FINANCE BILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 140, 24 March 1944, Page 3

FINANCE BILL.

SECOND READING OF DEBATE. PRIMARY PRODUCTION DECLINES (Sp.) WELLINGTON, March 23. In the House to-day urgency was accorded the Finance Bill, the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. 'P. Fraser) explaining that it was not his intention to ask the House to sit beyond midnight. Resuming the debate on the Bill, the Hon. F. Jones said that while members of the House had a good appreciation of what the defence position was in New Zealand and also the manpower position, some of them persisted in v going outside and talking of a manpower muddle. Members of the House who had the advantage of knowing the true position should do their best to disprove statements that were not correct. While there was a cry for more men in essential industries, the needs of the Forces had to be considered. During the last six months reorganisation had led to 14.000 men being released from the Forces for a return to industry. 5 !

Subsequently another 3000 had been released and these, with men who had returned from overseas, made a total of 34,000 'men returned to industry. At the same time New Zealand had maintained the Division overseas and a force in the Pacific, as well as a very large number of men in the Air Force and in the Navy. It was not right, to bring doubts to the minds of the people. What was wanted was co-opera-tion, not petty criticism, such as had been levelled by members of the Opposition. The Minister spoke in praise of the work done by women in the services. More than 7000 men had been released for the fighting services by the employment of women. When he was overseas he had heard nothing but praise, not only for the men and women in the Services, but also for New Zealanders carrying on at home. Falling Production. Mr S. G. Holland (Leader .of the Opposition) said that Mr Fraser’s speech the previous night had failed to provide any real answer to the Opposition’s contentions on important problems, notably the manpower situation. The Minister of . Agriculture refused to be provoked into an announcement of what had transpired at secret production conferences during the last fortnight. The country was rapidly concluding that the Minister lacked iai plan. The Government was mistaken if it supposed that it could arrest falling production merely by paying farmers a higher price. The Government had deservedly lost the confidence of primary producers because it refused to implement the v recommendations of the leaders of primary industry, even after consulting them. The Opposition was prepared to trust the farmers, but the Government was not. The primary producers were better qualified to determine what ceiling price was necessary to maintain an efficient industry than was the Government. War Damage Insurance. The Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer said the Opposition claimed that State tenants, after having paid for their home in rentals, should own the home. Would the Opposition apply that to private landlords \ The Government wasi criticised because it was building rental homes. Since the Government came into power the State Advances Corporation had made 7889 loans for homes, and of those 5492 were special loans or in excess of the customary two-thirds of the value. There had also been a great deal of criticism of the war damage insurance rate. War damage insurance now covered earthquake damage, and while there were many parts of New Zealand wliere_earthquakes had not been experienced for a long time t> earthquake damage could occur almost anywhere, and for Is per cent, property owners were protected against that damage. That cover was one of the greatest boons that had ever come to the people of the country.