FROM THE GALLERY.

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19065, 2 October 1933, Page 8

FROM THE GALLERY.

WEEK IN PARLIAMENT.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY UNFINISHED

MANY BILLS ON ORDER PAPER. (Own Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Sunday. Although hopes had been entertained in Government circles that it would be possible to conclude the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives before the weekend adjournment on Friday it now seems that it will run well into the present week. The way will 'then be clear for the more important work of the Parliamentary session. Little time has been lost in building up the Order Paper, and already ten Government Bills have been read a first time. A start will be made with these after the disposal of the Address-in-Reply. Most of the Government Bills are of an amending nature, and had it not been for Cabinet’s preoccupation with the many complex problems arising out of the depression some of them would probably have made their appearance before this. In addition the Order Paper also contains a considerable number of private and local Bills. Ttiere is ample business therefore to engage the immediate attention of the House. The Companies Bill and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bill, two of the major measures of the session, have yet to be introduced.

Extensions of Time. When the House adjourned on Friday afternoon the twenty-sixth speech in the Address-in-Reply debate was being made. So far Labour has provided thirteen speakers, and the Government Including three ministers, eleven. Two Independents, Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) and Mr. W. A. Veltch (Wanganui) have also taken part. The House has been In Indulgent mood, freely granting extensions of the customary thirty-min-utes speaking time. One or two members have been content with about aquarter of an hour to express their views, but in nearly every case the extension has been availed of. It is understood that all the Labour members intend to speak, having adopted the usual practice of drawing lots for their order In the debate. Apart from the no - confidence amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. 11. E. Holland, and the amendment to that amendment subsequently moved by Mr. Wright little of interest has taken place inside the House. Mr. Wright’s amendment, which was seconded T>y Mr. A. Harris (Government, Waitemata) is designed to secure a straightout vote on the exchange issue, and to the annoya'nce of the Labour Party has the effect of substituting different reasons for expressing lack of confidence. An identical situation occurred last session when 'Mr. H. M. Rushworth (Country Party, Bay of Islands) also challenged the reasoning in the Labour no-confldence amendment, and as on that occasion the Opposition again faces the prospect ot having' its long list of indictments voted off the Order Paper.

Many References to Exchange. The fact that since he had been In the House he had listened to at least a dozen no-confidence amendments moved by Mr Holland was mentioned by the lion. A. D. McLeod (Government —Wairarapa). Mr McLeod expressed the view that Mr Holland had made many better speeches than his effort in support of the present amendment. -In his judgment last Wednesday’s speech the poorest of the lot. He wondered if Mr Holland had ■fallen a victim to the record-breaking craze, since he now had the reputation of having moved more unsuccessful no-confidence amendments than any other politician in the Empire. Hardly a speaker In the debate has resumed his seat without a reference to exchange. Indeed nearly every day notice has been given of a question dealing with some phase of the question. Close voting Is anticipated on Mr Wright’s amendment, although the indications are that the margin will ■be much the same as that on the division taken last session on the second reading of the Banks Indemnity (Exchange) Bill, which was agreed to by 43 votes to 35. This Is an unusually large vote, representing as It does 78 members of the House. The Speaker, Sir Charles Statham, and the absence from New Zealand at the time of Mr W. J. Jordan (Labour — Manukau) accounted for the other two. Voting on Indemnity Bill.

Members other than Labour members who voted against the second reading of the Banks Indemnity (Exchange) Bill were Mr Wright, Mr Harris, Mr Veiteh, Mr Rush worth, Mr A. Atmore (Independent—Nelson), Mr W. A. Bodkin (Government —Central Otago), Mr D. McDougall (Government —Mataura), Mr P. McSkinnning (Government —Clutha), Mr A. J Slalhvortlry (Independent—Eden), the Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Government —Dunedin West), Mr E. T. Tirakatene (Independent Southern Maori), Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Independent —Egmont). Two members, who opposed the Bill, at present out of the Dominion are Mr W. Nash (Labour —Hutt) and Mr Stewart.

The Budget and Estimates will make their appearance later this month. With the talk of reorganisation of the defence system the defence estimates will be unusually Interesting this year. Although every opportunity has been taken to reduce unnecessary expenditure, the estimates of most departments are not expected to show a great deal of variation on the votes last year. The Minister of Finance, the lit. Hon. J. G. Coates, stated during the Lyttelton byelection campaign that it, was obviously impracticable to carry reductions further, and that the policy had been carried lo its full extent. No more sweeping economics were possiblc.