PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
imb rwua association J Wellington, July 23. la the Home of Representative! Mr Field moved the second reading oi the Otaki Poriroa Empowering Bill which was set down for to-day, b« taken on Tuesday next week. Thii was agreed to. Mr Arnold moved the second reading of the Dunedin Suburban Gas Company Empowering Bill, which was agreed to. Three days' leave of absence was granted to Mr Ell. The Costley Training Institution Act Amendment Bill was read a first time. Letters from Mrs Kirkbride and Mr Wilfred Hall thanks for the kind resolutions of the House, were ordered to be recorded in the journals of the House. The report on Rotorua Town Bill was considered, and the amendments made in committee agreed to. The Bill was read a third time and passed. FINANCIAL DEBATE. On resuming at 7.30 the galleries were crowded for the opening of the financial debate. Mr Massey, Leader of the Opposition, led off. He said the Financial Statement contained references to many subjects which might have been more appropriately dealt with in tiie Speech from the Throne. He asked members to think of the proposals which had been put forward from his side of the House" for the last half-dozen years. Take the auditing of Public Acounts, for instance, in spite of the opinions expressed by the Premier that the demand for this reform would not prove workable, he had executed a right about face now, and the same with the sinking funds, which were now an accomplished fact. In some instances the Opposition's demands for national annuities had fruitified, and although the scheme had nob been passed, there was the possibility that it would find its way to the Statute '• . Book in the near future. Last year £25,000 was voted from the ConsoliV dated Fund for making the roads of ':•* the colony, a measure he had frequently advocated. Referring to toe land question, what a change, he aid, had come over the scene since r McNab introduced his measure some twelve months ago. The gentleman who occupied the Ministerial v Benches now admitted that he (Mr Massey), in advocating the freehold, had been right, and tney wrong. He claimed that, small as the Opposition ifras in numbers, they had been an influence for good in the House. A -Government, like an individunl, -f should be judged by what it had done. It was proposed in the Bill last year to strike the man on the land in a most vital spot. Kef? ring to endowments, he said they were n>t wasted for the purpose for which they. were set apart, and were a iittie .. us* .to the people of the colony for educational purposes, or for paying off the old age pensions. Before going further they should be guided '- by past experience in regard to endowments, and enquiry should be ' made into the subject of endowments, either by a Royal Commission or by a committee of the House. In connection with the land question the Government required watching closely, in view of the Socialistic and single tax influence which traded to keep a man and his dependants 'rom becoming independent. He wanted to give the settle* on the land the advantages he ought to have, and, above all, he wanted to get the colony rid of the bad bargain made in connection with the Tease-in-perpetuity year* ago. His opinion or the Minister for Lands when he made his speech last year — that the frsveinment would nail its flag to the mart and go down fighting-- went up tO per cent., but he now vggestod :o the Minister that the motto for the Government should be ll r ad; tj _ rail," and for a crest should utilise » weather cock. Thei* w^b • nJy one way of giving the holier of a lease-in-perpetuity his riga: and he had advocated it many Utvv*, ,auJ that was to give the lea3ciu>';!« r rhs right of purchase at hi* •rimna? value. He contended t|»+i the wlu Je policy of the Government had betn to set town against the cnuntiy, u> order to benefit the towns. ( nu'or the Workers' Homes Act, of fast year, the people had the right to acquire the freehold at its original value, and yet this was denisd to the sottier on the land. He added, the provision made undfor the Advances to Workers Act to workers in tin city was denied to the country worker. He argued that the land ta-s paid by the man in the country was altogether out of proportion t» thtincome tax, and the man in ths ronntry clearing his land from bush aud swamp was carrying the heavy end of the log, to the benefit if the < owner of business premises in the cities. Personally, he was willing to grant the same concessions to the man in town as to the man in the country. Referring to the Attorney-General's speed at Palmerston South, which he described as a reply to Mr Masjey, he contended that Dr. Findlay's speech was a defence of Socialism, and it would be impossible to deny that the policy of the Government was fiocialism. Speaking on the tariff, advised bon. members to look P^cksely into it, and they would find anomalies which made for the benefit of ~tt* wealthy man and made it harder for the working man. He characterised the motor-car as the rich man's toy. Yet ft was now admitted free, whilst bicycles, largely used Sr workers, were taxed 20 per cent, c quoted a number of statistics, dealing with the duties levied on boots and shoes, generally used by working neople, and which had bad the duty increased, whereas tin duty on boots, used by the wealthier o'asses had been reduced. Lace had been reduced, whilst the duty on canvas had been incieased. No one would deny that billiard tables were a luxury, yet the duty on these was reduced from 25 to 20 per cent. If they took the duty off sugar, this would injure Auckland refineries, as it would be refined in Queensland and Fiji by black labour. Even the duty \ on tea was against the working man, who was unable to purchase in grea- . tor quantities than five pound packets. _ Dairy machinery was mostly made in Sweden and America, and in creating a preferential tariff on dairy machinery they were practically taxing the dairy industry, which was one of the most important in the colony, ten per cent. He could see no attempt made to stop the i»aportotion of "shoddy," aod cascaded that all the clothing material \ should be ticketed to show whether i it was made of wool or cotton, or made of materials that had been previously used. He knew of no other articles in which so much dishonesty was practised as that of shoddy. Dealing with finances, he eulogised the articles recently appearing in the Evening Post, showing that the people were able to look beneath the surface. A number of items, he argued, were charged to the Public Works funds, which should be chargtfip pa}«oejd9p ep 'onuaAaj o% pa expenditure lavished on the ornamentation of public buildings. In many oases the four corners of the earth had been searched for items for this purpose. He contended that they should be content with less palatial and imposing edifices for public buildings. In conclusion, he argued that two of the most important matters for the benefit of this <#mj were the fixity of tenure of toe, jb»* on tiie land and closer communication with the Old Country. The Government had attacked the ant and neglected the second. Mr MoNab followed Mr Massey.
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Feilding Star, Issue 325, 24 July 1907, Page 3
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1,276PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Feilding Star, Issue 325, 24 July 1907, Page 3
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