STILL GOING

Evening Star, Issue 19290, 1 July 1926, Page 9

STILL GOING

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE [Pei: United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, June'3o. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was resumed by Mr D. G. Sullivan, who devoted bis opening remarks to a criticism of the Reform Party’s election tactics, maintaining that the sum of £400,000 was spent on the recent campaign. Tho speaker then proceeded to criticise the Prime Minister’s attitude towards the unemployed, contending that Mr Coates had not lived up to his election advertisements. With regard to the Imperial Conference, the speaker said that before the Prime Minister left for the conference he should take the House into his confidence and make a full and plain statement of the attitude he proposed to take up at that conference. There was a lack ot information regarding imperial affairs. He stressed the importance of consultation between the Homo Government and-the dominions on matters affecting the welfare of the dominion. The Prime Minister seemed to have a '■ k of policy. He (the speaker) would suggest that ho should increase old age pensions so as to bring them up to the pre-war standard of purchasing power. Mr A. Bell (Bay ot Islands) justified the support which he, as an Independent, gave to the Massey Government in the last Parliament. His decision to give that support was arrived at, not in the interests of the dominion only, but in the interests of tho Empire. lie was now a straight-out supporter of tho Government, because he was confident the Prime Minister would carry out every promise he had made. Healing with the industrial prospects of the dominion, he declared wo could never make any progress so long as we were dominated by trade union methods. Mr A. M. Samuel (Ohinemuri) advocated tho establishment of an agricultural bank or some other institution which would give the fanners cheap and assured finance. He welcomed the proposals of tho Bank of New Zealand, but urged the Government not to slacken in its efforts to provide cheap money, notwithstanding anything banks might do. He also urged the cheapening of fertilisers to farmers and the setting up of Government crushers, A’liich would give the farmer low-priced fertilisers so vital to the agricultural industry. An appeal was made for sympathetic consideration of those suffering from miners’ phthisis, in which connection he urged members to get away from party bias and regard the question of pensions only from the broad basis otj humanity, where they could all join in doing good to deserving people. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) said the Labor Party was always a moderate party, and had never advocated a reform in that House that was outside the realm of practical politics. The party had been reduced in numbers to thirteen, but if it had been reduced to three it would still be_ a fighting party. Devoting his attention to tho unemployment question, he declared that an idle man was a loss to the country, but the Government did not seem to understand that, and so far its remedies had been futile. Business men were being asked to subscribe to tbo funds to relievo unemployed, but that was no remedy. Local bodies were to bo allowed to raise loans without a poll of the ratepayers—a thing local bodies, rightly or wrongly, could not do. The unemployed wore mostly in the cities, but they were not city people who wore unemployed. Ihey were people who had drifted in from the country in the hope that they would find work. Yet, in face of this acknowledged unemployment, the Government was bringing out more people to swell tho ranks of the unemployed. Increased pensions, Labor representation at Geneva, and the Family bounty all came under tho speaker’s favorable review, the last named because, he said, there never was a time in tho history of the country when the people who did the useful work received less for their services, judged bv the purchasing power of money. Coming to finance, ho denounced the raising of interest on loans to settlers. I'or this there was no justification, because, while some of tlio new money had to he borrowed at a higher rate than formerly, what about the large sums which in years past were ■ borrowed at as low"as 3 per cent., and wore coming into the iunds of the Advances Office by way of repayments. The increase ol 50 per cent, on this money could not lie excused, except on the ground that tho Advances Department was being nm in the interests of the banking institutions, and having now raised the interest tho Bank of New Zealand was prepared to come iu ( and take up long-dated loans. He warned the House to examine critically this new banking legislation. “A vast Socialistic move ” the people of New Zealand should make was to take oyer the hanking institutions of the dominion and establish a State bank. Mr 1). Jones (Ellesmere) said the result of the election and the roll of splendid legislation passed by the Government during past years proved that tlie Government Party was the real Labor Party, as part of the Government policy was the introduction of people from Great Britain; but so far he had never heard the Labor Party, as represented in tho House, raise up its voice in favor of a proper and effective immigration policy. So far as that party was concerned, if it had its way Pot a single immigrant would have been brought out. Mr P. Eraser: Yes they would if proper provision were made for them. The speaker then proceeded to reply to the charges made against him as chairman of the Moat Board by Mr Lysnar (member for Gisborne) concerning his conduct of tho business of the hoard. Mr Fraser: "Why not wait till the hon. gentleman is m his place? Mr Jones replied that Air Lysnar had made Ids charge against him amd then disappeared. It was well known that he (the speaker) would have to laake this reply, and that was his first

opportunity to do so. It was Air Lrsnar’s duty to bo in his place. Mr Jones then proceeded to quote at length from tho evidence and the’ report of the recent Commission into the sale of the Poverty Bay:Meat Works to Vcstys. From this ho argued that the unfortunate position into which the company had fallen was not due to any action of his, but to incompetency and mismanagement. Mr D. S. Reid (Waikato) advocated more land settlement, hut contended that deteriorated and undeveloped lands could only he settled successfully by giving farms to tho occupants rent free For five to fifteen years. In those circumstances the State, would get tho last ounce of effort out of these settlers, but they could not he expected to pay rent right away. He deprecated the payment of award wages to the unemployed, ns it would encourage men to stay where they wore amd not look for another job. ' One of the curses of this country was the principle of one man one wage, because it reduced the best man down to the level of tho worst man. Every man should be allowed to earn as much ns he could.

Mr J. C. Rolleston (Waitomo) urged upon the Government the necessity of more scientific- research in connection with the farming industry, as at present farmers wore more or less working in the dprk. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Afr J. R. Hamilton, and the House rose at 11 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.