POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 17394, 2 July 1920, Page 3

POLITICAL POINTS

From Our Parliamentary Reporter

WELLINGTON, July 1. PROFITEERING CASES. The Hon. * Mr Lee, president of the ; Board of Trade, was asked by your correspondent if the Government intend appealing against the Christchurch magistrate's decision in the alarm clock -cases. The member replied that the matter was ; under consideration, but no decision could be announced yet. | It is reported bore that the resignation of Mr Ellis, a member of the Christchurch Prices Investigation Committee, is due to the realisation that the magisterial judgment on the point of replacement values cuts the ground from beneath, the effective operation of these tribunals. The Wellington Committee's decisions were witheld until the Christchurch cases were decided. * * * BREAD PRICES. Cabinet has not yet considered final decision on the request of the master bakers to be permitted to charge higher prices for bread. * * * PROFITEERING IN LAND. "What causee -high prices?" asked Mr M'Callum (Wairau) during the no-confi-dence debate, "not the cost of sugar or butter. It is profiteering in land. There wero many men who never liad to do a hand's turn all their lives, and would die worth many thousands, not, one penny of which was honestly earned. It all I came from the community. Unearned inj uement of land values had increased by 1 100 millions in 10 years, or at the rate j of £IOO every five minutes." A Member*: "What's your share?" Mr M'Callum: "A very fair share. (Laughter.) But I determined I shall pay my"fair share of taxation." He went on to "declare that during the war land values had increased by an amount sufficient to pay half New Zealand's share of the cost of the war. * * * CUSTOMS RECEIPTS. Customs and other revenue at ports of the Dominion for the period ended March. 31, 1920, wero shown in a return laid on the table. The total duties levied were £5,304,725, the largest contributions being £1,552.995 at Wellington, £1,332,033 at Auckland, £770,643 at Lyttelton, and £671,192 at Dunedin. the rate per cent, of collection being £1 7s 4d. £1 ICs, £1 15s 2d, and £1 9s 7d respectively. * * * REFORM MEMBERS MEET. There was a Caucus of about an hour's duration in the Government Whip's room to-day, when some of the sessional le^is- ! lation was outlined, and an indication given of the order in which business will come forward. It is understood that the Government regard the £amoan question as urgent, and will endeavor to push on the preparation of reports, including that of the Pacific Trade Commission, with a view to tackling one of the most contentious questions likely to come forward —that of indentured labor, which it is maintained is necessary to preserve the economic life of our new Island territory. Owing the want-of-confidence motion being before the House, an expected indication of Ministerial rearrangement and the additional appointment was not forthcoming. Tha Prime Minister iissured pressmen that there was a <jood spirit all through, and there was plenty of cor- , roborative evidence of this fact. Mr R. F. Bollard (Raglan) is the Government Whip. * * * CUSTOMS REVISION. DUMPING AND HIGH DUTY. Still unsatisfied over the Government's promise to thoroughly overhaul the Customs tariff next session, members again raised the question to-day, with the new point that dumping is not prejudicing New Zealand industry. Mr Isitt asked the Minister of Customs to grant relief to business men from the unfair burden of charging duty on present-day value as compared with the price the purchaser paid. The Government had said th«v were anxious to stop profiteering, but the tendency of the Customs Department's practice was to increase the cost of goods to the people of the country. If a man had to pay duty on a higher price than he paid for goods it would take a lot of legislation to prevent that man charging profit on the duty he paid. ° The Hon. Mr Mac Donald contended that this practice was having far-reaching effect to the prejudice of British goods. The JNew Zealand Government had an officem Britain, who followed the prices o? British goods, and if thev remained in Britain sis months after sale and the price went np 20 per cent, tins was. added to the cost in assessing duty. New Zealand had no such officers to watch prices in America or other countries trading to New Zealand; consequently oar preference for Britiah goods was absolutely kiiled_ by giving away 20 per cent, to America. This high assessment was also likely to bring traders into conflict with tne Board of Trade over retail prices. Mr Luke suggested that the Government should not delay considering the practice of dumping from overseas, as it prejudiced some of the most important industries, including tilemaking, which was almost strangled. _The Hon. J. A. Hanan said that as England and Australia had dealt with the tariff since- the war thev had gained a flying start over New Zealand, where certain industries were being prejudiced through delay. " What we are doing in assessing value for_duty is what has been done °for 20 to oO years," said the Minister of Customs. It is no. innovation. All that the British Government have done is to increase the duty on whisky and wine. Members: "Australia has hit us with the new tariff." I Sir W. Hemes replied that when New | Zealand considered its tariff it could en- : deavor to arrange a reciprocal tariff with : Australia, Members must realise that the Finance Minister wanted revenue, but he could assure the House that the Prime ; Minister was going right through the i wlwle system of taxation and taking the j Customs -tariff at the same time. Next ; session, he believed, New Zealand would : evolve a tariff which would lead the ' world. ; Mr Holland : Leading it backwards. ! Sir_ W. Herries: After this session's ; experience we shall produce a tariff which will be a wonder and a delight to the , world. (Laughter.) ! * * * ' ■ I RAILWAY STRIKE. What a fine opportunity Mr Massey posi sessed to settle the railway troubles, declared Mr Sidey in the House to-night. He was not only Minister of Railways, but | Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. ■ He was urged to take a certain course of

action, but declined, and in the end had to pay a'greater price for settlement. Mr Sidey added that just before the Prime Minister left Wellington to greet the Prince of Wales he took a great risk in sending a letter declining the railwaymen's request for a proper conciliation' council. The railwaymen at the time of the waterside 6trike loyally refused to co-operate with ithe strikers. They carried special constables, but they were forced recently into revolt, which created a bad prece"dent. That might have been avoided for the reason that the Government were not progressive enough to keep pace with the times. *' * * TUBERCULAR. CASES. EX-SOLDIER PATIENTS' RELAPSE. vr'TJ 18 Government have been asked bv Mr M'Combs (Lyttelton) if thev intend to give effect to the recommendations of representatives of tubercular ex-scldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who recently considered the official" methods of treating these patients. Most of the memebrs had been supplied with details of individual experiences, which indicate a need for inquiry if the allegations made A^r/° Und *° be-substantially correct. Mr M'Combs raised the question, in the House to-day, asking for inquiry into the treatment: also if the Government were prepared to grant these men a full pension for 12 months after their discharge. As an indication of what had happened. Mr M Combs read the following details of cases submitted by the Tubercular Patients' Committee :

Private,' returned to New Zealand certified T.B. Admitted Cambridge Sanatorium ; _ discharged pension 100 per cent. : six months re-examined Pensions Board doctor; pension reduced to £1 10s. and told to go to' work. Patient states could hardly walk at times ; takes to bed within two months; now an incurable in Cashmere Military Sanatorium Later: Died at Cashmere on 28th June, 1920

Private returned to New Zealand February, 1919: out-patient for three months; admitted Cashmere Civilian Sanatorium five months' treatment; pension 8U per cent, for six months; undertook f ann wor i-. re i aps<3 . pe p s j on 100 per cent six months as from May 1920; admitted Cashmere Military Sanatorium in June, 1920. Private returned to New Zealand in June, 1919: discharged fit "A": undertook farming under D.S.S. Act; after six months, medical examr'ation iOr Woodward) diagnosed T.B. ; doctor opined lack of thoroughness in examination by army medical officer.

The Minister of Defence replied that the department rightly took its medical officers' advice about these cases, and was anxious -to do the right thing for the >i.m • but members who had received circu'a'vs on the subject should not forsret that t'-ere was another side to the question. Cabinet was considering the matter of pensions paid to tubercular patients in New Zealand sanatoria.