MR. HULTQUIST'S SPEECH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 48, 11 August 1939, Page 7

MR. HULTQUIST'S SPEECH

BENEFITS UNDER LABOUR WORK DONE IN ELECTORATE Mr A, (!. Hultqui-t, M.P., in continuing his Add:esy.in-Reply speech, said:— . . Listen, to Avhat Air J. 11. siuoiierInnd ( Secretary of the Kia Ora Cooperative Dairy Company said prior to the meeting I have mentioned: — "My personal opinion is that there will be an overwhelming majority in this district in favour of the retention of the guaranteed price scheme'' He added ''Already several shareholders in, the company had communicated with him severely Mr Mulholland's statement a,fid those who had done so were by no means Labour Party supporters either." ''The farmer never imagined that he could get a decent price at the expense of everybody else.. It was inevitable that the cost of commodities would rise as we guaranteed everybody better incomes. I suppose I am one of the few members who can say 150 dairy and sheep farmeis signed my nomination paper at the last election. Only six or seven nominations are required, but so keen were the farmers to have a Labour member returned that 150 of them signed the paper. Included among those signatories were two secretaries' of the Farmers' Union. I very much resent the suggestion that only members of the Opposition can speak with authority on behalf of the farm ing community. MAIZE QUESTION. "Dealing further with the subject, of maize. As a result of the guarantee that has been, offered and accepted I believe the Poverty Bay and the Bay of Plenty districts which comprise the main maize-growing districts in New Zealand -will be able to supply the whole of the Dominion's requirements next year," he said. ''Already there is a promise, as a result of the guarantee, that another 500 acres of maize will be planted, and 10,000 sacks more will be harvested than are being put on the market this year. ''There are many other ways m which the farmers are being assist, ed. When one considers, for instance the way in which the Public Works Department has maintained and improved and built their roads—making it evsier for them to get their produce to the markets—one comes to the conclusion that in that respect at any rate they have little to grumble about. As I have said, there are seven counties in my electorate and I want to put on record the way in which those counties have benefited since this Government has been in office," said Mr Hultquist, who went lengthily into the benefits received by his electorate. IN WHAKATANE COUNTY. "Getting nearer to my home. A"s a resident in the Whakatane. county 5 one is naturally desirous of mentioning how that county got on, and there we find the greatest example of the generosity of the Government, a Government whose policy is not a skinflint one but one, to provide roads to backblock settlers,'' he continued,. ''In the previous three years to the Labour Government' first term the sums spent in this county were £2600, £6000 and £9000 respectively, but for the last three years tlie a_ mounts spent have been £48,000, £50,000 and £-14,000. I would like honourable members on the Opposition benches to come to my district and tell the farmers there that that, expenditure was not worth while. ''The best investment the people of the Bay of Plenty ever made was at tlie last election, and at. the election prior to that, when they cast their votes for the Labour candidate and they know it. They certainly got a good dividend for their investment and more money has bebn spent in the last three years in thci" electorate than they have paid actually in taxation. That is easily explained in regard to education expenditure for instance because of the number of Native and public school = we have. There are nearly 100 school* in the electorate, and there are many more teacher-; in those school'-: !han there were before, and the'r salaries, alone account for a fairhlarge sum of money of course have to he taken into consideration. Incidentally there is quite n let of work still to be done in connection with the schools both Native and European, although we aoorce'atc what has already been done by Minister of Education. ■ "Xow. let me sum up the \- ture in the electorate for th < from the Ist January TW June 1038. Maintenan-c

tion of roads, main highways, rai!_ ways, and subsidies on county rates amounted to Of that amount £461,190 Avas not spent iu my electorate as it was in connection with the Gisbome-Napier railway, but the completion of that line will be of untold benefit to the Bay of Plenty electorate. Aerodrome? cost £8310. WHAKATANE POST OFFICE. ''With rcspect to public buildings, I may 'say, that I am glad the Postmaster-General is in his seat because included in these amounts for public buildings is the Whalcatane Post Office, which has not yet been commenced. I hope that as soon as I resume my seat the Minister will be able to give me an assurance that that work is to be put in hand. However," Ave can quitn well understand the delay because of the problems this Government inherited in the Avay of dilapidated buildings- and schools that required erectingv" Mr Bodkin: ''And because of the money you inherited."' Mr Hultquist: 4< "Ves, and because of the slaved people Ave inherited. The money Ave inherited was lying in England and the honourable gentleman should realise that it Avas lying there because the people in this country were unable to get about £30, 000,000 Avorth of goods to which they Avere entitled. 1 venture to sav that the people of Ncav Zealand unnecessarily Avcnt Avithout those goods and this GoA'ernmcnt can easily justify its action in placing the people in a position that enabled them to restock their larders, re-furnish their homes and re_clothe themselves. The easiest subject on Avhich to speak is the question ot Avhat happened to the London funds, and the easiest Lhing to justify is the manner in Avhich they haA*c been spent especially insofar as they refer to imports. let nie get on with the details of the expenditure in my electorate. For employment promotion* the Cook county got £24,381 in tha last three A'cars.''