YESTERDAY IN THE? HOUSE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24653, 24 August 1945, Page 4

YESTERDAY IN THE? HOUSE

BUDGET DEBATE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON. August 28. ’ : The House of Representatives WM tßi; a good humour to-day. In the afternoon, in fact, it was in jovial mood, particularly when Mr R. G. Gerard (Opposition, Mid-Canterbury) 'was piloting his first local bill. It was > simple bill, giving the Ashburton Borough Council power to consolidate its rates in the same way as the ; Christchurch City Council, but mesa* '■ bers on both sides, with heavy play* , fulness, solemnly asked searching - questions about apparently innocuow . points. Mr Gerard was able to ten the House that, as far as he knew, there was no objection to the measure in Ashburton. ' . The rest of the day, after fonnax business, was devoted to the contmua- ; tion of the Budget , debate, which was * not very illuminating. The most teresting speech was that of MrR.J®- ; Algie (Opposition, Remuera). wh ° *2? , often amusing in his reply to Mr * • ; Langstor.e’s speech on the Bank oi , New Zealand. Among his points was - the contention that the Government in 1894 had driven a hard bargain m g«* ting control of the bank for a ■ tee of £2,000,000, which was not caiieo up, and £500,000, which was repaid » few' years later. _ . . Mr C M. Williams (Government, Kaiapoi) again supported Opposition members in a request for a flat raw w., 7s Id a bushel for w'heat this year._»* said farmers on marginal land ® terbury had planted w'heat in the ex-. pectation of a total acreage of 250jJW to 300,000 acres, but because of flows it was doubtful now whetherth tt would be an acreage of 135.000. "J - fact, there would be the smallest total yield for 60 years. Common justice demanded that these wheatgrowers r®, ceive the full 7s Id which they haa reasonably expected. Messrs W. M. Denham (Government, Inyer^rgilh. C. M. Bowden (Opposition, Wellington . West). D. C. Kidd (Opposition. W« taki), and R. M. Macfnrlane (Govern ment. Christchurch South), and t Minister of Agriculture (the Roberts) were the other speakers, i debate will be continued to-morrow.