POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 18031, 27 July 1922, Page 8

POLITICAL POINTS

[From Gun Parliamentary Reporter.]

•WELLINGTON, July 26.

CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS. In the course of a denial that he had entered any threat against pensions, th© Han. Mi' Massey stated to-night that the reason why he referred to the heavy expense of the scheme was because the Treasury had sent him a memo, reminding him that in view of the enormous. outlay on pensions it might bo necessary to,institute in future a contributory system. The Prime Minister declared that ho had not tho slightest intention of interfering with the present pensions, but if they dealt with the scheme in future they would provide for a contributory basis.

# * * * A MOTUTARA ECHO,

There was an echo of the Motutara incident which disturbed the closing hours of last session, when the Prime Minister and Mr AlGaUum to-night again hotly argued the matter of th© land taxation return for what was previously Sir Edward Mitchelsoa’a estate. There had been some criticism from members of the Governments purchases for soldier settlement, and Air M'Callum interjected that it was Reform land owners who pushed up the price ol land.

Mr Massey; You had better not say too much.

Mr M'Callum: You had better not say too much. Mr Massey (hotly): You have said too much. You put your foot in it at tho end of last session. I challenge you to make a charge. Mr M'Oalhim: You state the land tux value.

Mr Massey retorted that there was no innuendo in anything ho said, and asserted that there had) never been anything during hie ten years of office where any charge of corruption could be borne out. Sir M'Callum: He beat the Taxation Department, anyway. Mi) Massey; It is no use coming to me for the taxation value. Mr M'Callum: I have got it. It has been sent to me. ♦ # * * INTERMEDIATE mental hospital. According to Dr Thacker, tlm Mental Hospitals Department has established at Homby, near Christchurch, a mental hospital for intermediate cases, female patients being taken. A circular was issued stating that the fees would bo seven guineas weekly, which the lion, member considered exorbitant, tending to make it an exclusive institution for tb© use _of wealthy patients. Ho suggested having a dieting scale from £2 10s upwards. The Minister of Health replied that lie had no notice of this question, and required it to be placed on the Order Paper. *.* * * COAL DLTPUTS.—GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT SUGGESTED. “ Certainly not,” was the reply of the Minister of Railways when lie was asked to-day by Air Holland if, when stocks of imported coal are exhausted, the Government will enter into an agreement to take New Zealand coal on the same lines as the agreement with wheat growers. It was explained by the member for Duller that Australian capital was likely to be invested in the old Wall-end mine, which would be reopened; but the Mayor of Brunner ton had asked if this development would be encouraged by the Railway Department guaranteeing to take portion of the output. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie ’declined to commit the department to any agreement to take Wallsend coal, but undertook that the mine would be treated fairly by the department in distributing orders.

* » * * COUNTRY QUOTA.—PROPORTIONALISTS’ CONCESSION. But for the introduction of an Imprest Supply Bill to-day, the member for lyttelton -would have moved the first reading of his modified Proportional Representation Bill, providing for the recognition of the country quota. Though he is opposed to the maintenance of this quota, he has endeavored to meet the objectors to Proportional Representation by providing for its operation.' A complete analysis of the electoral position, he informs your correspondent, shows that the country quota is a much-over-rated provision. Wherever a borough exists in any electorate -with a population of over 2,000 or over the country quota is immediately modified, and where half the population Jives in a borough it is cancelled. Only fourteen electorates have purely rural population, and four of these have ibeen deprived of the full benefits of the country quota by a provision which allows the Electoral Commissioners to add or deduct a margin of 1,260 from the population. In fixing the boundaries for the purposes of the first elections provided for in this Bill, New Zealand has been divided into seventeen electoral districts, returning from three to nine members each. One , effect of the varying number of electorates combined into electoral districts is to even up the size of electoral districts. In sparsely-populated districts only three electorates have been combined into one electoral district, while in a closely-popu-lated district like Auckland nine electorates are combined into one electoral district. To ensure that none of the real advantages to be gained by what is known ns the 28 per cent, country quota are lost, it is provided that no electoral district shall be formed whose total population, divided by one more than the number of combined) electorates, shall exceed by more than one the number of population in any electorate forming part of an electoral district.

* # * * “TALKING OFF” THE RENT.

In advocating prompt revaluation ol soldiers’ lands so as to give them a fair and fresh start, Mr Forbes declared that “it is easier to talk off the rent than to earn it, and) you are encouraging men to do this.” The hon. member suggested) that the Government might as well write oil £5,000,000, from soldier settlements and land purchased by soldiers by means of advances. He (believed tho country to be quite prepared to face this loss, because it would bo much easier to do this to-day than when conditions improved. Prompt revaluation under the present conditions would ’give the soldiers a chance. It waa quite possible to .get practical men to revalue settlements to-day. Readjustment of the burden was much preferable to piling up rents and giving remissions in cases of hardship. ,Mx I). Jones contended that if revaluation was effected to-day it would! mean making a good present to hundreds of, Soldiers who wore doing well. When the Government was making purchases the best judges of land in the country made similar purchases. They were suffering, too, not from bad judgment, but the inevitable readjustment of the economic position. *•* V *

SPOILS TO VICTORS.—BLENHEIM'S POOR EXCHANGE. .

The substitution of the Taxation Office for a public works branch which used' to spend money ,in Marlborough was a complaint mad© by Mr M'Callum in the House to-day. ' His district once had a public works engineer and staff, but it disappeared, its office room being occupied with the Valuation Department. The former service resulted in money being spent in the district for the benefit of the backblocks; now they had a Taxation Department. While not complaining of paying its fair Share of taxation, his people did object to the Government’s neglect to give them a fair share of the as money was being spent in huge quantities in electorates where there were Govrnment supporter's. Mr Young: What districts? Mr M’Calhim s You have only to travel to Auckland to see overhead bridges and railway improvements. Thousands of pounds were being expended on things which could wait. Ho added that in the old days there was a great cry of spoils to the victors,' and' if tho present' policy continued it would'be raised with greater force; because this was becoming apparent to all