Parliament ADDRESS-IN-REPLY SPEECHES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 241, 8 July 1938, Page 12

Parliament ADDRESS-IN-REPLY SPEECHES

Government Members Main Contributors To Debate

USE OF FOODSTUFFS DURING SLUMP

Improvements To Reading System And Unemployment Figures

With the exception of speeches by one member of the Opposition and an Independent, all of yesterday’s contributions to the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives were made from tlw Government benches. Two Ministers took part in the debate, the Minister of Public Works, Hon. K. Semple, and the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong. The sole Opposition speaker was Mr. K. J Holyoake ™ members have spoken since the commencement of the debate last week, and it now seems likely that the discussion will extend into Steps ‘taken by the Public Works Department to improve the reading system were defended by Mr. Semple, who denied charges of extravagance in the expenditure of money on public works. Mr Armstrong discussed the unemployment figures. e salt they were shown month by month in exactly the same way as they were given when the Opposition was in power. The consumption of staple foodstuffs during the depression vears was referred to by Mr. Holyoake. He said that, although I abour members talked about poverty amid plenty, the use of foodstuffTdurffig the slump reached peak levels.XJhe Opposition noconfidence amendment, said Mr. Holyoake, defined the Socialistic ob ecZs of the Government. The Leader of the Opposition had given in it a faithful interpretation of public feeling.

Labour’s Plans for insulating the Dominion in the event of an ? re< ; e S' sion in prices overseas will be the main issue placed before the people at the coining general election, according to Mr. C. R. Petrie (Government, Hau raki). The view of Opposition members be said, was that the measure of good government was the price quoted for New Zealand loans on the r jOn “® a market. They were concerned with keeping the Dominion’s credit good in London at the expense of the standard of living in their own country “That sort of thing is called good government," Mr. Petrie continued, “but I submit that where want, discontent and insecurity exist there cannot he good government. The Labour Government has removed these spectres and is concerning itself with the welfare of people xyitbin the Dominion. It has done more to reconcile Christianity with economic materialism than has ever been done before nt any other country.”

Insulation Theory. "Tbe Opposition is seeking to raise the issue of private enterprise against Socialism,”. Mr. Petrie said. "We will not run away from that, but the most important point to be placed before tbe electors —and the point on which the election will be fought—will be the so-called insulating theory.” Mr, W. ,1. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitoino) : Tell.us what it is. ••When we meet the electors,’ said .Mr. Petrie, “we will promise to sustain tbe high standard of life which they now enjoy. Opposition speakers guv that booms and slumps cannot be avoided and in doing so they confess their inability- to protect New Zealand from outside influences. We say that we will give that protection.’’ “The Opposition might think it is doing right in pursuing its policy,” said Mr T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton), "but the people will not tliink it is right. As a matter of fact, being mistaken seems to run in the family of the Leader of the Opposition. His father bought for 10/- the first pair of rabbits introduced into Southland. He thought they would do well there. They did.” It was wrong to say that Labour had bad a serious reverse at the municipal elections, said Mr. McCombs. The newspapers had consistently failed to show that Labour was stronger than ever in the municipalities and local bodies, and in several cases bad complete control. Housing Policy. The opinion that tbe Government would be unwise to depart from its, present bousing policy and build houses for sale was expressed by Mr. E. P. Meacben (Government, Wairau). "There is every facility for a person who wishes to own his home to do so,” he said. "I don’t think tbe Government would be wise to sell the houses it is building for rental purposes. By doing that it would open up tbe field for the speculator and tbe results would be chaotic. The State housing scheme is a triumph of organisation, and great credit is due to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in Charge of Housing, Mr. J. A. Lee. Had be been able to obtain sufficient skilled labour be could even have accomplished a great deal more than he has.” Mr. Meachen said he felt that the Government had tbe confidence of tbe sensible people in the community. “1 feel that we can go before the electors with confidence and with a feeling that we have done something really worth while. Unless the members of the Opposition adopt better tactics I can see them being wiped into oblivion.” Individualism Condemned. The contention that the previous Government and earlier Conservative Administrations had exercised more control over the economic life of the community than the present Government was advanced by Mr. D. Barnes (Government, Waitaki). Goods cited by Mr. Barnes as having been subject to various forms of control at different times in recent years included butter, sugar,' timber, boots, hides, wheat, cement, bricks, potatoes and meat. "Competition means wastefulness and overlapping,” said Mr. Barnes. “We have bankruptcies and unemployment where there is unregulated com[>ettion. To give the greatest possible satisfaction to tbe greatest number should be the object, of an economic system, and in cases where tbe system fail? to do That there is ample justification for interference by tbe State. The Government has never interfered ' unless it has been to the advantage of the people to do so. Tbe production of wealth is no real test of Social wellbeing-dis-tribution is the real test. Individualism is a theory that does not fit in with present-day facts; it has nothing in common with everyday life.

“Members of the Opposition are continually accusing this Government of State Interference and control." Mr. Barnes continued. "When they were the Government and also when there were other Conservative Governments

there was a great deal, more State interference. The previous Government and these other Governments before it assumed office took more control over economic life than we have done up to the present at least.” Defence and Taxation. Mr. W. T. Anderton (Government. Eden), said that the Government bad reduced taxation. In 193') the actual income of New Zealand was £103,090,000. Taxation was £25,300,000, or 24.0 per cent, of the total income. In 1930, when the actual income .was £120.000,000, taxation was £25,470,000, or 21.3 per cent. He expected that when the figures for 1937 .were available they' would show taxation at about 22 per cent. The charge that taxation was heavier was therefore not. substantiated by the figures. “The Government has provided more finance in the interests of defence than any previous Government has provided, except in time of war,” said Mr. Anderton. “We have created an organise, tion for defence that was entirely lacking in 1935. The defences of the country are in a better condition in relation to the needs of the times than they have ever been in tbe history of New Zealand.” A member: What is the. defence strength now? “The force is a requisite force in accordance with the expert advice we have had, and that advice is better than has ever been obtained before,” said Mr. Anderton. Social Security Plan. “Before this session of I’arlihment comes to an end all of the 12 points in the Labour programme will be embodied in legislation ■ on the Statute Book,” said Mr. J. O’Brien (.Government, Westland). The Government's social . security proposals, lie added, would be the envy and admiration of the civilised world. Mr. O’Brien said that tbe Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (Opposition, Hurunui) had issued a dismal warning concerning the Government’s superannuation and health service scheme. However, Mr. Forbes bad apparently forgotten that a manifesto issued before the last election by himself and tbe Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (Opposition, Kaipara) stated that a scheme of compulsory national superannuation would be adopted as soon as the financial conditions permitted. "Mr. Forbes and his friends have been talking about the wave of prosperity duo to the prices obtained overseas,” said Mr. O’Brien, “and in view of their contention surely it is time to put such a scheme into operation.” Mr. O’Brien said tbe issue at. next election would not be that of Socialism versus private enterprise as claimed by the Opposition, but whether the people were going to have the opportunity to apply their labour to tbe natural resources of the country to work out a livelihood.

Mr. J. Robertson (Government, Masterton) said that in listening to the Opposition speakers one was struck by tbe complete lack of any constructive proposals for the better goverrment of the country. There had been much crticism but nothing constructive. The Leader of the Opposition had moved an amendment which provided ample proof of the political bankruptcy of bis policy. The House rose at 10.20 p.m. until this morning.

DEBATE IN COUNCIL

International Affairs

The Address-in-Reply debate was continued in the Legislative Council yesterday, and will be resinned at. 10.30 a.m. to-day. Referring to the colour question, the Hou. F. E. O’Flyun (Canterbury) said that the coloured rtices of the world outnumbered the wlme by two io one. By the end of the last century the white man’s power seemed io have reached its height. Then came the Great War. Coloured peoples were brought into it, and went home to tell their people what they had seen—how tlie white men had dug a ditch across Europe and killed one another. The coloured folk were interested in this, and realised that while the white lieople did those things the weaker they got. “I think another great conllagra I ion would certainly destroy I he white man's supremacy nearly all the world over, although I do not think that the civilisation that exists in the world today can be destroyed," Mr. oTflyim said. The Hou. W. Hayward (Canterbury), referring to a reference in Hie speech of the mover of Hie Address-in-Reply, Hon. E. E. Lark (Auckland) to the effect that the policy of the Government was carrying on the ■•Galilean cult," said that Mr. Lark in a speech a year or so ago bad said: '■Christianity has hud its day. It lias failed and now something else must take its place." Commenting on a reference by the-Hou. B. Martin ( Auckland) to the conviction of a prominent member of

the prcseii' C.'jliiuet iu 1921 for bringing seditious literature into Hie country, Mr. Ha.vwnrd said Mr. Martin liiid made a brave at tempi not only Io condone tire act. but also to applaud it.

Mr. Hayward criticised Ministerial control of Hie railway system. Tlie Hon. T. Bloodworth (Auckland I, discussing tlie international situation, said lie thought the League of Nations must he strengthened by the provision of an international court and .-in interna I lona I police force capable of enforcing the verdicts of the court, lie did iml advo-.-ite an itiieriniliou.il army. because .■i:uiie< had ■ .or \e. :> tin- bisiory id’ Hie world settled one international dispute.