HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 35, 10 August 1927, Page 11

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-day.

Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) presented a petition, against the Keligious Exercises in Schools Bill.

Mr. T. E. Y. Sedclon (Westland) asked whether the inter-Island telephone service would be extended to Greymouth and Hokitika.

Mr. Wilford gave notice to ask the Prime Minister whether, seeing that the Eight Honourable L. M. S. Amery, M.P., is visiting New Zealand, he will arrange for that Right Honourable gentleman to deliver an address on his arrival hero on "Proportional Representation," seeing that the Right Honourable gentleman is vice-president of the Proportional Representation Society, which has its head office at 82, Victoria street, Westminster, London. The following," saia Mr. Wilford, "are the names of the other vice-presidents:—The Bight Hon. G. N. Barnes, the Right Hon. Earl Beauchamp, K.G., the Right Hon. Earl Birkenhead, the Right Hon. Viscount Burnham, C.H., the Right Hon. Viscount Cecil, the Right Hon. J. R. Clynes, M.P., the Lady Courteney of Penwith, the Right Hon. H. A. L. Fisher, the Right Hon. William Graham, M.P., the Right Hon. Marquess of Lansdowne, K.G., the Right Hon. Sir Donald Maclean, K.B.E the Right Hon. Sir Alfred Mond, Bart M.P., the Right Hon. G. H. Roberts, the Eight Hon. Earl of Selborne, K.G., the Sight Hon. Sir John Simon, K.C. MP Robert Smillie, M.P., the Right Hon. j! H. Thomas, M.P., the Right Hon. Philip Snowden, M.P., the Right Hon. J C Wedgwood, D.5.0., M.P-." Mr. Wilford also gave notice to ask the Minister of Labour whether his Department holds that, under the present law, a butcher, .need not have scales m Mb shop if he chooses to sell meat by the piece, and that the interference of the Department in regard to scales is only exercised in the direction of seeing that the scales when used are in order; and, whether the Minister was aware that the present system of selling meat at so much per pioce without having the weight of such piece on the ticket is opening an avenue for exploiting the public and enabling unscrupulous vendors to sell joints worth 6d a pound for Is a pound +o those who are least able to afford the overcharge. Another question of which Mr. Wilford gave notice was as to whether the Postmaster-General will confer with the i'ubhe Works Department and have a report prepared showing the inadequacy of the Petone Post Office and the Hutt Post Office for present requirements; ana whether he will, in the event of such report showing the necessity for alterations, at the earliest opportunity authorise the same. Mr. V. H. Potter (Roskill) asked the Minister of Finance if he will issue a statement at onco showing how many applications are in to the State Advances Office for loans and how long a period it is likely aii applicant will have to wait before obtaining an advance. The Minister (the Hon., W. Downie Stewart) said he would be glad to look into the. question* v ...... .;,.. FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr. F. Waite (Clutlia) criticised the Labour Party for having come out as the strong friend of the soldier, which, he asserted, was a sudden change of heart. He considered that in Ofcago every soldier settler had been given a fair chance. The general opinion of the R.S.A. was that the Pensions Board was more sympathetic than, it had ever been. Mr. Waite saia that he knew some of the Labour members had served at the front and that the brothers of some Labour members\ who could not go to the war had - ■ '

clone good service, but what bothered' the speaker was the official solicitude of the Labour Party for the soldier." He resented the suggestion that NewZealand soldiers should not receive training in gas •warfare. What had been the attitude of the official Labour Party ivnen the .New Zealand soldiers were hanging on at Chunik Bair? (Labour dissent.) Mr. \V. 13. Parry (Auckland Central): us something sensible; that's' worn-out stuff."

"I know it is unpopular." said Mr "Waite.

Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central): "Oh, let him go." Mr. "Waite saia that the Labour Party was like the Mahonimedans who turned their faces to Mecca when praying. The Labour Patty, which used to turn its face to Moscow, now turned it to Geneva.

Mr. Waite declared that the difficulties New Zealand was experiencing today were common to other countries. The Labour Party must know that the Government had no control over economic factors. He repudiated the idea that factory methods cquld be applied to farming.

There was a great cry from the Labour benches continually for more expenditure, but then, said Mr. Waite, tho Labour members turned round and asked for economy. Economy must not bo practised in fits and starts, but uniformly. No Government could be blamed for the economic factors operating to-day because these were due to after-war conditions. This country could not go back to the days of 1903, when the first motor-cars wore imported. The acreage of oats and chaff was steadily diminishing, and.the speaker quoted figures to prove what he was saying. Instead of growing oata. a man nowadays, said Mr. Waite, looked for a job in a motor garage or for some other Similar position. He remarked that the whole trend of arbitration legislation required to be carefully looked into. The speaker went on to draw attention to the growth of tha time-pay-ment system in this country, and said that its whole trend should be examined when at was applied to such expensive luxuries as gramophones. Mr. J. A. Lee (Auckland East)"Are gramophones luxuries?" Mr. Waite: "While we havo the lion members opposite there is no need for gramophones.although the records are getting a bit scratched."

Mr. Fraser: "We are getting His Master'B voice now."

Regarding'Mr. Holland's advocacy of a State bank, Mr. Waite said it had been stated that if the Russian State bank could have printed bread and butter in the same way as it printed rouble notes there would have been no poverty in Russia.

(Left sitting.)