CLOSING SPEECHES

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 47, 24 August 1917, Page 3

CLOSING SPEECHES

BUDGET DEBATE NEARING

THE END

MANY SUBJECTS DEALT WITH

TAXATION, MEAT, WOOL, AND

BUTTER.

In Parliament yesterday afternoon and last evening there was further discussion of the various proposals contained in the Budget.

The member forTavanaki (Mr. H. J. H. Okoy) resumed the debate, and, speaking of the proposed land tax, said it would tend to make things hard for the country settlers. Better provision should, be urged, be/ made for bringing valuation up to date in coanectiota with country lands. He contended, also, that the charging of income tax on companies would tend to prevent the development of industries, besides being a great injustice to the small investors.

LOCAL INDUSTRY.

Mr. Vernon H. Beed emphasised the necessity of supporting local industries. In Australia it was done in connection with the Customs tariff. Preference was given in New Zealand ito British .goods, but, in Australia, New Zealand was classed with China. During the last ton years Australia had been able to build up its export trade to New Zealand by 100 per cent, and to considerably reduce the volume of imports from New Zealand. He could ndt understand why there had not been another effort to bring 1 about reciprocity between Australia and New Zealand. The proposals should couie from this end. Why not send the Minister of Customs, to rectify the anomalies that existed, as soon as the session was over.

RAISING THE BENTS.

Mr. A. H. Hindtnarsh sjx>ke of t.he subject of the raising of rents by houseowners. Hb contended that Mr. Massey could have dealt with, the rent question. Something should be done to protect women whose husbands were fighting at the front. It was an extraordinary thing that men would risk their lives but would not risk their fortunes. That was .why. he felt compelled to vote for tho 4£ per cent. loan. Mr. Hind-marsh went on to deal with the hardships of men in the Post and. Telegraph Department, who, he said, had suffered terribly as a result of the war. The Trentham Camp had done good to shopkeepers, but to the vast majority of the people it had been a curse owing to the increase of rents, and the Prime Minister had done nothing to keep them down. "Mr. Hindmarsh stressed the necessity of subdividing' the land, and in this connection he contended that the efforts of the Prime Minister had not been sue : cessful. Mr. Hindmarsh made a strong protest against the aggregation of land, against the system under which an owner of land could compete against a man who did not own land. What, he asked 1, would have been the position • of the Wellington Gas Company if it had not been faced with the opposition of the Wellington Corporation Electric Light Department? Turning to the subject of education, he said that the classes in Wellington were too big, and yet no protest was made against it. He knew of a teacher who had to teach 102 children. Schools were wanted in all directions,- and yet the Wellington Education Board invested £1000 in war bonds. The people would willingly spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on defence, but when an appeal was made for an expenditure on education it was turned down. The Universities were in the same position; there was no chance for a man to get a degree in his special subject, because lie.bad not qualified, in a number of other subjects. The system needed alteration. It was altogether out of date: Perhaps the Minister of ISducation could not get the funds; but he should put forward an amendment of the system. He hoped the Prime Minister would earn the gratitude of the country by tackling the question of education.

"RUINOUS TO THOUSANDS."

Mr. W. H. Field opposed the taxation of mortgages on land 1, because it ■would: be ruinous to thousands of farmers. He advocated that prudence should be exercised with patriotism as far as the Reinforcements were concerned, and commentcid adversely on the taking of the last sons of widows for the war. In speaking of the inequality of taxation, h« pointed out that the man, with £1000 a year income would have to pay £73 odd per annum. When members first saw the Budget proposals they thought that increases in the land tax and' the income taxes of wealthy people were proposed, but this had not proved to be the case. He was of opinion that the'taxation should fall on the wealthy. The farmers, not only in his district, but in other districts, and the small tradesmen were not looking for war profits, but were only trying to hold their heads above water during the war. One point he stressed was the necessity for up-to-date valuation of land. 'In many cases valuation was mad« many years ago. Was it not a "hideous state of affairs" that men. should be paying taxation on such valuations'?

COST OF LIVING.

Mr. P. C. Webb, said that during the last few' days there had been a number of petitions from Public servants regarding the cost of living, and he thought it was time the gag should be removed from the mouths of such men and women. He contended that the National Ministry had proved itself the weakest and most servile that had ever occupied the Treasury Benches, but the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald and the Hon. J. A. Hanan had absolutely justified their existence. He complained that no .-effort had been made to get at the profiteers, and he thought the time had arrived when the House should insist on a General Election. Some of the men might never come back, but that itself might b» in the interests of the country. (Hear, hear.) The people of New Zealand had not a National Ministry. It was under the control of the old Reform Party.

"They say that they are going on after the war is over," interjected a member.

"They may for six months," raid Mr. Webb.

"Who will come on?" asked a mem-

"The only party that is great enough, to govern the country—the Labour Party," retorted Mr. Webb. The speaker contended that the Government should take means to prevent the living conditions now prevailing in some cases in Wellington—two or three families living in one house. He characterised the proposed tax on amusements as "paltry and insignificant, which should not be tolerated by the House for five minutes." The National Government had no concern for the welfare of the country ac a whole. It had adopted the policy of sending the last man, but also the last shilling for war bonds free of income tax. He congratulated the Hon. G. W. Russell for the attitude he had taken up in regard to the Union Steam Ship Company's vessels, and expressed regret that the Minister had not had a strong Government to back him up. In the course of urging the neceesity of a State-owned steamship line, he mentioned, in support of his argument, tlis huae profits made by the shipping monopolies.

"GO SLOW" POLICY.

Referring to the State coal mines Mr. .Webb stated that notwithstanding the allegation of the "go slow " policy the minors had produced 15,944 tons more than last year. With tlhe exception of 1912, the coalminers of New Zealand had established a world's record. And yet last year they had been charged 35 per cent, more for their foodstuffs. Tho miners had asked for an increase in their wages of approximately 17 percent, and had been turned down.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

The Hon. W. D. S. MacDonalS referred first to the butter-fat levy. It was nominally three farthings, but as far as could be ascertained it would not amount to more than a. halfpenny.

Mr. H. G. Smith : refund to cheese men.

There will bo no

The Minister : Yes there will. The butter-fat levy was not a tax. It was an equalisation which came out of those engaged in the industry. Growers of butter were getting £44 per ton more for their produce than they were be fore the war. Dairy farmers had beei on a fairly good wicket. As to wheat, he said they had to remember that the Government had a duty to perform to the people, and he contended tiialt the Prime Minister was quit© right in holding our produce in New Zealand and prohibiting its exportation. There had been three bad seasons in Canterbury, and the farmer was not to be blamed for putting down a less area in wheat. The fanners were really very patriotic in agreeing to grow wheat, even at 5s lOd per bushel. Then arose tihe difficulty of transport, and it was not known when the next shipment would arrive. The farmers generally were working under very disadvantageous conditions, and were not asking for a price which was anything but reasonable. Speaking about wool, he said the clip was purchased not only for Britain, but for her Allies, and it was not unreasonable that tho growers should ask a price which would be proportionate to the prices which other countries would have to pay. The Imperial. Go'vernnifent sold the wool at prices which paid it, and he thought the New Zealand sheepfarmer had not been paid too high a price for his wool. In regard to meat, he said th»t at the beginning of the war better prices and conditions were given to Australia than to New Zealand. In October, 1916, there was ah agreement by Uie Imperial Government to purchase the whole of our output for the duration of the war and three months afterwards, on condition that it had not been in store for more than three months. Much of it had been in store for mx and nine months, and the meat was, therefore, on their hands. The Government had done what it could to release that meat for local consumption at Imperial Government prices, with a slight addition for freezing. There was a Food Controller appointed in England, but at the present moment only beef, or beef and wether mutton, could be sold to the Government. The rest could be "nominated" by the owners at thi« end. The Imperial Government was not paying anything for the meat in store in New Zealand, but if any deterioration took place the Imperial Government was responsible. . The New Zealand Government had done what it could to release meat for local consumption, and it was being released at many places, the Government paying the', difference in cost between the price payable by the Imperial Government and the local cost. Wherever there was an intention on the part of butchers to put up the price of meat the Government would start a butcher's shop, but it did not want to take any unfair advantage.

FURTHER DISCUSSION,

Mr. Charles Parata stated that the Budget was the greatest that had ever been produced in the history of the country, and he believed that the members as a whole would agree to it. Speaking of the cost of living, he advocated that State meat shops should be opened in Christchurch • and other places as well as Auckland. The Government had practically done nothing in regard to the cost of living.

Mr. Webb and other members : Hear, hear.

The cost of living was going to reach such a height, said Mr. Parata, that when the Government did tackle the problem it would be useless. Speaking of the anti-shouting regulation, he said it would require a standing army to carry out the law. Our men were coming back from the front, and would not tolerate such drastic legislation as was proposed. He hoped that nothing would be done during the war period to bring about dissension between various sections of the community. Mr. T. A. H. Field said he thought sufficient notice had not been taken of the fact that by the method of raising our war loans a saving of over'£l,ooo,ooo had been effected, besides which the greatest part of the interest was retained in the Dominion. In the course of further remarks, Mr. Reid dwelt on the sufferings of the dysentery patients at Gallipoli, and also complained of the demands of life insurance companies on insured men who are at the front. Mr. Field went on to contend that members of the Post and Telegraph Service should be paid at a higher rate, so as to enable them to qualify for the war bonus. As to food profiteering, he said it appeared to him that there was a portion of the population that was taking advantage of the war to set class against class.- They were as much to be blamed as the men who made undue profits out of the war. At 12.25 p.m. the debate was adjourned, on the motion of Mr. G. J. Anderson, and the House rose.

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