SLOW PROGRESS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 167, 8 March 1932, Page 5

SLOW PROGRESS

("Post" Special Commissioner)

work qf f^fliament will party dis.cipline put throu(jh arbitration ' amendment? government ' markinp tfime.

WELLINGTON, Monday. In the light of the experierice since Parliament ' opened ' bn Eeb'rtiary 23, the Prime MinisterJs statements abdut the Pqyernment's anxiety to tackle the hi^ 'joh before if woulil be laugjiable, if fh'e geiierai situation v(as a tinie for' hunabur.1 The second riyeeh of the sessi'on has concluded withoqt oiie piee'e of Tegislatiori being passed, and it is extremely unfikely that the legislature will show !ariy resulfs this week either. The fact that the Legislatiye Councii has adoriukned unjil Mdrch 15'shows that the Government aoes not' anticipate it wiil have any Biils ready for the consideratipn of the.Upjier Ho'use before that date. Before ihe session commenced, Mr. Eorbes said that Cahinet regarded the session as pureiy an emergency oiie and wouid not allow; it tp be* dragged on. He did not think that it wpxiid he possible to conclude business before Easter, but there was no reason why the progranime would not be completed before the end of March. "The Government," he said, "is not going to submit to* anythirig in the form of determined opposition." This was a right and proper statement for a Prime Minister to make,

and he was widely applauded for his anxiety to get down to business. After formalties of the opening of Parliament were out of the way, the Prime Minister brought down the elosure motion, which gave him a check on stonewalling tactics and also gave notice of motion to iricrease hours of sitting. The Industrial Coalition and Arbitration Bill was brought down and when the Labour opposition became stubborn the "gag" was applied. The proceedure iridicated the action of a strong riian. With the first readmg of the Industrial Conciliation ahd Arbitration Bill out of the way, the Government naturally wanted to give those interested in the measure a day or two to study its contents before proceeding with the remaining stages, especially as several inembers of the Government were very duhious ahout such a drastic piece of legislation. A Sudden Change. The session then entered the new stage, the address-in-reply debate, and it was seen then that the strong man who would not brook delay was now extremely anxious to mark time. Besides the debate, the Government had nothing on the order paper, and so members are being allowed to talk until measures are ready for their consideration. * When these measures will be ready will depend on the expedition of the Economy Commission, and the aptitude of Cabinet to assimilate the details of the investigations and translate them into legislation. So far Cabinet has not shown any marked ability for anything in particular. The report of the Economists' the House on Priday, was in the Prime Minister's hands the day after committee, which was presented to the session commenced, and if the same delay is to occur with the Commission's report the session will certainly drag on with a vengeance. There is now no hope of Parliament rising at the end of the month. The Prime Minister, because of lack of programme, has not" dared to extend the hours of sitting, and there are many vital problems to be confi;onted before work of the session may be said to have been concluded. May Have Trouble. Unless whips crack effectively — as of course they have done in the past — the Government. may experience trouble in piloting the Industrial Conciliatiori and Arbitration Amendment Bill through the Horise. The measure practically amounts to the abolition of the Arbitration Court, and there are several members outside the Labour Party who are not at present prepared to support such a radical step without more consideration of the various issues involved. They conteh'd that, although award conditions in certain instances may be irksome to industry in time' of depression, the situation does not justify the drastic Bill now before the House. In their opinion the Government would have .been wiser had it attempted to reshape the ori^inal Act in the light of present day circumstances. There is no doubt that the Bill has been the result of pressure from outside, and that even some pf the members oi Cahinet are not very keen about it! Thus it woula seem that the course of events will bb governed b'y the power of party disciffline.