PARLIAMENT.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19669, 12 July 1929, Page 13

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE. . (fr*ss association telegba*.) WELLINGTON, July 11. The House of Representatives met this afternoon. Among petitions read were two praying for amendment of the Gaming Act. Mr H. G. E. Mason (Eden) gave notice of his intention to introduce the Defence Amendment Bill. Notice of intention to introduce the Local Authorities Empowering (Avia tion Encouragement) Bill was given y the Hon. Mr Wilford. The Hon. Mr Veiteh gave notice to introduce the Scaffolding and Excavation Amendment Bill. The Hon. Mr Veiteh, replying to Mr O 'Brien, in reference to a report that the men at James Mine had refused work because the seat of a motor-vehicle was wet, said that he bad investigated the case and found that the men's objection was not as trivial as it had at first appeared. They paid half, and the Department the other half of the cost of their transport to work, and at the time of the complaint the seats had been left out in the rain by the contractors, and were thoroughly soaked. The men stopped work as a protest, but had given the assurance that in the event of a similar occurrence in the future they would refer the to the Mines Department before taking drastic action.

Replying to Mr Clinkard, the Hon. Mr Ransom said that the Public Works Department would treat the request of the Rotorua Borough Council for a subsidy for the amount it raised fon relief works in the same way as other similar cases under consideration. When money was available, and plans had been approved, the Department would assist - as much as possible. The Swamp Drainage Amendment Bill (Mr Rush worth) was introduced and read a first time. Mr S. G. Smith (New Plymouth) pre- j sented the report of the Standing Orders Committee. He stated that it had been found that the new proposals would involve the revision of the whole Stand-, ing Orders. Sir Joseph Ward suggested tliat the House should go into Committee of Supply to' discuss, the proposals, and thereby enable, the whole subject to be dealt with at. one time. Ho would, in that event, see that copies of the draft orders were supplied to members. In reply to Mr Holland, he said it was proposed to consider the report at the Conclusion of the debate on the Address-in-Reply. Debate Continued. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was resumed by the \ Hon. Mr de la Perrelle, who said the United Party had been criticised because of its borrowing policy. The Reform Government had borrowed £23,000,000 in three years, and that was more , than was contemplated by the present Government. He supported a policy of more intensive land settlement as a remedy for unemployment, and said it appeared that the Reform Administration had been diverted firom its plans in that direction by the failure of. its discharged soldiers' Settleipent' scheme, lie hoped before long to see legislation brought down to remove some, of the .difficulties facing River 1 BoowJa and Drainage Hoards. It seemed .to him that them were- too inunv authorities. it .was , sist*.- that new troduced this year. It was intended to njake New* Zealand one of the beauty spots of the Empire by adding regional I planning attractions to its natural scenic resorts. The country was still in its infancy, so far as town beautifying was concerned, and he hoped to see great strides taken, in the near ! future. ■ • .-• •• ; ■ 1 Mr-de la Perrelle, referring to railwavs, said there was Jess chance of branch railways competing sue-. ! ocssfully with than : mam lines. Experience had shown that, and that was the reason why .the Lmted Party had undertaken its present believed the whole House would support the proposed Bluff-Melbourne steamer service, which would increase tourist traffic, benefit trade, and improve relations between New Zealand and Australia. In conclusion, he made an appeal that all members should consider country before Party at this difficult time.

- Land Settlement. Mr F. Waite (Clutha) defended the Reform • Administration's irrigation work in Central Otago, stating that there had been an enormous increase m production there as a result of irrigation and the division of many lai'JJ 0 runs, which he enumerated; The difficulty to-day appeared to be to get trains to carry the produce away. He also described the development of the export of apples and peara from Central Otago. He quoted figures to show •that there had been, a decrease in the number of' large flocks of sheep during recent years, and said that surely that was an argument against the existence of aggregation of land. At ■the same time there had been a tremendous increase in the export of wool and other products. Mr Waite said that the present Minister for Lands on a recent occasion had stated, with regard to land settlement, that the problem before hirrr was not as easy as it was years ago, as there were fewer large estates to divide up. That actually was the position, and it disarmed a good deal of criticism of the Reform Party. He expressed the hope that Makitanara would never again raise the question of Party in reference to dealings with the Native race. He . contended that the Party spirit had never entered into the deliberations of the Native Affairs Committee. He believed the fullest investigation should be made into the whole question of railways. Personally he did not think the South Island main trunk railway would be a success, but he considered the Gisborne railway was even a worse proposition. He appealed for more advances for backblock settlers, and he hoped that legislation covering this subject would soon be brought forward. He agreed with Mr Holland that it would be advisable to conclude the present debate, and enable the House to consider the legislation of the session.

Development of Poor Lands. Mr C. H. Clinkard (Rotorua) suggested that when poorer lands for settlement were selected, they should be developed by mass labour until they were in a suitable state for men to occupy and to earn from them a reasonable living. He referred to the Bank of New Zealand stating that he remembered the time'when the Liberal Administration had relieved the difficulties facing the bank, and it had been then agreed that the Government should be represented on the directorate, in order to protect the interests of the people shonld it appear that they did not coincide with the interests of the shareholders —a state which seemed to exist at the present time. He did not agree with the general policy of State interference in business, but the principle which had applied in the days of Mr Seddoa must

still apply to-day. For instance, if trusts or combines threatened the interests of tlie people, then it was the duty of the Government to interfere. Reform's Record. Mr H. Holland (Christchurch North) said that despite the difficult period during which it had held office the Reform Administration had delivered the country, as a whole, into a wonderfully prosperous state, and it was also entitled to credit for the efficiency ol the telephone system hvdro electric works, irrigation works, "and tor the . preservation of native forests. It had constructed half a mile of railway every week, and one post office every three weeks of its term of administration. It had also been responsible for much valuable humanitarian and social legislation, and he was confident that there had been no truer friend of the worker. He contended that its land policy had not been a failure, and it had also given effective support to the secondary industries. He said there was a rumour, and he mentioned it to give the other side of the House an opportunity to deny it, that the Government intended to discontinue contributing to the sinking fund. He hoped this was not so. When the Reform Administration had been criticised for its so-called reckless borrowing, no mention had been made of the assets thereby obtained, and he asserted that most or the borrowed money was self-support-ing. Mr McDougall raises Laughter. | Mr D. McDougall (Mataura), in opening Ms speech, created considerably more than the usual amount of laughter by his references to the critics of his Party, and to previous speeches in the debate. He reviewed the statements that Mr Coates had adopted a sportsmanlike attitude, and asked'' what else could he do?" He asserted that after, bad administration for many years, Mr Coates had handed over his difficulties to Sir Joseph Ward, who had graciously said, "I forgive you brother. Go and sin no more." He criticised the Publie Work? outlined by the previous speaker, questioning whether value had been received for money expended. Ho insisted that land aggregation had existed, and said no man in the country should be allowed to have more than one farm, when there were people unable to earn a living. Mr McDougall asserted that the Eeform Government had never done anything for the working man or small farmers, and never would. It was in its proper place in the House to-day, though personally he would like to see it one stage further along the Opposition benches. He criticised the action of the Eeform Party in sending a "gunboat" to enforce its policy in Samoa. Jn concluding, he said lie intended to stand behind the' Leader of the; United Party right through. There was going to be no surrender, and if the Bej form Party did not. like the, legislation introduced, it knew what was the remedy.,, and. if it took that, course, it. would be "the end of them." The Hon. Mr Stallworthy said it had been alleged that the Government had done nothing to relieve - unemployment. He could not understand how such a statement could: be made in face of the fact that 1 since the Government had been in office it had made available three millions, which was transferred' into' wages which represented employment for a large number of people. The earthquake had been a terrible catastrophe for the country, and he would not be at all surprised if the eventual cost of the restoration exceeded two millions. As Minister for Health he would' like to express his appreciation of. the splendid efforts of the doctors and nurses in hospitals in the earthquake area. Returning to unemployment, he, said the root of the trouble- was to be found in the "returned soifiiers' settlement blunder," which had caused t a .gross- inflation, in the valu6 of pro-'' parties throughout the Dominion. The j second step was to be' found: in' the compulsory clauses of the Dairy' Co- ~ trol Aet, which had cost the country at,least two millions of money by the slump it created. Then there was the policy of immigration, in -which the Reform Administration hiad persisted notwithstanding the plea of -the rapid-ly-grawing army of unemployed.:. The people of New Zealand, he continued,. could solve tlie unemployment prob'em in a few. weeks by putting into effect the slogan, "Buy New Zealand goods.' It had been said the problem was a Government one. It was more than that; it was a national problem. Certainly a good deal of responsibility rested on the Government, but there was also a responsibility on the whole population of the Dominion. Mr Stallworthy commended the statement hy the Leader of the Labour. Party, that if any Government were elected on certain pledges it was its duty to carry out those pledges. That was what would be done. The House rose at 10.58 p.in., the debate being adjourned on the motion of the Hon. Mr Taverner.