FIGHTING SPEECH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 216, 12 September 1935, Page 10

FIGHTING SPEECH.

MINISTER AMUSED,

SEDDON-BM.Afce! HALOI

LABOUR MEMBERS "PIPE tT&.»

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary. Reporter.). Wednesday. The most vigorous fighting- epeech of. the session from the Government benches was made to-night by the Minister of Educati6n, Mr. Smith, who naturally drew a constant stream of interjections from the /.Labour-' opposition, "whose critical, assertions he answered in detail. He expressed amusement at the Opposition leader's fervent praise of Seddon, -Ballance and other Liberal leaders, whose policy, according io Mr. Savage, had been the admiration of the world, but, said the Minister, on looking up the Labour attitude towards the Liberals in 1909 he found that they were highly critical at that time of the party which -was, according to their modern representative,' earning worldwide admiration. Mr. P. Langstone '(Labour, Waimarino) interjected so frequently that he wae. called to order by. Mr. Speaker and desisted, bufc as Mr. Smith-soon remarked, "When -Waimftrino stops Eoskill pipes up." Mr. Jordan disliked the Minister's way of putting ~ things, arid

said so.

Mr. -Speaker eventually intervened, , declaring that if members were not prepared to listen he would have' to ask some of them to withdraw. The Minister surveyed what the Unemployment Board had' attempted to do to (alleviate the difficulties of the, unemployed since August, 1934. The quarterly levy had been reduced from 5/ to .1/ at an annual cost of £33,600. Childreir. between.'. 10 and 320 - -were included as dependants of relief workers under ..certain circumstances, the ..costbeing £9000. A' third issue of boots to t unemployed was- now being made and given free this year, the cost of this issue being £29,000. This year for. the first time, the

Minister proceeded, blankets were issued

to all 'married r-ejief..worfcens, also to single men in necessitous cases, at a cost of £40,000. .Gold prospectors were not now required to repay their subsidy, which meant a cost of £0400.

Prior to January last, continued the Minister, there was drily one" e'cale of relief which applied to the four main centres, every other centre being treated individually. This scheme was abolished and four definite scales introduced for the main urban areas,- secondary cities and larger towns, while for .the emaller

towns and for rural areas increased assistance was provided -in. the .new scales. For .those iheh with larger families the cost was £200,000 a.year. A bonus was introduced from July 1, all scales -being raised 3/ per week for married men and .2/ for single men, no extra time being worked for thie increase, which was costing £280,000 a

The King's jubilee grant, In addition to the' paid holiday, Mr. Smith said, cost £26,200. Orders for .groceries, etc., which were formerly issued only in the four main centres, were extended to 18 of the' larger centres at an additional co>t of £10.000. The Christmas bonus, a special grant of an extra week's relief work pay, cost. £40,000. The building Mibsidy had encouraged the starting of .".000 jobs, valued at £3,200,000, of which 87 per cent,would be spent on wages in New Zealand. It had taken 22,100 men off pick and shovel work back into their own trades, and the cost was £229,356.