PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 23324, 21 July 1939, Page 13

PARLIAMENT

ACDRESS-IN-REPLY MR COATES ENTERS DEBATE DOMINION'S CREDIT RIMED [Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 20. When the House met at 2.00 p.m. Mr Jull gave notice to ask the Prime Minister whether his attention had been called to a letter in a Wellington paper signed by Arthur Cook, a member of the Royal Commission set up to consider the position of the farming industry, in which Mr Cook assailed the president and organisation of the Farmers’ Union? Did the Prime Minister consider that any member of a Royal Commission who showed such bias against one of tho parties at whose request the commission was set up, and' who deliberately violated tho accepted principles of judicial conduct, was a fit and proper person to act on a Royal Commission of inquiry? In the Address-In-Rcply debate Mr Lyon continued his speech, which had been interrupted by the adjournment the previous evening. In view of the present alignment of world Powers, he said. Britain had been forced.to seek to have her sources of supply nearer at hand than this Dominion in tho event of an outbreak of hostilities, and one of tl.iose sources was the Argentine, which was rapidly changing from a pastoral to a primary producing■ country. In view of this,‘instead of our market for produce continuing to expand in Britain, it would bo the subject of continual reduction, and we must build up our own production in those necessities which we could reasonably bo expected to produce. He referred to Now Zealand’s sparse population and geographical isolation, stating that in the event of hostilities wo would ho likely to ho thrown entirely on our own resources. Mr Hultquist contended that the guaranteed price had come to stay. It had not been an issue at the recent election, because both the Opposition and the Government believed in it, and it had become an accepted thing. If a vote were to be taken, ho said, it should be taken among the sheep farmers to see if they wanted to enjoy the same privileges as the dairy farmers. There must bo a lot of members among the Opposition who wished they had never mentioned guaranteed price. MR JORDAN RESPECTED AT GENEVA. Air Thorn said the member for Taurangn, Air Doidge, during Ins recent speech in the debate, had paid a well-deserved tribute to New Zealand’s High Commissioner in London, Air Jordan. Air Jordan had made many friends for himself and for New Zealand in his present office. Tho member for Tauranga, however, had gone on to make disparaging remarks about Air Jordan’s representation of New Zealand at Geneva, but with this, Air Thorn said, he did not agree. Air Jordan was as highly respected at Geneva ns ho was in London, and when ho expressed his views there he was expressing the views of millions of people in Britain, tens of millions on the Continent, and the majority of tho people of New Zcalad. The member for Tanriinga said that Air Jordan had not been trained in diplomacy, hut there were a lot of people who thought he was no worse oif for that. Air Doidge had also stated that Air Jordan had

caused Mr Anthony Eden, the British Foreign Minister, embarrassment by voicing these views at Geneva, but it was nothing.to the embarrassment Mr Neville Chamberlain had caused Mr Eden when he caused his resignation from the British Cabinet.- Had these people-who had this diplomatic train-, liig made such , a good job of things during the past 20 years? he asked, and he proceeded to criticise the Versailles Treaty. LONDON CREDITS RAIDED. Mr Thorn went on to deal with the guaranteed price for dairy produce, stating that in all the ' Opposition’s tabulation of tho Government’s iniquities as contained in-the amendment to ..the. Address-in-Reply motion, there was a significant omission, and he -asserted that the farmers were wholly favourable to the guaranteed price, which had greatly benefited both the farmers themselves and also the Dominion. y ivlr Thorn continued that New Zealand’s London credits had been deliberately raided in order to face theGovernment with a crisis if it were successful at tho elections. £71,000,000 DISSIPATED. Mr Coates dealt with the depletion of the sterling funds and restrictions of imports. No Government had ever entered office under such favourable circumstances as the present Government, for it had ample oversea funds and the State departments wefc in credit. The Government, and no one else, said Mr Coates, was responsible for tlie present financial situation. Jt talked about a stupendous flight of capital, but it was difficult to see how tins squared with the statement of tho Minister of Finance that over-import,a : tiou was the main cause of the loss of sterling. He wished the Minister of Finance every success in London, but it was a sorry spectacle to find that in three short years credits had been dissipated to the extent of £71,000,000. The black-listing of New Zealand’s currency was something that could not be denied, he said, and he also Referred to the difficulties which the import restrictions imposed on importers and others. It had never been contemplated in the Customs Act that the Government would take control of the commerce, trade, and finance of the country. The Government’s policy had brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy. New Zealand was in probably the most serious difficulty it bad been in for years, it was a desperate position, and a fitting retribution was that tho Government should remain to put that position right. . Air Contes also referred to the tall in hutterfnt production, and predicted that Now Zealand’s quota of mutton and lamb to the Old Country would he reduced by from 10 to 12i per cent. NO FALL IN PRODUCTION. The Minister of Housing, Mr Armstrong, said there had been no fall in production in Now Zealand during the past year. On the contrary, production had reached a peak. Dealing with the New Zealand farmer, the Alinistor said he was entitled to ask for reasonable remuneration, hut he was getting a better deal, ami ho knew he was getting a fairer deal than over before in tho history of tho country. That was not saying he was getting everything he desired and should be satisfied with, but, generally speaking, he was better off than ever before. After all. tlie farmer could only receive for his produce what the consumer could afford to pay for it. When tho Labour Government came into office the manufacturers, fanners, and workers alike were not getting a proper return, for their goods and services. Air Coates, said the Minister, did not, need 1o shed any tears or lose any sleep about flic Alinisler of Finance's work in Loudon. Mr Nash was gelling on very well in the,,Old (’minify. Judging from what the

Minister had heard, he had just about finalised his business—“ and everything in "the garden is lovely,” ho added. After all, it was-not the first, time in the country’s history 7 that the Minister of Finance had gone to London. Mr Coates himself had gone frequently. He had served the interests: of the country pretty well, and Air', Nash was doing the same. Defending the Government’s housing policy, Air Armstrong said the Opposition had alleged that the houses were too dear. There _ was too much insistence on heart timber, and the State Advances Corporation was hot lending money to people who wished to own their homes. The houses were from 50 to 25 per cent, cheaper than the hovels from which tho tenants were transferring, All of the studs and much of the other timber was ordinary building timber, and last year the State Advances Corporation had, lent more than in ■ any other year except 1930, and- this year would far exceed that. In 1933 tiie'last Government had lent £3,373 through the , State Advances Corporation, hut last year £2,062.000 .had been advanced, and there was only one year in New Zealand’s history when that had been exceeded. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 10.30 p.m., and tho House rose until 11 a.m. to-morrow. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Tho Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. Resuming the Addross-in-Reply debate, Hon. T. Brindle commended the Government on its housing policy, but said there was still a great deal to be done. Housing had been of great assistance to the allied- industries, the consumption of bricks having increased by 9,000,000 and timber by 80,000,000 ft. Hon. J, Al'Leod commended the Government for arranging the Pacific defence conference, hut said it should have taken the public more into its confidence. If that had been done there would not have been as much criticism. Hon. T. O’Byrne claimed that the ■ guaranteed price had enhanced tho value of land and had improved stock prices, but said the farmer was like tho Irishman who did not know what he wanted but was determined to have it. The Council adjourned at 4.47 p.m.