LIVELY TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 60, 12 March 1938, Page 13

LIVELY TALK.

IRON-STEEL DEBATE. OPPOSITION'S BARRAGE. "WILDEST WILD CAT SCHEME" (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. New Zealand's Parliamentarians have a remarkable flair for metaphor. The Committee stages of the Iron and Steel Industry Bill yesterday afternoon gave them an opportunity of demonstrating their oratorical ability, and they made the most of it. Mr. H. S. Kyle (National, Riccarton) said the Government was embarking on the wildest of wild caf schemes. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (National. Waitomo) warned the Government that it was running the country on to the rocks. Each man seemed to be endeavouring to go one better than his predecessor.

Mr. R. A. Wright (Independent, Wellington Suburbs) considered that the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr. Sullivan, was launching his barque on hazardous seas. He added that it was possible for the iron and steel commissioners to buy a "tom-tit" works, but they could not do the work properly.

"The Government will lose this £5.000,000 and another f0,000,000 as well," said Mr. Wright, who believed that a modern works would be able to supply all the steel Xew Zealand wanted in six months of the year. For the remaining six it would be compelled to lie idle. Clash With Minister. The assertion by Mr. S. G. Smith (National, New Plymouth) that the Government was rushing headlong into a scheme that would be a complete failure brought him into an exchange of sharp words with Mr. Sullivan. The Minister said it was a pity Mr. Smith did not give a little serious thought to the promotion of the industry. "Don't be silly," was the rejoinder. "A bill of this importance requires serious consideration," was Mr. Sullivan's next remark. Mr. Smith: Don't lose your temper. Mr. Sullivan: I think you are losing yours. You are afraid of what I am going to say. Mr. Smith: You know nothing about it. Mr. Sullivan: I will not ask for an apology. I will leave it at that. Proceedings livened up again when Mr. Kyle bombarded the Minister with questions. He wanted to know if the Government, having abolished all boards, was now going to replace them with commissioners. "We are going to get three all at once under this.bill." declared Mr. Kyle. "What are they going to be paid? That is something we should have been told. Another thing: how wide are the powers of these commissioners? They seein to be able to take land just where they please. What sort of conditions are we entering into 1" Economic Imperialism. Mr. J. A. Lee (Government, Grey Lynn): This is economic Imperialism. Mr. Kyle: Yes, economic Imperialism run wild. Renewing his barrage of questions. Mr. Kyle asked where the money was coming from to establish the industry. "Does the Minister himself know where it is coming from ?" he asked. "We don't know, but we are entitled to be told and so are the people of Xew Zealand. Are we going to mortgage the whole of flie country's credit while the Government is opening up these wild cat schemes. This is the wildest of all wild cat schemes ever heard of in this country or any other in the British Empire.

"All we have been told is that the money is to be borrowed," continued Mr. Kyle. How is it to be borrowed and for how long? We want to know what sort of security lies behind this business. Mi. Kyle's suggestion that closer cooperation with Australia would be beneficial to New Zealand brought an interjection from Mr. Smith that there were too many Australians here now. "There are too many of them in thki Government," added Mr. Smith. Mr. Kyle's reply that he alao was an Australian and proud of it created loud laughter. "Your colleague blundered badly there," cut in the Minister of Finance. Mr. Nash, with a last word that con eluded a lively passage in the discussion.