CLIMAX AT HAND

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 37, 6 October 1931, Page 4

CLIMAX AT HAND

("Post" Special Comissioner.

PARE-IAMENT TO-DAY NEW CABINET'S POLICY

WELLINGTON, Saturday. The real work' of the Parliamentary session will commence on Tuesday, when the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Downie Stewart), will outline the financial policy of the now Government. There is no doubt that Cabinet has been working long hours on the biggest problem that has ever eonfronted the politicians of New Zealand, and one f ervently hopes that the programme which is to he laid down will be at least basically sound and that it will stop the .present economic drift, The day of reckoning has been unduly prolonged and a stand is eminently necessary.- - One thing is certain, the people of the Dominion will have to bear a grater load of ' taxation than they have borne hitherto. A number of eeonomies have been made in general on departmental expenditure, and it is rumoured that the- axe has been put in the Education Department, but the total savings that have been made will not balance the Budget without

additional taxation. Since the beginning of the financial year the public revenue has been dropping steadily. The exact position has been kept a closely guarded secre't. Curious pressmen have boxhbarded members of Cabinet with pertinent questions, but beyond the fact that the estimated expenditure and the taxation bills will be drastically revised, nothing authentic has been gleaned. The Government has had under consideration a revision of the Indus trial, Conciliation " and Arbitration Act, and the Prime Minister announced to a deputation during the w'eek that this would be one of the things to be undertaken by Parliament, with a view- to relieving some of the restrictions which, it is claimed, are now harassing industry. Two members of the new Cabinet, the Hons. D. Jones and. A. Hamilton, have from time to time attacked the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and they will no doubt exert their influence to the utmost to have it radically modified. Rumours have been current that Arbitration Court awards are to be practically suspended, and although they are said to be based on reliable information they have not been affirmed or denied by those who sit in high places.

Estimates Cut The estimates which were presented to the House with the Budget at the end of July, have been overhauled and substantially reduced, with a view to easing the heavy cost of departmental administration. Ministers have held close conferences with their departmental heads and expenditure is said to have ' been cut down in several important directions. How far the new Cabinet has.been able to economise has no doubt depended on the will of the departmental heads. It is idle to suppose that Ministers who have only been a few days in office will be able to exercise any real authority in the matter of expenditure, because they have yet to learn the ropes, and naturally they will be in a large measure guided by their advisers. The weakness of this system of economising is obvious. Should a departmental head have certain pet theories about his department, he might not put all the cards on the table, and the Minister will have to accept only what he is told. Mr. Atmoore's Position The forecasted reduction in education expenditure has attracted a great deal of interest. Many moons have passed since the Prime Minister promised to set up a commission to investigate the educational system, but so far he has not announced any

definite steps in that direction. n is ' just another instance of politl shilly-shallying. The new Minister^ charge of Education, the Hon. 1 Masters, is said to be contempiatiijS saving of £500,000 in the vote, « he is naturally being bombardedji all sides by deputations. He staj during the week that the free' pll system would be maintained in thel condary schools, but it is almost 1 tain that the conditions under wli free places are available willl tightened to a considerable extentl will be interesting to see how thel Minister of Education (Mr. H. 1 more) will act when the econonj] are announced. He has stated |

several occasions that, apart fromffl ministrative expenditure, no furtfl savings could be made, and there iA grounds for believing that should il general system itself be curtailed-i will once more become a free laiJ in the House. Mr. Atmore enterq the present Parliament as an In«| pendent, but joined the United Par| at the invitation of the late Sir l| seph Ward. He may yet return | his old status. 1 ] Monster Deputations There .will be an invasion of liament Buildings on Wednesd?1

morning, when monster deputatiqi from the Marlborough and Buller dt tricts will place the case for tk South Island railway lines hefos members. A special train and a sjte cial steamer will convey the Mai borough people to Wellington and i is expected that close on 400 peopf will land in Wellington from the dis trict. If present plans are adhert to, the pilgrimage will march throug the city streets to Parliament. Bot deputations are confident that boi their numbers and their argument will convince the members of Par liament, but one is inelined to thinS their protestations will be unavailinj