POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21404, 21 February 1935, Page 12

POLITICAL NOTES

. o LFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, February 20. Mortgage. Bill Debate More than 20 members of the House of Representatives have now taken part in the second reading debate of the Mortgage Corporation of New Zealand Bill, and it appears that half as many more will want to add their views before the bill goes into committee. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart's was the most outstanding speech in the House today. The former Minister for Finance was heard with obvious interest by an unusually well-filled chamber. He offered strong criticism of the bill, but said he would vote for it rather than support either the Labour party or that section of the community which held the views of Mr W J. Poison. The House adjourned at 10.30 until to-morrow afternoon. State Advances "From the inception of the State advances system it has been made the plaything of politics," declared the Hon. A. D. McLeod (C, Wairarapa) when speaking during the debate on the Mortgage Corporation Bill in the House of Representatives to-night. A Labour member: By whom? Mr McLeod: By every political party and by every Government in New Zealand—and I don't exempt the Reform party. Continuing, Mr McLeod said the State advances scheme was originally intended for the improvement of farms. Gradually the scope of the legislation was extended, and after pressure the margin of security increased. 'Mr A. M. Samuel (Ind., Thames): That is a damning indictment of previous Governments. Mr McLeod said political pressure outside undoubtedly influenced the best judgment of many men. All knew how from time to time near elections £3,000,000, £4,000,000, or £5,000,000 were shovelled into the fund to give it a boost. Mr Poison and Farmers "I am a farmer, and he does not speak for me," said Mr McLeod, referring, to the speech of Mr Poison. "I know, too, that there are manv thousands of farmers in this country for whom he does not speak. In the Farmers' Union we have very many worthy farmers; but I also know, unfortunately, that we have a few very inefficient farmers, and thev are nearly always the noisiest." Mr A. J. Stallworthy (Ind., Eden): That is not a reflection on the member for Stratford? Mr McLeod: If you want to find an inefficient farmer, always select the man who is always talking about what he has done as a farmer. We have a percentage of inefficient farmers; but that percentage is no greater than the inefficients in every other walk of life, including those on Chambers of Commerce. Member's Marriage To mark the recent marriage of Mr K. J. Holyoake, M.P., a presentation was made to him to-night by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) at a social gathering of members of the Coalition party. The presentation consisted of a silver teapot, a silver cream bowl, a silver sugar bowl, and a cut-glass sugar shaker, all suitably inscribed. Labour Conference A request to the Government to give special consideration to the representation of New Zealand at the International Labour Conference which will open at Geneva on June 4 was made by Mr Walter Nash (Lab., Hutt) in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr Nash said that the present circumstances were particularly favourable for representation of the Dominion, in that Mr T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, would be in Europe at the time of the conference, and if the Government representative was selected from London or from the Prime Minister's staff the only additional cost to the Government would be the travelling expenses of another delegate representing the workers. The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) said that the matter was receiving the attention of the Government.

"North Island Problem" "In so far as the bill is based on the report of the Dairy Industry Commission as a means of assisting distressed dairy farmers, it seems that it is dealing largely with a North Island problem." said the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, during his sceech this evening on the Mortgage Corporation of New Zealand Bill. Perusal of the Dairy Commission's report seemed to show that all the commission's evidence was collected in the North Island, and all its statistical information with No"th Island districts. Hence the people of Otago at least were puzzled at the nroposal to erect so grandiose an edifice to cone with a oroblem which, for the most part, thev were able to handle with their local financial resources. Nevertheless, all parts of the Dominion were deeply concerned with the welfare of the dairy farmer.

Details of Losses "There is a strong public demand that the Minister for Finance should give more details as to the present losses of the Government lending departments that are to be taken over by the Mortgage Corporation," stated Mr Downie Stewart in the House of Representatives to-night. "I quite recognise that where large arrears exist, no one can say how much of these arrears will be recovered. I believe they are coming in better than one might expect; but there are ascertained losses definitely written off that must be known. No lending institution, whether public or private, has escaped heavy losses during the depression, and it is possible that the State departments will make a showing no worse than is inevitable in such large operations.