PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 August 1925, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

IMMIGRATION CONTENTIONS.

IS DOMINION PROSPEROUS?

(Special to ‘'Star ”)

WELLINGTON, August 28

The business of the House of Representatives yesterday fell under three main heads: (1) Meat works, (2) immigration, and (3) circulation of blasphemous pamphlets, allegedly for elec■ioneering purposes. \ The Prime Minitser introduced early n the afternoon sitting the report of die Lysnar Commission, but discussion ipon the decision of the Commission .vas deferred, until members have had m opportunity of perusing the bulky locument.

The presentation of the annual re)ort of the Immigration Department jave members an opportunity of criti;ising freely the .Government’s policy, n connection. with that subject, which proved so popular tht it occupied the remainder of the afternoon. Members’ verbosity found further flow ;n a stream of indefinite width, be■ause of the latitude the debate pernitted. When the monthly Imprest Supply Bill was introduced in the ivcning, Labour Members devoted iliem selves almost exclusively to the inmigration question, and to a subject which received some prominence lastsession, Socialist Sunday schools and he doctrines said to be taught in them. Many speeches were devoted to condemning the distribution of leaflets containing hymn parodies, which it was ■.aid fell in the hands of children with undesirable results. Apparently satisled that the subject had been /siiffiiently ventilated, shortly before 1 i.m. Members allowed the prolonged liscussion to lapse, and the Bill went through the final formalities without interruption. The Minister of Labour then pleaded urgency for the Bent Retriction Continuance Bill, which extends the operation of war legislation n respect to rent restriction for a- further 12 months, and the measure was •jut through without meeting any ui rd les. The House rose at 1.10 a.m.

The discussion on immigration took -dace following the presentation of the inmigration Department’s report. Mr Forbes asked the Minister (Mr Vosworthy) if he could give the House my information regarding the number of immigrants coming into the country, . and also what steps were taken as L .o encouraging people to come out to New Zealand. He thought that the Government should be very careful about inducing people to come, for as ar ah he coud see, very little provision was being made for increases in population.

Mr Armstrong said that people were being brought into New Zealand by the thousand under direct misrepresentation. New Zealand could carry six times more people than the country was carrying to-day, but that could only be done under a sane- form of Government. It was no use painting false pictures of New Zealand’s prosperity. There was no land available io New Zealand people at a reasonable pries., and that being so, it was impossible to imagine that land was available for people from the Old Country: Unemployment was rife in New Zealand this winter ,as' it had been for several winters past. At the State luncheon that day the Prime Minister had painted a glowing picture of New Zealand’s prosperity, but he failed to mention the fact that there were many people begging for a crust. The Minister of Lands (Mr McLeod) said that they had listened to a characteristic speech by the last speaker, who had exaggerated the position very grossly. The only possible sane settlement they could have in New Zealand was gradual settlement. How could they expect to double and treble their population in ji year or so? The Leader of the Opposition had criticised theGovernment for its lack of provision for immigrants, but how much had the Liberal Government done in that direction during its term of office? A picture had been painted of people starving, but all he 'Cpuld say was that people who, starved in this country were to blame. ’

Mr Veitch regretted the attitude that had been adopted by the Minister in regard to the previous speaker. The reply of the Minister had been far from constructive, but he had gone back to ancient history to show that the Liberals had done nothing for immigration. 'l’he only thing that the party could do was to administer the country according to its needs, and the Minister would find that the Liberals had done that.

Mr Glenn rose in defence of the system, and said that the Nationalists had found no weak links in the system and had relied on the old cry of land aggravation. Every member of the Labour Party had been down to the office of the Under-Secretary of the Department, and had endeavoured to catch him in some way or other, but they had all failed.

There was considerable interruption at this stage from the Labour benches, and there were cries of “Who told you that?” Mr Glenn: My friends don’t like the truth, but they’ve got to listen Io it. Mr Howard: Yes, unfortunately. Air Horn was speaking at the adjournment, and the report was talked out. MISCELLANEOUS.

The Prime Minister was asked by Air Potter whether he would seriously consider giving £ for £ subsidy on the sum of £lOOO so generously donated lor the purpose of a cot in the; Blind Institute at Auckland, by the American Fleet. Mr Coates stated, in reply, that one appreciated very much the splendid «ift made by the American naval, visitors. He was sure everyone felt very grateful for the thoughtful donation. The Government had not so far considered the question of contributing £ for £, but he would be glad to keep it in mind, and give it consideration, when a suitable opportunity came of bringing it before Cabinet. X slight difference of opinion arose as to the title of the Commission which recently inquired into charges made by Mr Lysnar against the Minister of Agriculture and the Chairman of the Mc-at Export Control Board, concerning the sale of the Poverty Bay banners’ Meat Works to Vestey Bros. The Prime Minister said he had the report of the Commisison to lay on the table. The document did not state the name of the Commission, but it was what was generally called the “Lysnar Commission.” _ . . Mr Lysnar: The Vestey Commission. Mr Forbes suggested the LysnarVestey Commisison as a- compromise. Speaking upon the motion lo print (he report. Mr Lysnar said it would he ulneas.rn.ibl> Io expect eiidence taken by the Commission to be piinled. hut

he thought the addresses of.counsel should be printed. The. evidence consisted of 2157 typewritten pages, and there were about 1000 exhibits. Mr Fraser: C.mld we m>L got a gi a in* »j • ii< >iie iei.Oid *d it all? 1 am afraid not, replied Mr Lysnar.