DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 32, 8 February 1933, Page 6

DAY IN PARLIAMENT

SMALL FARM SCHEME

As a stop-gap while the Minister of Finance (the. Right Hon. J. Gv Coates) is preparing his taxation proposals, the House of Representatives spent yesterday on the setfond reading of the Small Farms- (Relief of Unemployment) Bill, which was on the Order Paper before the Christmas adjournment.. The debate.is likely to run on until Thursday. The Bill gives a board power to acquired land which is apt being adequately utilised, for the pumose ,of settling unemployed workers. Provision is also made for the utilisation of unemployment funds 115 to £500,000 for the financing of the scheme. The sponsor of the Bill,. Mr.. Coates, hopes that the scheme will absorb a large number of unemployed at present depending on relief and enable them to be placed in a position .of independence, and at the same time increase 'the productive capacity of the Dominion. The speakers ■ from the Opposition benches were of the opinion that the powers asked for under the Bill, with the exception of that authorising the use of unemployment funds, were already on the Statute Book,- and they strongly opposed the taking of money from the 'Unemployment Funds. It was argued that the absorption of relief moneys in a land settlement scheme would mean that there would' be a smaller allocation for those who could not take advantage of the scheme.

Tho House rose at 11.10 p.m. until 2,30 o 'clock this afternoon.