THE SESSION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 612, 17 August 1933, Page 6

THE SESSION

("Post" Special Commissioner)

GOVT. PROGRAMME UNEMPLOYMENT WILL PROYIDE YERY LIVE ISSUE IN DEBATE RURAL DISSATISF ACTION

Wellington, Tuesday. The setting back of the date for the opening of Parliament raises the possibility of the Legislature again sitting over the Christmas holidays. Members of Cabinet are emphatic in their contention that the session will be a short one, but ministers have said this hefore and their prophecies have been astray. When the Legislature met in September last year, the Prime Minister in an early forecast expressed the opinion that the adjournment would take place before December, but the session did not terminate until March. Certainly the exchange issue was raised in the meantime, but one of the reasons for the length' of the sitting was the Government's unprepardness. On several occasions the Government whips pushed speakers into the debates in order to 'give Cabinet time to prepare its legislation. With the House meeting on September 21, there is little ' possibility of members getting down to business before October. It is unlikely that the Address in Reply will commence until the following Tuesday, September 26, and if this debate follows the orthodox course, it will occupy the attention of the House for at least a week. It will be followed soon afterwards by the Budget debate, which gives members the ri'ght to speak for an hour, against half-an-hour in the Address in Reply, and if there is a no-confidence motion, another fortnight might be taken up before the real work of the session is reached. The Programme So far the Government has not given any indication that it is presenting a lengthy list of legislation for consideration, but even with the few bills that have been promised, it would appear impossible for Parliament to sit for less than twelve weeks at least. This would bring the session into December, and incur the displeasure of the business community, which likes to see the rise of Parliament before the Christmas ' trade starts. It is alleged that a session has an unsettling effect on the huying public owing to the uncertainty as what action the Government will take next. Relief Policy During the past week one or two ' rural members who have visited Wellington have expressed dissatisfaction with the Unemployment Board's policy of relief for country districts. They assert that the towns and cities are getting more than their share of the allocations -and that the men in the country are receiving sub- '■ stantially less per head than the unemployed in urban areas. One North Island member has stated that he in- ' tends to raise the matter in the 1 House and he states that if he does • not obtain what he considers a satisfactory reply he will make the matter one of no-confidence. As in past 1 years, there is no doubt that unemployment will be a foremost topic in the Address in Reply and Financial 1 Debates, and a no-confidence motion on the question from the Government benches would complicate the position. These "rebels" often talk more hotly in the lobbies than they do in the House, but in this instance there would appear to be legitimate grounds for complaint. There is no doubt that the cities have been able to make hetter bargains with the Unemployment Board than have some of the country districts at least, and the apparent diserimination may make things awkward_for the Minister of Labour (the Hon. A. Hamilton), who is chairman of the board. It is stated in the defence of the board that the men in the town find it more difflcult to obtain extra work and that their costs, sueh as rent, are higher -than in the country. The members of the board assert that, after taking all factors into consideration, they are administrating the funds a$ equitably as possible.