PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 22465, 9 October 1936, Page 12

PARLIAMENT

THIS MORNING'S SITTING URGENCY TAKEN FOR ESTIMATES [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, October 9. The House met at 10.30 a.m. Urgency was accorded the passing of the Supplementary Estimates to enable them to be passed before Mr Nash leaves for England. The House went into Committee of Supply to consider the Estimates. Speaking on the vote for the Land and Income Tax Department, Mr Hamilton suggested that members of Parliament should be allowed _to deduct' their election expenses for income tax purposes. Mr Wright, speaking on the Internal Affairs Department vote, referred to £I,OOO to Sir James Parr for relinquishing the High Commissionership. Ho thought the High Commissioner’s Office was a sink for public money. Mr Nash said Mr Jordan arrived in London to attend the League Assembly at Geneva, and Sir James Parr offered to relinquish the office from September 1. There was no question of compensation, but the Government thought' Sir James Parr was entitled to nis salary till the end of the year, when ho would normally have retired. Mr Bodkin urged the Government to extend to members of Parliament tho privilege of being able to travel by air. He said it would be a great advantage to those living in parts far distant from Wellington, as they had to spend so much time travelling. Mr-' Smith asked that when Lovelock came to New Zealand his tour should not be confined to the main centres, but that the country towns should be included in the itinerary. Refering to the Labour Department vote, Mr Armstrong said he had thought it would be necessary to establish another Arbitration Court to cope with the accumulating work, but. he now considered that when the court made up the leeway it would not have the work to do that it had in the past. With the settling of the shorter Fiours and the fixation of the basio wage he thought the number of cases referred to the court in the future would be less. He added that he took it that when the basic wage was fixed it would be weekly, but that did not mean that all casual workers must be paid for a full week, whether they worked it or not. That was the principle in Australia, and he expected it to be the same in New Zealand. Coming to the Electoral Department vote, Mr Kyle sought information about the readjustment of the electoral boundaries and urged that the number of seats in the South Island should not be reduced. He did not want the South Island to b© dominated by the North Island. Mr Hamilton suggested that the matter should be decided as early as possible, and Mr Savage said that as soon as the matter could bo straightened out, it would be done. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL The Legislative Council met at 11.30 a.m., and urgency was accorded tho passage of the Finance Bill. Mr Fagan moved the second reading, and explained its provisions. Mr Masters asked how the money was intended to be borrowed, and if there was a note issue what steps were being taken for its redemption. Ho approved of the Public Works expenditure. He thought the last Government had been somewhat over anxious about finances, but then they did not know how long the depression would last. The debate was interrupted by thf luncheon adjournment.