PARLIAMENT AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 284, 26 August 1922, Page 6

PARLIAMENT AT WORK

AN UNEVENTFUL DAY FINANCIAL DEBATE CONTINUED

; SEVEN MORE SPEECHES The House spent an uneventful day yesterday, and the Legislative Council did not meet. The debate on the Financial Statement was resumed. Six more members and a Minister delivered speeches, and the House adjourned shortly after 11 p.m.

ELECTORAL ROLLS A MEMBER’S COMPLAINT I . Further complaints that gnethod now being employed by the Electoral Department in preparing the .roll for the forthcoming election is likely to jeopardise the rights of electors were made in the House yesterday by Mr. W. T. Jennings (Waitomo), who asked whether the Prime Minister was aware that thousands of names were being struck off the rolls, including those of people who must be well known to the officers of the Department “I was in New Plymouth last Monday,” said Mr. Jennings, “and I found my name had been struck off. I was told at the Post Office that the officers f; did not know anyone of the name of W. T. Jennings.” A member: Such is fame. ■ Mr. Jennings further stated that m one backblocks district farmers who had resided in the locality for the last twenty years, and who had voted at the last three elections, had found their names struck off the roll, while in Waitomo electorate alone no fewer than 3500 names had been struck off. He asked that the position be fully stated so that electors would know what they had to do to ensure enroli‘ ment. ■ . • ~ . Pile- Prime Minister said it was unfortunately a fact that a largo number of; names which should have been left oil had been struck off the roll. He Would doihis best 'to see that the matter was put right. He hoped, however, that the electors would take i sufficient interest iu the election to see that their names were on the roll. The law had not been altered, and persons who voted at last election and found at the polling booth that their names had been struck off could certify that they were entitled to votes and exercise those votes. " In answer to a further question, the Prime Minister said that it was the practice in the past to deposit a copy of the roll at all .post offices, where electors could examine it, and he would see whether this practice had been discontinued.

“EVADING THE QUESTION”

MR. HOLLAND & DEFENCE

The Minister of Education (Hon. C. J. Parr) said last night that Mr. Holland had spoken verj eloquently about war. But what had ho been aiming at? Did Mr. Holland believe that the country should not prepare to defend itself in the event of another war? Mr- Holland interjected that he did not believe' in spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on an obsolete cruiser. Mr. Parr: I want to know from the honourable gentleman, does he believe in supporting the British Navy? '■ Mr, Holland: My case was made hgaiSst. your naval policy here in New Zealand. Mr. Parr: The honourable gentleman evades the question—he won’t face it. He is untound on naval defence., Mr. Holland: You’re all sound. ■

Mr. Parr: And the honourable gentleman is equally at sea with regard to. military defence.

EARMARKS AND BRANDS A BILL UNDER CONSIDERATION - Mr. T. D. Burnett (Temuka) yesterday asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the Government intended to proceed this session with a Bill concerning earmarks and brands. He hoped that if tho Bill was to he proceeded with, copies of it would be sent as early as possible to agricultural and pastoral associations. The owners of old estates in South Canterbury were concerned about the possibility that the Bill would do away with earmarks and brands, round which historical Associations had. gathered. He desired an assurance that these . old brands would not be interfered with! The Minister (Hen. W. Nosworthy) replied that the Government had a Bill under consideration as the outcome of representations which had been made i to' it. Ho was not prepared to say definitely whether the Bill would be i proceeded with this session, because the issues raised were complicated, and h> willed to havo time to consider • them fully. Every precaution would be taken against interference with the old-established earmarks and brands ‘ ! of back-country stations. There would be no advantage! in taking away the right to use these marks. Nothing : Would be done with the Bill until th 9 parties interested had had every oppor- ' iunity of considering it.

MILITARY PENSIONS COMMISSION

It i 9 likely that the personnel of the commission to inquire into the ques--B&>n of military pensions will be announced within the next few days. Ihe Prime Minister stated in the House yesterday, in answer to a question, that Cabinet had fixed, on the names of the two gentletrien who are to sit tho commission as members, and had selected one of the Magistrates W chairman. The proposed chairman had boon communicated with, but his reply had not yet been received. Mr. Massey thought that the matter would probably be fixed up within the next few days.

tyOOLPACKS AND CORNSACKS

On the suggestion of Mr. A. D. • McLeod (VVoirarapa) the Minister of Agriculture yesterday undertook to inquire whether there was any justification for a rumour that there would be a shortage of woolpacks and cornsacks this.’Season,

1 ! The Pnmo Minister stated in the House' yesterday that the Government had not reached any decision regarding the leasing' of the Mount Cook Hermitage. The matter had been PCfore Cabinet once or twice.

FINANCIAL DEBATE YESTERDAY’S SPEECHES LABOUR ACCUSATIONS The debate on the Financial Statement was resumed in the House yesterday afternoon. A non-confidence motion had been moved at the previous sitting by the Leader of the Labour Party. Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) supported the Labour amendment. He accused the Government of having dismissed employees and cancelled authorisations for expenditure “on the false plea that there was no money in the Treasury.” The Government, he said, had deliberately created an unemployment problem in order to force down ' wages. Ordinary public works in some instances had been given the designation of “relief works,” and men had been dismissed from them in order to be re-engaged at “relief” rates of wages. “There is not an unemployed man in the Dominion, and there is not a woman or a child suffering distress as the result of unemployment but should be told,” the member concluded, “that their distress and suffering is directly due to a carefully planned and carefully executed ruthless policy of the Government to make a raid on the workers’ wages.” Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) said that there was no foundation for the claim made in the amendment that the Government had failed to make provision for the unemployed. Some 7200 mon were employed on public works in New Zealand to-day—on ordinary works or on relief works. ' Normally, the number of men on public works would be about 2000. Thus employment was being provided for some 5000 men more than usual. Did this indicate omission on the part of the Government to do anything for the unemployed ? The unemployment problem had been unduly magnified by some speakers. The immigrants brought to New Zealand all came to assured employment. The Immigration Department at present had positions awaiting almost every kind of skilled worker. The need for reduced taxation was so urgent, said .Mr. Harris. that the Government might have been justified in using the balance of the accumulated surpluses to secure a reduction. The limits of the taxable capacity of the country had been passed! Taxation was stifling enterprise, causing unemployment, and hampering industry, auU .the country had no chance of getting back to normal conditions unless taxation were substantially reduced. “Extravagance is inseparable from State administration,” declared Mr. Harris. “I doubt if tho country has ever had more than 10s. worth of value for each 20s. voted for roads and bridges.” The member added that the present Minister of Public Works had improved the position considerably. Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland West) expounded the land policy of the Labour Party. He proceeded to ask why tho Government should not establish a State bank in the interests of the secondary industries, as well as an agricultural bank in the interests of tho primary industries. A Reform member: There is no suggestion that the State is to back the agricultural bank. Mr. Savage: “I think there have been suggestions in that direction.” Mr. Savage wished to know whether the Government in return for revenue produced by the taxation of municipal trading concerns was prepared to pay rates to the municipal authorities in respect of State-owned land and buildings. He repudiated the suggestion that tho Labour view of the amount of unemployment in the country was exaggerated.

Minister on the Cash Balance. The Minister of Education (Hon. C. J. Parr) said that the Leader of the Opposition had misrepresented the whole sense . of the AuditorGeneral’s report. Mr. Wilford had suggested that there had been laxity, if not- irregularity, in. the control of stores in the Department of Health. There was no foundation for such a suggestion. The control in that Department was thorough and efficient, and the Auditor-General’s remarks could not be made to apply to it. Mr. .Wilford was wrong again when he alleged that there had’ been a huge deficiency in the Education Department stores and that the Auditor-General bad reported to that effect. There was no such deficiency, and the AuditorGeneral had stated since the delivery of Mr. Wilford’s speech that he had had no intention or reflecting on the management of the Education Department in the way suggested. The Labour amendment was based on faulty premises. There was no sum of £7,500,000 available for usuj on public works in the interests of the unemployed. The surplus had existed at the close of the financial year, but it had to be drawn upon to the amount of 3} millions to meet the ordinary requirements of the present year. The first months of each year had to be financed by drawing upon the accumulated surpluses, because Tn those months the taxes had not been collected. It was apparently not reegnised by the critics of the Government that a sum of £1,250,000 was being taken from tho cash balance for expenditure on public works, which would provide work for the unemployed. He thought that that was quite a considerable contribution towards the relief of unemployed. The, latest £5,000,000 loan for publio works was to bo spent principally in wages, unreasonable. The New Zealand GoyThe Labour amendment was utterly ernment was doing least as ' much for the relief of the unemployed as any of tho Australian Governments were doing. It was probably doing more. Mr. Holland had not produced arguments in support of his amendment, though ho had talked very eloquently about war,. 1 The Minister quoted from Hansard to show that the Leader of tho Opposition and prominent Liberal members had voted in favour of tho free-of-income tax principle when war loans were under consideration. Mr. Parr himself and the present Minister of Justice had voted against it. It was scarcely rea-

sonable for the Liberals to stand up in the House now and lament the awful consequences of their own act. Members had said something ebout reducing the cost of education. He did not believe that any large reduction was possible without loss of efficiency. The House should realise that each year the number of children attending the schools increased by 7000 or 8000, while at the eamo time tho standard of education was being raised. The necessary provision could not be made without an expansion of expenditure. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) declared that while the Treasury contained million s of money the Government had callously allowed women and children to lack necessaries because men could not find work. The surplus funds were being held while unemployment committees were struggling to raise a little money to keep people from starving. There could be no justification tor permitting poverty and distress to continue while the means to end the trouble were at hand. The men, the money, and the work were aJ available; but the Government refused to move. For that reason it stood condemned, and should be replaced by a Government with more humanity. Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames) described the Opposition attack as a sham-fight. The watchword of the Government, he said, was economy. The Budget disclosed the financial position so clearly and simply that a fifth standard child could understand it. He urged the . Minister or Education always to give first consideration to the claims of the . blocks when the money was available for the erection of schools. He taxed the Labour members with wasting tho time of the House upon futile noconfidence motions. ■' Mr J. W. Munro (Dunedin North) said that the Government had done the best it intended to do—rg>t the best it could do—to remedy unemployment. The workers looked on the Government as a blight. Discontent had been created that might have been avoided had the Government been more humane towards. Labour and less concerned with the interests of the wealthy. He gloried in being an extreme Labour man, he declared, because his party stood for progress Shortly after 11 p.m., Mr. I. D. Burnett (Temuka) moved th? adjournment.

The Prime Minister stated in tihe House of Representatives yesterday, in reply to a question put by Mr. W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei), that lie was untier the impression some additional allowauce was made to engine-drivers in charge of trains on dangerous portions of thp line. He would make inquiries on toe point. Mr. Massey added that the skill, courage and presence of mind of toe driver and fireman in charge of the express train had averted a serious disaster ot Drury. The men deserved very high commendation.