SPEEDING UP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 September 1938, Page 6

SPEEDING UP

PARLIAMENT TO SIT LATE SEVERAL BILLS ADVANCED YESTERDAY. HIGH TAXATION CRITICISED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The first Monday sitting this session of Parliament was held yesterday by thy? House of Representatives and by the Legislative Council. The Dairy Industry Amendment Bill, which gives power for the issue of regulations to provide for universal farm-dairy instruction, and the Land and Income Tax (Annual) Bill, re-imposing ruling rates of taxation, occupied the attention of the House over most of the sitting. Consideration was given by the Council to the Social Security Bill. With a view of expediting the remaining business of the session steps were taken by the Prime Minister to enable the House to sit until midnight tonight,'and also. tomorrow and on Thursday. Another portent of the approaching end of the session was the introduction of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, validating transactions by local bodies and others. An Education Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor-General’s Message in the evening. This sets out the constitution of the Council of Adult Education, and provides for adjustments in the salaries of teachers in public schools along the lines of a recent announcement by the Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Fraser. At the commencement of the evening sitting the position of the public accounts for the first five months of the current financial year was the subject of a statement by the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash. There was general approval of the Dairy Industry Amendment Bill, the second reading of which occupied only part of the afternoon. A start was then made with the second reading debate on the annual Taxing Bill, and this was completed toward the end of the sitting. Opposition members complained of the high burden of taxation on all sections of the community. These two Bills, and the Carter Observatory Bill providing for the establishment of an astronomical observatory in Wellington, were subsequently put through the remaining stages and passed. The Statutes Amendment Bill was under discussion when the House rose at 10.30 p.m. until today.