. FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1938. PARLIAMENT.

Parliament resumed on Tuesday, but it is not likely to produce the programme expected when it adjourned a few mohth s ago. The anticipation at that tim© was that, after the adjournment the House would be in a position to deal with measures representing the : remaining items of outstanding importance in the Government’s pre-election pledges, but the Prime Minister’s announcement last Saturday disposes of national superannuation and health services as an immediate question, for it is in much the same pbsition as that reached early in when Mr Coates, Minister of Finance, presented to Parliament tire report of a. committee of Government experts of a compulsory -national superannuation and health insurance scheme. The estimated costs appeared so enormous that this committee recommended further investigation, and the calling of evidence from the medical profession, hospital .authorities, the pharmaceutical profession, friendly societies, .the ' Government Actuary, the Department of Health, and- any other interested persons. That i s .to-da.y’s position, excepting that a different Government is in power. It was in this session that members also expected to be called' on to adopt a new taxation policy having as its objection the shifting of a larger portion burden from indirect taxes to those more direct, s uch as income tax. The sale s ta.x, it wa s understood, was marked down for repeal as one of the most objectionable of indirect taxes. However, ' it is now clear that, beyond some comparatively minor amendments of land and income tax legislation, the House will not bg called on to consider the subject, although a committee of experts has spent, some months preparing for a comprehensive overhaul of the taxation system promised by the Minister of Finance. The postponement of the really big items in the Government’s programme may give the Minister of Education the opportunity to have an im- . po.rtant amendment of the Education Act introduced much .earlier than he had hoped. It would have to be referred to a select committee in order to give an opportunity for taking the views of education authorities on the proposal, among other interesting features, for unification of control in the administration of alt phases of education short of the university. There is to be a Transport Act amendment. Ministerial suggestions have been made that the issue .of drivers’ licenses should become a. State function instead of the responsibility of local bodies! However, the extent of this legislation—a complete consolidation of the transport law has been prepared—ls nob yet determined'. A comprehensive report o n the fishing industry in- New Zealand has been completed by the Parliamentary Committee which took evidence during the recess. This is expected to ]ead to amendments in the Industrial ( Efficiency Act, but the whole programme is far below the standard which wag in the rnin(l s of legislators when they adjourned last December, and a comparatively short session is therefore predicted. Then, when the House resumes for its final meeting, the General Elections will be looming and the third Labour Budget must become an outstanding item , ou thp programme, ' . ' •