LOWER SALARIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1922, Page 5

LOWER SALARIES.

PROGRESS OF THE BILL. MANY AMENDMENTS MOVED. ONLY THE PREMIER’S ACCEPTED. (By Wire—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. The progress of the Retrenchment Bill through the House is slow. The House went into committee on the Bill at 7.30 yesterday evening and adjourned at 8 a.m. to-day after passing six clauses. .Labor members had amendments to propose to nearly every clause, and they found occasion for a vast amount of talk. They were assisted with speeches and votes at various stages by Opposition members. The proceedings did not amount exactly to a stonewall, but there was organised obstruction, and the Prime Minister evidently recognised that if he was to get his Bill through within a reasonable time he must keep the House sitting, so he turned a deaf ear to appeals for an adjournment and to complaints about legislation by exhaustion. The first division came soon after midnight, and thereafter members trooped into the lobbies monotonously at short intervals.

The proceedings were not particularly interesting. The opponents of the Bill were making quite a vigorous fight, but they did not have any chance of success at any stage, and* their arguments were soon worn threadbare. They did not win any concession from the Government. Members were very tired before the end of the sitting, but the long debate did not produce anything in the nature of a scene and tempers remained reasonably good on both sides of the House.

The House adjourned for breakfast, and made a start again at two-thirty this afternoon. It was reported then among Government members that the Prime Minister had decided to carry the Bill right through to its final stage at the sitting. This decision' was expected to involve another very long sitting, especially as some of the members would wish to make third reading speeches for the benefit of the readers of Hansard. The fight over the Bill has been taking place in committee, and at this stage Hansard does not report speeches, except in very brief form.

During the debate this afternoon the Labor whip. Mr. P. Fraser, remarked that if the Government intended to proceed with its Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill there was going to be another very long fight. The closing stage of the session evidently is going to be strenuous.