ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 148, 23 June 1923, Page 14

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE.

SETTLING THE BACKBLOCKS. HELP FOR THE MAORIS. (By Telegraph.—rress Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was resumed in the House of Representatives today by Mr. P. A. Dc la Perrelle (Awarua). lie emphasised the need for better treatment of invalid .soldiers in the matter of pensions. He quoted the case of a nurse who served three years without ever parading Rick. Since the war she had suffered from rheumatism as a result of service, but because she. had not reported sick during that time she was now precluded from pension benefits. Mr. F. F. Hockly (Rotorua) said no Government had ever done so much for the backbloeks settler as the present Administration. He dealt at some length with the achievements of past Governments in this respect and denied there had been any aggregation of land detrimental to the oiuntrv's interests. He hoped the Prime Minister would introduce a Land Bill, including: provision for giving men on national endowment lands the option of securing the freehold. Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) supported allegations made by the member for Stratford in the matter of land aggregation. Regarding King Country lands, he favoured .settling these, but not in such a manner as would render the natives landless. There should, however, be more attention paid to encouraging natives to farm their own lands. They needed financial assistance and expert advice. Given these aids, the Maori would make as good a farmer as the pakeha. Sir John Luke defended the Government against the charge that they permitted land aggregation. What was happening was that sawmills, flaxmills, and mining claims were being abandoned because they were worked out, and as a consequence schools were being closed and houses vacated, but this was due to industrial causes, not land aggregation. The Hon. G. J. Anderson said that the Government was prepared to meet as far as possible the demands now being made for increased pensions of all kinds. In this connection there were no statistics to guide them in the chief class of cases and only estimates could be made. On this basis he calculated the increase would amount to £1,197,250, which would lave to be added to the present Pensions Bill of £2,450.000. This could only be done by additional taxation. He" did not think the country could stand the necessary additional taxation, and he was not prepared to recommend it. Mr. F. Lye (Waikato) accused the Government of red tape and inefficiency in support of which he enumerated 'a series of disabilities under which backblock settlers laboured. No Minister of Education had any larger votes at his disposal than the present Minister but they had not been administered justly. On the motion of Mr. A. Harris fWaitemata), the debate was adjourne • and the House rose at 11.30 until 7.30 on Monday evening.