PARLIAMENT AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 12, 9 October 1920, Page 8

PARLIAMENT AT WORK

SOLDIERS' SETTLEMENT LAND BILL MR. MASSEY PRESENTS A : NATIONAL BALANCE-SHEET MUCH ABOUT lEPATRIATION The Legislative Council held a brief silting yesterday nud then adjourned -until Tuesday. Tho House of, Eo preventatives spent much of the aftornoon listening to a, quarrel among the Canterbury members regarding a clause in the Christchurch Tramways Bill. ■ The Prime Minister moved tho so cond reading •of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Loan Bill in. tne House. 110 mentioned that tho proposed' loan of ,£(1,000,000 for soldier settlement wou!3 be the last loan subject to the system of compulsory contribution. The term, of tho debentures would be at least ten ycaTs and not more than fifteen years. Mr. Massey made an interesting survey of tlie public financos an d iprasnted a-. National bajance-shojet showing tho assets that could be quoted against the public debt. ■ ■■'-. The Leader ;of the Opposition (Mr. 'Wilford) blamod the Government for not.using powers of compulsory purchase in .order to provide land for soldiers. Tho Minister of Lands, who followed, stated that tho Government Jiad found homes in the towns and the country for 15,088 men. No money would bo saved by taking land compulsorily. . . . Tho debate on tho second reading of tho Bill yas continued until after midnight. Later tho Bill was put through its otheri stages nnd passed. A report by the Board of Trade on tho woollen" industry was presented to the House. The board states that the woollen companies of New Zealand, as a body, have .not been making excessive profits.