WORK ON BILLS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 September 1938, Page 5

WORK ON BILLS

PROGRESS IN THE HOUSE YESTERDAY CRITICISM OF BORROWING POWERS. DREAM OF COSTLESS CREDIT ABANDONED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. A further clearance of Bills from the Order Paper was made by the House of Representatives yesterday: Urgency, was taken at the commencement of the sitting for the Finance Bill, the Statutes Amendment Bill, the Agricultural Emergency Regulations Confirmation Bill, which validates regulations under the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Act, and the King George the Fifth Memorial Fund Bill, which provides for the appointment of a board to administer the fund. The two last-mentioned Bills were put through all stages after a brief discussion. Little time was taken in completing the second-reading debate on the Statutes Amendment Bill, but as several additional clauses were brought down during the afternoon by Governor-General’s Message the remaining stages were held over until later in the sitting. A start was made late in the afternoon with the second-reading debate on the Finance Bill. Following a clause-by-clause explanation of the Bill by the Minister of Finance, the Hon W. Nash, the borrowing powers contained in the legislation were criticised by Mr W. J. Polson (Opposition, Stratford). After quoting statements by Ministers and other prominent members of the Government party regarding the use of the public credit and the creation of money, he said it was obvious that the Government had been obliged to abandon its costless credit dream and revert to the orthodox methods of finance. The power given the Commissioner of Taxes to collect arrears of land and income tax resulting from retrospective changes in the law was attacked by the Rt Hon J. G. Coates (Opposition, Kaipara), who indicated that he intended to move in committee to have the clause referred back to the Government for further consideration. Afternoon and evening sittings were held by the Legislative Council, which passed the Social Security Bill.