Debate on The Pensions Act

Official report · Assembly of SchwartzistanSession 1943 · col. 13058

The Speaker: The House will come to order. The Bill stands for its third reading. The Minister.

Gregor Falk (Minister of Finance): I beg to move that the Bill be now read a third time and do pass. The Bill raises what it says it raises and spends it where the schedule says. I have the figures and will lay them on the table. The printed Bill says it better than I can: Every town above 1000 inhabitants must appoint an officer under this Act. The Bill is in the hands of the House.

Ludwig Jost (Kesselhöh; The Workers' Front): Mr. Speaker, I sit for Kesselhöh. The clerks there are few and the roads are long, and any officer the Bill appoints will spend a week finding the houses. The mills of Kessel will feel this Bill before the Ministry does. I say so now so that nobody may say afterwards that they were not told. I have the Bill before me and the House has it before it. I should like the Minister to say what the yield will be, and I should like it in marka and not in percentages. We shall divide the House. [The Line!]

Magnus Rebhuhn (The Ostrand; The Assembly Union): Mr. Speaker, The members for The Ostrand have met and are of one mind on the Bill, which does not happen often. The Union has no quarrel with the purpose of the Bill; its quarrel is with the fee, and with the officer who will collect it. I have the Bill before me and the House has it before it. The Bill is a money Bill and a money Bill is a Bill about who goes without. My party will divide the House on the Bill.

Willem Reed (The Osmoor; The Continuity Party): Mr. Speaker, Nothing in the Bill disturbs the record. The Continuity Party asks only that the register be kept as it has always been kept. My constituents in The Osmoor wrote to me about the Bill, all 8 of them, and they were against it until they read it. I should like the Minister to say what the yield will be, and I should like it in marka and not in percentages. I have the Bill before me and the House has it before it. I oppose the third reading.

Hugo Kessler (Westgau; The Workers' Front): Sir, The Front supports the Bill where it helps the families of the Line and opposes it where it charges them. My constituents in Westgau wrote to me about the Bill, all 4 of them, and they were against it until they read it. The duty falls on the trade and the trade passes it on. The House knows this and votes for it every year. The clause is short and I shall not read it. We shall divide the House. [Shame.]

Paul Feirhat (Kesselhöh; The Continuity Party): Sir, The members for Kesselhöh have met and are of one mind on the Bill, which does not happen often. Order and record. That is the whole of my party's programme and I do not apologise for its shortness. The material provision is this: Every town above 1000 inhabitants must appoint an officer under this Act. I ask the House to note it. The duty falls on the trade and the trade passes it on. The House knows this and votes for it every year. My party will divide the House on the Bill.

The Minister replied briefly. The fee was as printed; the officer was as printed; the House had the Bill and could read it.

The question being put, a division was called for, and the members went to the lobbies.

The Speaker: The Ayes have it. The Bill is passed and will go to the Grand Chancellor for assent.

The remaining Orders of the Day were deferred and the House rose.