PARLIAMENTARY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3382, 11 July 1927, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY.

In the Addrcss-in-Reply debate Mr Jas. Jb'm said that the legislation praised by the mover of tlio motion before the House was, after all, measures passed by the old Liberal Party, not by the b'eform Party. It was true that the Reform Party might have amended them from time to time. That was necessary to keep them abreast of the limes. The seconder of the motion had introduced much important matter into the discussion and treated it in a unique way. At the same time ho had provided no remedy for the ills from which they were suffering. Things were undoubtedly bad, but it was not for the House to make them worse by a note of pessimism, One way to help the farmer was to abolish the land tax, which had to be paid whether there was any profit on the farm or not. Interest was too high, and the farmers wanted rural credits. This ‘proposal was sound, and should be backed up by a State guarantee. There would then be no difficulty in "etling the debentures taken up, for with a State guarantee they would be as interchangeable as bank notes. Cheap fertilisers were also an essential. The growing of sugar beet should be encouraged. At present wc were getting sugar grown in Fiji by cheap coloured labour, but the day might come when that cheap labour would be no longer available, and we should put our house in order.