POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 20253, 14 August 1929, Page 1

POLITICAL POINTS

PRIMAGE WHIPS AND REFORM SCORPIONS [From Ops. Paruamektaiiy llepouteh.] WELLINGTON, August 13. Though admitting his dislike of a primage duty. Air Fletcher (Grey Lynn) declared that tho Budget must be balanced, so it had to bo faced. Ho hoped to see a big surplus at tho end of this year, for that would give a fine chance to make a definite start with an unemployment insurance fund. Air Samuel (Thames): Do you favour the extra primage duty? Mr Fletcher: I don’t like it auy more than any other individual, but I prefer the whips of primage to the scorpions of Reform administration. (Laughter and applause.) Air Samuel: A very brave answer, «■ * » • POLITICAL SHAM FIGHT. Viewing Parliament from the Labour cross benches, Mr Alunro (Dunedin North) took a cynical view of tho two other parties. He had at first been amused over the Financial Debate Now he was getting annoyed, and wondering when this sham fight between Reform and United would cease. Could Labour trust the United Party? He left this unanswered, going on to declare that it was a party of one man. He was bound to compliment Sir Joseph Ward on being tho only politician who could achieve such a position of dominance, but on looking through the Budget he had doubts whether Sir Joseph Ward had not premised more than he could fulfil. However, Reform had bluffed the country for sixteen years. »•* ' ♦ YOUTH’S CHEERLESS PROSPECT. Alucli concern was expressed by Mr Rushworth (Bay of Islands) in the House to-night when lie touched ‘on the problem of unemployment, regarded not from tho standpoint of dealing with those at present out of work, but rather that of providing avenues of employment for boys and girls leaving school. What to do for our boys and girls was, he declared, the big problem. No one in the House knew better than ho what a really unemployable person was like. He had studied tho question in London, and had seen genuine unemployables, who reminded one of creatures out of Dante’s ‘ Inferno.’ They were a travesty on human beings. Mr Semple: Made by tho State. Mr Rushworth said a generation of unemployed meant the production of unernployables. When a lad leaving school had been two or three years without work he became unemployable, and the prospect was not encouraging. Hope sprang eternal in the .human breast, however, and he was still hoping. He did want to sec this problem tackled in a serious way. Ho was afraid the Government’s cup was filling up, and unless it tackled the main problem in a serious and determined manner it would have a very short life.

A BREAKING-UP TAX. “If the contention of the large landowners is correct, that the Government’s supertax means that some owners cannot carry on, then”—remarked Air Sullivan (Avon) in the House to-day—“tho Government’s purpose is being effected, for it plans a supertax on land over £12,500 of unimproved value as a means of facilitating subdivision.” This objection to the new tax did not appear very powerful to the speaker, though ho was quite prepared to admit that there might bo cases of hardship for special consideration, where largo estates could not bo given proper access for subdivisional purposes. Tho new policy was in strong contrast with that of the former Government, which had nothing more seriously discrediting it than the continued statements of its Alinister of Lands that* New Zealand was at the end of land settlement possibilities. No New Zealander with faith in his country believed that, and he hoped the Government would stick to its policy in regard to tho super land tax. Mr Sullivan, however, advised the Finance Minister to reconsider tho primage tax increase, and introduce some alternative to assist in tho development of local industries, and so relievo unemployment. • * * • POLICE PAY. Declaring that he was not an advocate of departmental extravagance, but public servants should not be expected to work for nothing, Air Sullivan (Avon) quoted details of policemen’s pay to show that these servants of the public aro not being fairly treated, Christchurch City Council, he explained, paid its general labourers 16s a day, but the policeman with under three years’ service obtained only 15s a day, and it took from sis to nine years to reach a general labourer’s wage of 10s. To pay such wages, declared Air Sullivan, was a very- miserable policy indeed, especially as the police had to undergo a special course of training and possess some skill.

MOUNTING MINING COSTS. Owing to the fact that the number of working days has considerably lessened, the output from both tho Liverpool and James State-owned coal mines was reduced last year. The average number of days lost at Liverpool colliery (excluding back Saturdays) was sixty-two. Taking the latter figure, with a daily output of 730 tons, a total loss of 45,263 tons in output is represented. There was a consequential loss in miners’ earnings. The annual report states that there has been an effort on the part of the management to keep down the cost of production, but, in consequence of frequent interruptions to work and the reduced output, costs have been higher than would have been tho case with a regular and greater service. The James colliery worked 215 days, being ten less than the previous year. At No. 1 Liverpool 180 days were worked; and at No. 2 177 days. Delays to shipping and want of trade accounted- for a loss of fiftythree days, and union holidays for "a loss of twenty days in each case. Tho

operations of the State coai mines di*f close a profit of £9/268 for the yea? ended March SI. * * * • EXTREME FREETRADER. 1 There were murmurs of dissent- front the Labour benches when Mr Rushworth (Bay of Islands) stated in th» House of Representatives that lie did not believe m advcrtiisug to induce people to buy Now Zealand-made goods, lie argued on the lines that New Zealand must bo either an exporting conn- ; try or a self-contained country. These policies were mutually destructive, and 1 could not be earned on simultaneously. It had been said by the Leader of the Opposition that the great idea was to make New Zealand self-contained, so' that she could consume her own prim-' ary products. This, said Mr Rush-! worth, could not be done, because * : population of from 10,000,000 to 12.-) 000,000 would be necessary to consume even our present output. The average annual increase in population was 27.000, so that it would be seen that S7ir years would elapse before we could' consume all our produce. Mr Rushworth said that if imports were not maintained, then Customs revenue fell away, and by purchasing New Zealandmade goods people were reducing the country’s financial resources. It seemed to him that, in view of the national deficit, the most patriotic thing to do was to buy imported goods. Mr Langstone: And what of the unemployed? j Mr iluslnvorth; That is another ques- - tioru' (Laughter.) Mr M'Combs; There would soon he no one to buy. Mr Rushworth regretted that a permanent official of the Department _of Industries and Commerce had carried on a subversive propaganda campaign to induce people to buy New Zealandmade goods. He considered that would prove detrimental to Customs and taxation returns. It was, a highly controversial point, and a permanent Government official shouldn’t be allowed to do it. Mr M'Combs: Ob, question! ? • » * • i MAIN TRUNK COMPLETION, Complaining that, although under the Reform Government the Public Debt increased by £15,000 daily, while under the United Government the daily, addition was £50,000, and the South Island got very little of it, Mr Hamilton (Wallace)' drew a question from Mr Fletcher (Grey LymO whether the Southlander realised that the South Island Main Trunk was not in the North Island. ' “It may never bo built, replied Mr , Hamilton, , who contended that the whole of the Budget figures condemned it. The House was entitled to some reasonable interpretation of the Gov-, enimont’s works proposals, and for some reasons why the South Island Main Trunk should he built. He wondered at. the North Island United members supporting it, because, "m his opinion, the electors bad pot endorsed this plank in the I nixed Parly pbuforiu.