JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1920, Page 1

JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

(Our Parliamentary Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, 5. i. THE END EXTENDED. .... The House met at noon to-day, but the attempt to finish the business of the session by Saturday, obviously has f failed and the., pace has become comparatively leisurely SHIPPING FBEIGIirS. ■ Shipping freights were mentioned by Mr Jones (Eaiapbl) who dreiy 'attention to the statement, by shipowner that while freights Had increased by about 180 dor emt, the'running costs of steamers had increased roughly-200 • per cent. Mr .Tones pointed out that the increases : of shipping : charges ..foi mutton had been 380 per cent, and that shipping shares/ £IOO paid up, In been changing bands at..£sQPi* ’- ■ Mr Massey said he intende P _b° ■ into the'matter thoroughly, during;the ■ recess. He would do - all, he.: possibly ’ c’oiild to see that, producers: were• not charged unreasonable freights on prollJ|| increased Tensions. We are outrunning £l}? constable an must be careful, said Ali- Massey when to-day to. fiiid £358,000 m order ' to ° give -old. age . an extra 5s .per, 10 (;. and pensioned miners an exf-ra 10/- 1 was absolutely impossible Go--yernmenji- tq-rarideHake bo find . Ons money. The financial condition demahded that Parliament arid the country should be. . careful agd economical • , New 'Railways." ; The Railways (Authonsatibn Bill introduced to-day,. author fees 0 JKeextension of..the North Auckland Main Trunk tpTe.Tio; (2) .Final .section of Wcstport-Inangafiua line; arid t 3) Two deviations on Wellirigton-Palmerston line. i /•■■■■>■ . --- COST. OF .'LIVING. •• 4 proposal that: the cost of living bonuses granted by .the Arbitration Court 'should be operative simultqneon sly throughout 'New Zealand and they should be based upon current orices of the preceding six -months was . put before the .House by Mr McCombs /Lyt- ; telton) who asked the Prime Minister a question on the subject. j Mr Massey said that .the announcement made .by the President of the Ar- j bitration Court did not appear, to be definite or dinal, t The .Judge.had gsked j for objections. ( He bad saidthat, the bonus of 2 J t d per hour would be paid ‘ unless good cruise were shown to the contrary and would be payable from November Ist. “I am not satisfied with the. figures,” added Mr Massey, ‘T j proposed to ask my colleagues to have the figures looked into very close]y by experienced men. I cannot think that there has been an increase in the cost of living just lately.” Potatoes ( were very much cheaper than they had been: in 1919, they had been old by tlie growers for very low prices indeed. .Tea had'fallen by sixpence per pound. ; The bottom had dropped out of , the j market for hides, arid that must be re- j fleeted in the price of boots. Everybody knew, the position in regard io | wool and clothing was coming down in . price, he -believed, the, peak of high prices had been missed arid that living .was going r to become cheaper. WESTPORT-INANGAHTJA RAILWAY ] Referring torthe Westport-Inangahua railway line, Hon. J., G. Coates said he ■ was taking authority for the final sec- : - tion but he could riot-say when the work would proceed.; He intended to concen- • trate available labour on the Otira Tunnel for the next eighteen months. , It might be completed before the end ’ < of tliat period, but there would be con- • siderable cleaning up to be done. 1 Mr Holland said he would find the labour if the Minister would' proceed • .with the line through the Bnller Gorge. < Hon Coates did not think lie would • , be justified in taking tlie labour re- ' quired at the coal mines. Mr Holland—l would get it from outside New Zealand. •' RAILWAYS AMENDMENT. : 'Hie Railways Amendment Bill deal- , ing chiefly with the new scale of wages , ,for railwaymen was discussed at length , this afternoon and this evening. Many members evidently believed that all was not yet well with the railway rarvice, , and they had suggestions of various, , kinds to make. Labour members and ; others urged that tlie full civil and poli- , tical rights should be given the rail- 3 waymen. Mr Massey stated that the provision • ; of homes for railwaymen was going to ; be undertaken by tlie Department at „ all railway centres as opportunity permitted. The Department’s aim was to ; keep rent down to one day’s pay.. He: , 'thought that railwaymen had full civil , rights already. Many of thefri were , members of local bodies. He was prepared to move that they should also have the right ,to contest’ seats at' ; ■ Parliamentary elections. They would > be required to resign from the service ? if they ivere elected to Parliament. i When the Bill reached Committee, Mr ; Massey moved his amendment, but it was ruled out of order by the Chairman, on the ground that it was an amendment to the Legislature Bill. He promised to give it when the Legislature Amendment Bill was before the House later in the session and added ■that lie would be willing to make the concession apply to the public service generally.--WASHING-UP BILL. 1 The Washing-up Bill which contains some eighty miscellaneous clauses was put through Committee, almost without debate. The Minister in charge stated >n. ft admittedly contained many clauses .... that should'have been in local and m. ™ private Bills, and local bodies would have to understand that similar pro ak- e edure would not be adopted again, res jj c mentioned that forty more clauses use were to come. . hes SHOPS AND OFFICES' ACT. in- The Shops and Offices Bill which reduces shop assistants hours from 52 to

’4B apd- mgkes. other ./amendments was passed by the, iflbuse after midnight. • : END NOT YET. , . . . The House is to sit this morning and.;, afternoon. The session may end on Tuesday or Wednesday but some old members, are predicting that it will run late into next week. . Wellington, This bay. THE BONUS QUESTION. , In reply to the Labour Party’s denial of his figures, Mr. fayov says nis estimate is based on the increases for the whole year and not on the 9/- recently allowed. This, he, considers, means some two millions per annum, because all workers are affected. The bonus does not cease with unionists. Outside ‘workers will demand and get some in crease. ,y ~