IN DEFENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16364, 8 November 1918, Page 13

IN DEFENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT.

HON. W. D. S. WcDONALD'S SPEECH. In his speech in the Address in Reply debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, the Hon. W. D. .S. Mac Donald said members were complaining that the Government did nothing, but he asked what had members done to assist the Government? The fact was that during the recess they had been asleep, and when Parliament' met and there woro a few votes to be got, members camo down and told the Government what it ought to do. There were many important questions which the Government had to deal with. He instanced the control of trusts. He denied that there was any exploitation going on in connexion with the wool and meat de*!s with the Imporial Government. When h© was asked why people were paying such a price formmeatt t when the cool stores were bursting with carcases, his leply was that this was the exportable surplus of this country, and if we did not keep Tip our exports, where were ■we going to get the revenue to keep J the country going? The Government was blamed because it had npt started its own iino of 6teamers but he denied that this was an advantageous time to purchase shipping, l'he prospect was impossible at the present juncture. The Government was also charged .with not keeping up tho ordinary activities, but' he pointed out that staffs were depleted in all directions. Almost every Government Department was suffering in that connexion, and no one with administrative experience would say that the Government could do more than it was now doing. Discussing the wheat problem, Mr Mac Donald denied that was an.vthjng like a go-elow policy on the part of the farmers, which was proved by the fact that they had raisedthe wheat Acreage from 890,000 acres before the war to 1,544,000 acres in the war years. The price for wheat in the past had not been excessive, and the farmers had not been .making money out of wheat growing, as was proved by the estimates of the cost of wheatgrowing furnished !>y the Director of Lincoln College, who was not in the Eay of *he Government. He was satised that there was no exploitation on the part of the farmer, nor on the part of tho miller or the baker. The fact was that we were better off than any other country engaged in the war. We had practically made no sacrifices, and had suffered practically no hardship in connexion with foodstuffs, which fact he attributed to the control exercised by the National Government. The coal question was now under consideration by the Board of Trade. It was not a fact that local products were going up in price. The Government had been blamed for not encouraging the iron industry. This was not a new subject, but no one had yet been able to show how iron could be produced profitably. Perhaps when the Dominion's hydro-electric power was fully developed, this might be possible. The timber industry was now being considered carefully by the National Government, and regiilations had just been completed for a scheme of afforestation. No x timber could be "exported except under license. The mining industry and hydro-electric schemes were being carefully thought out by the National Government, and he was satisfied that as a result of their efforts no country was coming so well out of the war as New Zealand. The object of the Government was to keep the country financially sound, so that when the dark clouds had rolled awav, and the boys come back, they woulS find New Zealand one of the most glorious countries in the world, and they would he able to help to hnild it up- to that great nation we all hoped and trusted it would yet be.