"NEW ZEALAND'S MOST DANGEROUS HOUR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 183, 28 March 1932, Page 5

"NEW ZEALAND'S MOST DANGEROUS HOUR

MR, HOLLAND'S VIEWS SHOCKING WASTE OF TIME PJJRJNG PRESENT ' ' SESSlQN ' ARBITRATION BILL DENOUNCED "If Ithe Ind;ustrial lConciliation ahd Arhitration Act Ahiehdmen Bill now before the Legislative Council becomes law and the disftstrqus recommendations of the National Expenditure Commissioh are adopted, the most dangerous hour in the histpry of NeV Zealand will have struck and alj condrtions makiny for industrial uplieayals qnd insurrectionary t^evelopmients will have Tbeen create*! bjr the'iCoatesJFories Coalition," said ^lr. Hi' E. Hojland, , Leader of Ihe Opposition, in interview ' in "VyestBPrt.

(Press Assn. — By Telegraph— Copyright). WESTPORT, Saturday. Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader o.f the Qpposition, arriyed at Westport from Wellington last evening. Discussing the political situation he said that as far as" this s'ession had gone it had involved a shocking waste ef public money, inasmuch as the Gpvernment had called Parliament ,together withont having agreed upon a policy with which it would meet the House. It was quite clear that there were serious divisions within ranks of the •Gabinet and the Coalitio.n generally upon policy matters. More than a month ago Parliament was ' called togcther with the soxnewhat bellicose 'intimation from the Prime Minister 'that legislation was to be forced through -with promp- ; titude, and that no delay of proceed- j ings would be tolerated," said Mf> j Holland. "On the fifth day of the session the ' closure was introduced, and with j few exceptions was interpreted by , the press as an earnest of the Government's intentions. Nothin^ Ready "It transpired, however, that apart from the bill to destroy compulsory arbitration, which apparently was drafted by the Employers' Federation the Government had no legislation ready. "Now, after the House has ,been in session for a month, with only one bill (the Mortgagors' Relief) passed through its final stages, a somewhat lengthy adjournment has been necessary to enable the Government to prepare its policy which it should .have had ready before Parliament was convened." * It was mOre than probable that the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill would. be passed by tbe Legislative Council, and if this should be so, and if the disastrous reco.mmendations of the National Expenditure Commission should be adopted, the most dangerous hour i,n the history of New Zealand would have struck and all conditions making for industrial upheavals and insurrectionary developments would have been created by the Goate.s-Eor.bes Coalition. ^ The avoidance of the creation of such an atmosphere should be the concern of every sane element in the community, and in this connection the most hopeful sign was the multitude of petitions which had poured in from many hundreds of business men protesting against further wage reductions.