POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 11 March 1932, Page 10

POLITICAL NOTES.

[From Otjb Paeliamk?itaet RepoSteb.J WELLINGTON, March 10. Economy Commission. The report of the Economy Commission. will be presented tofe the Hons® to-morrow afternoon. Licensing .Amendment. Explaining his Licensing Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives Joday, Mr F. Langstone (La>;, "Waimarino) said it sought to amend the Act to enable newspapers in no-license and proclaimed areas to publish liquor advertisements. Ho pointed out that newspapers published outside but . circulating in these areas were able to publish such advertisements. His Bill proposed to add a proviso to the clauses dealing- with this 1 subject with a view to stipulating that the publication of liquor advertisements in newspapers published within or outside no-license areas should not be deemed soliciting for orders within the meaning of the Act. This would place all' newspapers on the same footing. Wages Reduction. The Government's attitude in connexion with wage reductions, Which he claimed had destroyed the purchasing power of all the people, was criticised by Mr J. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton) in the House last evening. The problem to-day, Mr McCombs said, was, one of loss of purchasing power, and the Government, instead of increasing the purchasing power of the farmers by loans or subsidies on exports, took the course of reducing the purchasing power o£ the people, all round, and taking £12,500,000 from the workers' wages. The patient's pulse was feeble and the old bleeding remedy was adopted. The workers had been told that the cut would mean that there would be more money to go round and j less unemployment; instead, there was less money and the number of unemployed had gone from 27,000 to 50,000, meaning that 30 per cent, of the wording population was unemployed. Aug-, tralia had followed the Copland plan and the result was that unemployment had increased enormously; in South where the basiei':*#!ge;*»»» lowesit", onei out ,of 6very three jergojoa *4B out'of frork. Td reduce: wages was against ail economic*! law, for the demand was not there.

Complicated Labour Laws. "I have studied closely the labour: laws of this country, and I believe 4t* would require a PhilodelpJiia lawyer to understand the exafct position," declared the Hon. A. Hamilton, speaking on the Arbitration Bill hi the House to-' day. "Even gome of 'the lawyers in the back benches of the Labour Party would find it difficult to answer some questions offhand regarding the operation of these laws.'' ; ' Mr E. J*. Howard (£iab.", Chriotchurch South): I would give it & gd. ; Mr Hamilton: Yes, you would give it a go, but there are many questions which jvould* I thinlc.--trip you- opr yur t (Laifttf&ier): They are • compUeated,; all ti|lit. - ' ' -M 1 " Hamilton: they f are complicated, and badly need straightening A Fruit Pest. To ensure the protection of fruit crops, Otago) "has.gviren notice to ast the ister for Agriculture whether in view of the fact that thrips has played havoc with the fruit crops of Australia this season, he will' take, steps to prohibit the impirfetiSn df ♦iiuStfaliaaf ifruit into New {lceland ; / One of tW leading Australian ptiblications on fruit culture, he said, described fthgr major problem of the It would'be a national <Hsi,ster'if thrips was introduced into tnis country. Broadcasting. - With the object of stimulating public interest in Parliamentary debates, Mr 0. Carr (Lab., Tirnaru) has tabled a question asking the Government, to consider the installation of transmitting apparatus into the House of Bepresentatives for the broadcasting of debates. Protection for Leaseholders. Mr Connolly (Ind. C., Mid-Canter-bury) has given notice to ask the Prime Minister whether he will introduce legislation extending the provisions of the Mortgagors Belief Act to Include leases of lapd, such legislation to confer upon lessees a full measure of protection in the event of their being unable to pay rent during this period of depression. In some cases, he lessees are distraining upon stock and chattels for unpaid rent, and there is a feeling of insecurity among many leaseholders. It . is also making it extremely difficult for " some farmers to make satisfactory ; financial arrangements/to .carry on. Land Reserve Fund.

Believing in the principle of reserve funds for farm property holders, Mr T. D. Burnett (C., Temuka) has given notice to risk the Minister for Lands whether ho will consider the advisability in future of all Government land rentals having 7$ per cent, of • their totals set aside as a reserve fund, earmarked for the benefit of that particular property, and to be used in slump periods for rental easements, and to be co-terminous with the lease. Such a reserve, he said, would also ease rentals in times of snowstorms, floods, fires, and earthquakes. Wrong Result Feared. Th© first sign, of revolt among Government supporters on the question of the Arbitration Bill, apart from interjections, came from Mr J. Connolly in the House this evening, when he announced that he would not vote for the : Bill in its present form. , "This Bill, I am afraid, will- reduce the Arbitration Court to an empty shell i 1 , w ,, , have just the result we all « e i . sa id- He quoted the wordsof the chairman of the National Bank in England recently, who pointed out that the Arbitration system had stood » 't 6B ? time here and worked effectively. "'I have taken out statistics about industrial troubles," Mr Connolly went on. "and I find that on a comparative basis of population, England loses ten times as many worklnK days through strikes and lockouts' v ea^ant '> Is this not i something to take notice of when viewing the Arbitration Court? Is it not good to know there is something in this country to protect us from this state of affairs." Mr Connolly also quoted Sir Richard Windrey, who, after returning to England froni New Zealand, where he accompanied the farmers' party, summed up his observations of the Arbitration Vonrt by saying: "I cannot help feeing we mifj!;t with advantage adopt a similar method of arbitration in the owneland." The Government, he added should go quietly and calmly minto the question and reconsider the *t it. stood.