PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 219, 11 June 1943, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

Financial Debate Continued FIVE MORE SPEAKERS YESTERDAY With the exception of a brief interval for the introduction of legislation to postpone by-elections pending between now and the general election all of yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives was occupied with the debate on the Budget. Five speakers, comprising four Government members, one Opposition, and one Democratic Labour, spoke yesterday, bringing the number of members so far participating to 13. Eight, have been Government members and four Opposition.

The House adjourned at 10 o’clock till 10.30 a.m. today. Congratulations to the Minister of Finance on his conversion, as indicated by his Budget references, to sound finance were offered by Mr. Harker (Opposition, Waipawa). . He said that the Minister’s homily on the dangers of inflation was salutary, showed that he had progressed in understanding finance and had evidently learned something while in the United States. After praising Mr. Nash’s successful work for the Dominion in Washington, Mr. Harker deplored his absence from America while the recent important conference was in progress. Referring to the Government’s control of broadcasting, the member said that the Opposition took no exception to the use of the radio for the war effort. But it objected strongly to the cunning interweaving of propaganda designed to keep the party spirit alive and to propagate Labour Barty doctrines. Criticizing what he described as the Government’s unaccountable delay in settling returning servicemen on the land, Mr. Harker said he was driven to the suspicion that. it did not want too large a rural population because every new farmer meant an opponent of the Government. The Opposition view was that the drift to the towns would have to be reversed to ensure the economic salvation of the Dominion., While agreeing with, the Prime Minister that a certain amount of waste was inevitable in the development and expansion of the armed forces, Mr. Harker claimed that not thousands of pounds but millions could have been saved had the Government agreed to the Opposition’s suggestion earlier in the war to set up a special committee to investigate war expenditure involved in the construction of camps and the supply of equipment. He expressed regret that the Budget contained no reference.to the problem of child and adolescent crime or made provision for tackling it. Plea for Housewives. Disappointment that the domestic servant problem had not been tackled in a proper manner to ensure that housewives would obtain necessary house-help was expressed by Mrs. Stewart (Government, Wellington West). She said that, the women members of the House appreciated the position of farmers’ wives and others unable to secure help. Many city people did not understand the conditions in the country and thought that transport there was on a like footing to that in the towns. The male members in the House could not be expected to understand the many duties which the average housewife had to discharge. “I would like to see the men of this House trying to do the difficult and exacting work of the home,” she added. Housekeeping was a craft and should be recognized as that and domestic servants properly trained. Home help was not only required for the well-to-do but for wives in many smaller homes. Practically nothing had beep done to make domestic service attractive for women or to elevate it to a craft or profession. She also urged the provision of rest rooms, clubs and hostels in cities for girls who came from other districts for employment. They had to room and had nowhere to go and this was perhaps a, factor in some of the undesirable conditions that existed today. Defence of Department.

A warm defence of the Departments of Industries and Commerce and Supply in reply to criticism by the Leader ot the Opposition was made by the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr. Sullivan. He said‘that Mr. Holland had made a bitter reference to the Department of Industries and Commerce by calling it the "Department of Inefficiency and Chaos. "I want to tell the House and the people ®f New Zealand that, there is no inefficiency and no chaos in, the department which includes the Ministry of Supply, said Mr. Sullivan. “It is a characteristic of the honourable gentleman that he is somewhat unrestrained in his language. I suggest to him that he was desperately unfair. The honourable gentleman has been very prolific in making charges of waste and extravagance both before and after he broke up the War Administration. He is also inconsistent. He said in a Press statement while he was Ministed in Charge of War Expenditure that he found only two instances of waste when he made an inspection of military camps.” Mr. Holland: I was speaking of only one day’s inspection. The Minister: The honourable gentleman caimot get out of it that way. There is an element of political ruthlessness in his make-up.,,-;r A Government;Member: And irresponsibility. " ,5 He would frankly admit, continued Mr. Sullivan, that the Industries and Commerce Department had had to face real difficulties arising out of the manpower shortage. While on the one hand the work of the department had grown enormously because of its war work the armed forces had drawn off numbers of the staff. The department found itself getting behind in its work—in tobacco supplies, for example. This was not because of a serious shortage of raw tobacco—though it was in somewhat short •supply—but because the National Service Department had found it impossible to find sufficient labour for the tobacco factories. .The tobacco output therefore was declining.

The Minister of Railways, Mr. Semple: No one will die o£ that.

Mr.-Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga): Some people would rather die than go without tobacco.

After naming prominent business men associated with the Ministry of Supply and appointed by the Government to assist it in the tremendous problem of the war effort, Mr. Sullivan, asked the Leader of the Opposition if the bringing in of nationally known and respected business men was responsible for the alleged inefficiency and chaos of the department. They were the best men available in business today, and was the Leader of the Opposition criticizing them, asked Mr. Sullivan, who added that the Leader of the Opposition had perpetrated the most outrageous and unfair criticism of as fine a body of men and women as could be found anywhere. There was more dissension in the ranks of the National Barty under its present leadership than under any leader the Opposition had ever had.

Opposition members: What about your own party? Tim Minister: Never happier or inure united.

An Opposition member: What about Lee?

A Government interjeetor: He was dumped. Broceeding, the Minister said that the honourable gentleman had talked a lot of drivel about tea.

The Speaker intervened, asking the Minister to withdraw the word. Mr. Sullivan: Very W'ell. The honourable gentleman talked the most unmitigated nonsense about tea by saying that ihe housewives of the Dominion had paid £500,000 more for their wartime tea supplies than they need have done. After explaining the Empire tea sunply arrangement entered into on September 15, 1942, the Minister claimed that New Zealand had got better stocks of tea at probably a better price than any other country. Reviewing the munitions production he saiil New Zealand was exporting supplies for the Eastern group supply council for the Allied forces scattered throughout the world. There had been three jiew factories established during every week the Government had been in office. Continuity of Debts. What he described as the “eternal continuity'’ of debt charges was referred to by Mr. Dee (Democratic Labour. Grey Lynn). The keynote of the Budget, lie said, was that it was very largely a bondholders’ Budget. Debt charges were advanced by £2,000,000, and it was proposed to raise loans which would increase debt. ch a £1,250,{>00 ? _ 1 he

bondholders’ £3,250,000 was there for eternity 'but the pensioners shate ot £1,400,000 was for mortality. . “(New Zealand is selling all its produce at 1030 prices and buying shells, aeroplanes and all war essentials at IJ-lo prices,” said- Mr. Lee. “All of our rolling stock is running down, the permanent way is deteriorating, engines, factories and farms are in a .process of deterioration, and it seems that we are entitled to accumulate at least substantial credits against the day when we will have to rehabilitate New Zealand. It does seem that we are entitled to have war debts at the end of the war considered in the general process of settlement. We are making a manpower sacrifice equal to any other nation, and should (New Zealand have to attempt to pay off every cent for goods bought at 1043 prices while selling at 1039 prices?” Mr. Lee said that -unless the, manpower problem were faced up to, instead of intensifying New Zealand’s war effort we may actually do it harm. “V,, y e don’t face up to this problem we will be faced with the risk of reducing the minimum call-up age on the one hand and ot extending it on the other,” he said. “We will have to revise our commitments or revise our calling-up ages. I think the Government has over-reached itself in its pledging of New Zealand’s manpower. An inquiry as to the probable successor of Mr. C. G. Scrimgeour as controller of commercial broadcasting in the event of his -being required to perform military service was made by Mr. Lee. “I understand that he is to be called in the course of a few days in the terms of proceedings in front of the appeal board some months ago,” said Mr. Lee. “I wonder if the Minister in replying could tell us who is to be appointed, and if he is to be not necessarily in New Zealand.” The shortage of coal and other commodities should have been foreseen, declared Mr. Lee. Eighteen months ago he had sent a memo to the Prime Minister urging that steps be taken to increase production of coal and vegetables, stating that in the future supplies in excess of our own requirements would be demanded. Mr. Lee commended to the Government a suggestion he had received from a British naval officer that New Zealand should take a number of suitable immigrants from Britain in part discharge of some of the Dominion’s indebtedness. Borrowing Policy.

The belief that New Zealand was the only country which had not announced a taxation increase in a wartime Budget was expressed by Mr. Denham (Government, Invercargill). He said the Budget was a great achievement. The Opposition had sharpened their axe in anticipation of being able to attack the Government on further burdens they imagined would be levied, but to their amazement and consternation they found nothing to attack. Replying to criticism of borrowing for war purposes Mr. Denham said a certain system of economics had been built up through the years and it could not -be changed like changing a coat. Debt-free money was an ideal of the future, but the Minister of Finance had to deal with things as they were. Mr. Denham had not concluded his speech when the adjournment was taken af 10 p.m.

SITTING HOURS

Two Mornings A Week In

Future An alteration in the sitting hours of the House of Representatives was agreed to yesterday on a motion submitted by the Minister of (Finance, Mr. Nash, who was in charge of the House in the temporary absence of the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser. In future it will meet two mornings a week instead 1 of one as at present. On Tuesdays the House will meet at 10.30 a.m. and sit till 10 p.m., with the customary adjournments for the mid-day meal andi tea. On, Wednesdays and Thursdays the House will -rise at 10 p.m. instead of 10.30 pan. as at present. The usual Friday hours will be observed. The new arrangement has been made to avoid a clash between the broadcasting of the House proceedings and the tenminute broadcast to the troops in the Pacific at 10 o’clock nightly.

STEEL DISTRIBUTORS

Question To Minister

A question whether the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan, would make public inquiry into the reasons for the establishment of Steel Distributors, Limited, and aspects arising therefrom was raised in the House by Mr. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn). He asked whether the agreement witn this company involved the department in financial obligations to it, whether; the company was in the best interests of the Dominion and would reduce the price of steel to users and provide fairer competition among manufacturers, whether the Crown must order all requirements through Steel Distributors, Limited, thereby incurring a charge of £2/10/- a ton. whether discrimination was used by merchant members of the company in charges and’ allocations to people not on the list, whether profits were excessive and whether Australian steel was sold at a lower price to preferential clients than British and U.S.A, steel. ’A note to the question stated that a manufacturer had said that the price quoted for angles was £39 plus 20 per cent, when the assessed price was £39 inclusive of sales tax. The firm was offered steel at £3B plus 20 per cent, when the listed price, all charges included, for Australian steel was £29/18/-, sales tax included. The same steel from U.S.A, or Britain was £39/10/-, tax included.

CARPENTRY SCHOOLS

“Schools for training are being opened in all districts where there are sufficient men desiring to be trained,” said the Minister of Labour, Mr. Webb, when asked by Mr. Frost (Government, New Flymouth) in the House whether it was intended to provide a carpentry training school in New Plymouth. The Minister said that training centres for carpentry had been established in Auckland, Wellington, I’etone, Christchurch, Dunedin and Rotorua. Arrangements, were proceeding .to open similar training schools in other centres.

HOME GUARD WEEKEND PARADES

Whether the Minister of National Service would consider exempting from further weekend Home Guard parades men over military age, many of whom were returned soldiers of the last war, was a question of which notice was given in the House by Mr. Atmore (Independent, Nelson) on behalf of the member for Napier. Mr. Barnard. In a note to the question it was stated that complaints were general among these men of what was described as the “useless waste of time” involved in the existing system of parades. It was felt that the time could be more profitably employed in growing vegetables. Men over military age stated they could not keep pace with the younger men, and as many were doing two men’s work during the week they were feeling the strain of compulsory attendance at parades.

A question whether the Minister of Education, Mr. Mason, recognized the need for a secondary school in the western suburbs of Wellington and whether he would consider the establishment of such a school in the Karori-Northland area was asked by Mrs. Stewart (Government, Wellington West) in the House yesterday. Both suburbs were growing rapidly, said Mrs. Stewart, and more and more children were forced to undertake the long and frequently uncomfortable journey across the city to the existing colleges.