WAR FINANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 September 1939, Page 9

WAR FINANCE

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS DATE OF PRESENTATION STILL UNCERTAIN. SESSION NOT ENDING THIS WEEK. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. No date has yet been named for the submission to the House of Representatives of the Government’s war finance proposals. The Acting-Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) stated last night that he was unable to indicate definitely when the Bill would be brought down. It was now certain, Mr Fraser added, that the session would not conclude this week, as had been hoped. A variety of factors had been responsible for the delay. Among the measures to be introduced before the session ended were amendments to the Social Security Act and the Fair Rents Act. The social security amendment would consist mainly of clauses designed to remove anomalies,, but one important section of the Bill would deal with arrangements for maternity contracts under the Act being accepted by members of the British Medical Association. Many subjects were discussed during the second reading debate on the Appropriation Bill, which was put through the remaining stages and passed. The Bill represents the various classes of estimates for the current financial year, the annual appropriations and the unauthorised expenditure in legislative form, the amount involved totalling £72,408,000. PRICES FOR PRODUCE. Reference was made by Mr Polson (Opposition, Stratford) to the influence of price fixation for farmers’ produce on the agricultural economy of the Dominion. He said he hoped the Government would realise that the country’s . economy demanded at least that a reasonable price should be paid for export production. An immediate reply was made to Mr Polson by the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, who said there would be no unfair discrimination between one section of the community and another. The Govern- 1 ment would not permit profiteering or exploitation. AGE LIMITS FOR SERVICE. The desirability of altering the age limits so as to include sbrne returned men of all. ranks in the special field force now being recruited was suggested by Mr Hargest (Opposition, Awarua). The Minsiter of Defence, Mr Jones, said he was quite prepared to examine the proposal and see whether it was not possible to be more liberal so far as age was concerned. Bills passed included the Hutt Road Bill, the New Zealand Library Association Bill, and the Otago Presbyterian Church Board of (Property Amendment Bill.

The House adjourned at 10.27 p.m till today.