PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1932, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

NATIONAL EXPENDITURE BILL,

TWO UNUSUAL INCIDENTS

(By Telegraph —Ber Bress Association)

WELLINGTON, April 22

In the House of Representatives'yesterday, urgency was accorded thepassage of the National Expenditure

Adjustment Bill, In Committee .Laoour members further opposed the clause applying the “cut”)-to civil service, but it was retained by 39 votes to 3J. The clause reducing grants to education boards, hospital baords, etc., was passed by 43 votes to’ 29. Sitting all night, the House of Representatives made further progress with the Committee stage of the National Expenditure Adjusutment Bill. The section, relating to wages a,ml salaries was- completed shortly after 2 a.m., and the second part of tlie Bill, which deals with pensions, was under discussion when the House adjourned for breakfast. There were two unusual incidents in connection with divisions taken on amendments to the clause reducing old age- pensions. An amendment seeking to omit tho sub-clause which provides for tho reduction of old age pensions by Is 9d per week, was rejected by 36 votes to 34. Mr J. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton), alleged there had been gross irregularity, in that Mr E. F. Healy <O., \Y r nirau) had entered the, Chamber and asked Air Makitanara (CL, Southern Maori), to vote against- the amendment. ■

Air Healy said that Air Makitanara had not been well, and had asked him to record his vote. Tt had been arranged that all members were to go into the lobbies for this division, and lie had gone to Mr Makitanara to tell him that he must go into the lobby, but he had not mentioned which lobby.

Air Walter Nash (Lab., Hntt), said that lie had seen Mr Healy ask Air Afakitanara to vote, and Air Alakitanara said he wanted to vote for the peinisions. Mr AHakitan-ara. albto said that he would not be coerced by anyone. He had voted against the amend-

nient. Tlio Chairman of Committees said | that lie had Mr Makitanara’s word that this vote had been recorded according to his own wishes so there had been no question of the vote being • influenced. A further division was taken on the sub-clamsc, governing the amount which may bo earned by pensioners. ! An amendment to delete this portion was defeated by 40 votes to 20. Mr Langstone (Lab., Waimarino), then rose to a point of order. He said that on an earlier division, Messrs Wriglit(C., Wellington.. ..S.idH, urbts) and t \. .T. Stallworthy (C., Eden) had voted in favour of the amendment. and he alleged that they had intended to vote similarly on the division just taken, hut 'Mr J. A. Nash had'approached them and taken over to the other lobby. J. A. Hash (0., Palmerston), said that there had been some misconception as to what the vote was being taken for. He had simply told Mr Wright that there was a motion agaimst. the reduction in the earning power of old age pensioners, and that lie, personally, was not voting for it. Mr Wright confirmed this :stato ment. Mr Stallworthy said that be had not been called by anyone. M r J. A Nash pointed out that

his conversation with Mr Wright nan taken place before the doors had been locked. The Chairman of. Committees accepted this statement and added that as both Mr Wright and Mr Stallworthy ha<l stated that they were cn.paifole of making op their own minds, ■ no irregularity had taken place. The clauses reducing old age and widows’ pensions had been passed when the Hcnjse adjourned at'B.lo a.in. till o’clock. Labour members- forced .all sfcftgw? to a -division.

.miners’ witiowk' pensions. OPPOSITION TO PROPOSALS. WEiLLTNHTON. April 22. Chinscs relating to tin* pensions of 1 miners, and miners’ widows’, were ! debated when the House resumed at !l .'!() o’clock this morning. J .Mr \Y. IT Parry (Lah., Audi. Cent.) appealed to the CJovernment to drop the clause which limited the duration of miner.®’ widows’ pensions to two years after widowhood. lU. I Ton. .1. 0. Coates gave «n undertaking to have the question of the elimination of widows’ qiemsiou reviewed at the next session of Parliament. :i! • The Leader of the Opposition, Yfr 11. Holland, appealed to the Hoverninent; lo drop' all elanses relating lo miners’ pensions. The amount of isaviup's involved would not he very large, ■hut would mean a great deal to f.we people concerned. i Mr ,\ M Samuel ((*., Thames), ; s; iid that no one, who had lived in a , in in i n<>- electorate, would he a parlN i to reducing these pensions. It. would , he n crime, over which, the angels would weep, if the. women wlm had , |oiled devotedly for those who had hoon hroken on the industrial wheel, were deprived of their means of rivelihond. I The dehate is proceeding. ]

THE HOUSE SITTING THE Cl Of IRE APPLIED wei ling ro w Ap d The (.krone w.v-.- applied to the do

bate on minors’ pensions reduction and divisions were then taken on the clnn.se ~n( | amendments. The latter consisted of attempts in turn to veto each reduction proposed. The amendmentwere each defeated by II to 33 and the clause "'as adopted hv tlie same majority. Messrs - Atmore, lilac!;. Harris .1 A. Nash. Ilushwort h. Sainocl. "tall worthv. Sykes. \\ ilkin «.< v n and W rie" i voted with the Labour Tarty in op p> ing the clause. Mr Tarry moved to amend the clause relating to miners willows pensions, with the object of retaining tlm pension, subject, to the ten per cent reduction already imposed h.v the House, in connection with other pensions. The debate is proceeding.