Mr. Speaker

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1032, 24 July 1930, Page 11

Mr. Speaker

Session Queries and Asides

THE SU2US Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, Wednesday. After an evening of acrimonious argument on the new Customs tariffs, members of the House of Representatives today settled down to a discussion on the second reading of the Unemployment Bill. Urgency was asked for the debate and the House settled itself down to a late sitting, lasting till midnight. After the second reading the Bill will be referred to a special committee. The Labour Party is becoming restive at the Government’s taxation proposals and its restiveness may be provoked into open hostility by the Budget, should there be any more heavy taxation. The party is holding caucuses to consider its attitude toward the Government. * * * Notice was given this afternoon by the Rev. Clyde Carr (Labour — Tiraaru) to ask the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle. if he would consider setting up a consumers’ council under the Board of Trade, similar to that established recently in Great Britain, with a view to checking profiteering in foodstuffs and other articles of common use and necessity*.

Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour — Napier) complained of some remarks made by Mr. A. Hamilton (Reform— Wallace) on the subject of ships’ firemen. He said if he and Mr. Hamilton pursued the occupation of firemen for some years they would become in no way dissimilar to the average fireman. He put that to Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Langston© (Labour —W aim a - rino), scathingly to Mr. Hamilton: You couldn’t boil a kettle. Members of the House chuckled loudly. * • * “Quite frankly. I’m disappointed with the Bill. It’s an ugly duckling. From my point of view, it- doesn't grapple properly with the position.”—Mr. Lee Martin (Labour —Raglan) on the Unemployment Bill. “The Labour Party is afraid of the Leader of the Reform Party because it thinks he will be an obstacle to its goal. It thinks he will be the next Prime Minister.” —Mr. A. M. Samuel (Reform —Thames). “Someone said that the only thing he liked about the Bill was its short title. I think its short title should be amended to read: ‘A Bill to make the poor keep the poor.*”—Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour —Christchurch South) on the Unemployment Bill.