PARLIAMENT’S OPENING

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 June 1934, Page 7

PARLIAMENT’S OPENING

GOVR.-GENERAVS SPEECH FAREWELL INTIMATION [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, July 28 The customary c ® rem °? l ?L W ?o U rth served at the opening of the foiiitl_ session of the twenty-fourth larlia ment at 2.30 this afternoon. The Governor-General left G°ver ment House at 2.15, a salute o teen guns being fired from Point Jerningham Battery. Lord Bledisloe was accompanied by Lady B^ 1 ® 1 Captain Day, official Secretary, Lieutenant Elworthy, and Captain Tw ®® dl (aide-de-camp). The ql !d arrived at Parliament Buildi Q. g n s rl^_ l were met by Major-General SinclairBurgess, Captain Sinclair Thomson R.N. The entrance to the buuuing was draped by bunting. As the’Party alighted from the cars, the Band oi the First Batatlion of the Wellington Regiment played thje National Anthem. After the Royal salute His Excellency inspected the Guard oi Honour, which was provided by the permanent staff, of the Training Depot, Trentham; then he was met by Gentleman Usher of the Black Roq,. and proceeded to the Legislative Council Chamber. , Members of the Representatives, who met in their own Chamber, were summoned to the Legislative Council, where . Lord Bledisloe read the .Speech from the Throne. Miss Jean Batten was present. At the con , c “ l " sion of the ceremonial opening, both Houses held short sittings. The Governor-General’s speech was as follows: — „ Honourable gentlemen of the Legislation Council, and Members of the House of Representatives:— As this will be the last occasion upon which I shall have the privilege of addressing you in Parliament assembled, I desire to express to you and through you to the persons of all classes, and both races in this . Dominion by deep appreciation of the good- . will which has been consistently extended to me as the King’s representative, and also to Lady Bledisloe, during our sojourn amongst you, in a period of almost unpreceoented economic adversity, and my earnest hopes for the future well being of the people of this Dominion . We shall quit its shores with much reluctance and with many happy memories. I need hardly add that we shall not fail, after ■ leaving a country in which we have experienced so much kindness, to grasp any opportunities which may hereafter present themselves to advance its welfare. His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester, will, with His Majesty’s . permission, be visiting. New Zealand as the guest of my Government for a period of s6me five weeks from December 15, next. lam confident that the people of the Dominion will in pursuance of their steadfast loyalty to the Crown, and their affection for Mis Majesty, accord to him a very hearty welcome.’ ' ' . •

My Ministers have followed the proceedings of the Disarmament Conference at Geneva with the closest interest and sympathy, and have consistently maintained their warm support of the cause of general disarmament and of the system of friendly collaboration in international affairs through the League, of Nations. This policy they intend to' continue. The native race made the last anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the occasion for celebrating the dedication of the Waitangi estate to the people of New Zealand, and during the ceremony there were laid i adjacent tb the old prison residency, the foundation of a carved Maori meeting house which they desired to associate with the site now vested in the Waitangi National Trust Board. The assembly provided striking evidence that the Treaty of Waitangi has served to unify the various tribes composing the native race and to cement' and perpetuate their loyalty to the j British Crown, and the large combined gathering of pakeha and Maoris was a' pleasing demonstration of the. friendship and comradeship so happily existing between the two peoples. During your Parliamentary recess the trade agreement between Mis Majesty’s Governments in Canada and New Zealand, which was executed in 1932, has been extended until May 24. 1935. The report of the Commission Which was appointed on May 9, 1933, to inquire into the customs tariff of the Dominion, has now been received and will be laid before you at an early date. Legislation amendments of the tariff embodying inter alia the obligations undertaken by this Dominion at the Ottawa conference will be prepar- • ed for your consideration during this’ session. The commission appointed to inquire intb certain matters affecting the administration of native affairs has not yet completed its investigations. Its report will be submitted to you in dite course.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. Mr. Speaker and members of the House of Representatives: — During the past year there has been a gratifying change for the better, in the economic position and the future outlook. The steady progress towards trade recovery not being affected in the United Kingdom which is the principal market for our exports, augurs well for this Dominion. New Zealand has already received substantiaU benefit from the marked recovery in the price of wool, and from the less spectacular, but welcome improvement in that of meat. and its by-products. As a result, an appreciable section of our farming community are now receiving a more adequate financial return from their commercial enterprise. Not only is trade generally benefitted from the expenditure of this additional income, but as the result of the psychological reaction to rising prices, confidence is engendered in business and the whole community is enheartened and initiative stimulated. The most serious problem awaiting solution is that of the dairy industy which plays a part of ever increasing importance in the economic life of this Dominion. The export prices of butter and cheese have remained at a low level and in addition the welfare of the industry is threatened by an over-supply of these commodities to the markets of Great Britain. This is a problem to which my Ministers have devoted much anxious thought and at present every aspect of it is being fully investigated by

a Commission. .Past experience has demonstrated that an abundant supply of. cheap credit is a powerful factor in overcoming an economic depression, and since the development of the present worldwide crisis, my Ministers have steadily pursued a policy, calculated to lower the interest, rates within the Dominion. Following upon the successful conversion of the internal public debt, rapid progress is being made with the conversion of the securities of local bodies. The success of this policy is evident from the fact that the market of interest have already fallen to a level appreci- ( ably lower than those fixed as a basis for the conversion operations.

As part of the policy of economic readjustment, it has been found necesary to effect, by Statute, a general reduction in the rates of interest on mortgages. This was a temporary measure, but the position has now been generally stabilised by the fall of the market rates of interest for this class of investment, to the statutory minimum rate,’ and, in some cases, below it. The establishment of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is now in progress, and it is anticipated that the deliberate management of the monetary system-by a national institution, specially constituted for that purpose, cannot fail to be of material benefit to the people of the Dominion. As a result of the economic crisis, there has been a widespread belief among certain sections of the community that serious defects exist in our monetary system. Accordingly, my Ministers, in their desire to explore every avenue, which might aid recovery, or prevent a recurrence of serious economic difficulties, have set up a Committee to consider suggested improvements in the existing system. The report of this Committee will be placed before you, at an early date. The improvement disclosed by tne public accounts for the past financial year, as compared with the Budget forecast, is a satisfactory feature, and an indication of the marked improvement in the financial position of the Dominion. In the conditions existing when the Budget was presented, a deficit exceeding £2,000,000 estimated deficit, by reason of unexwas contemplated, and the reduction to approximately one-third of this estimated deficit by reason of unexpected buoyancy in revenue, and of economy in public expenditure, is a source of gratification to my Ministers. Their earnest attention is being directed towards maintaining this improvement.

LAND SETTLEMENT. Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Members of the House of Representatives: The Government have given close attention to the questidn of land settlement, and steady progress has been made, not only in the extension of.general settlement under the Land Act, but also in the placing of unemployed men on the land, under the provisions of the Small Farms (Relief of Unemployment) Act. As the process absorbs a large amount of the surplus labour, and, at the same time, tends to meet the demand for improved holdings at a minimum of cost, my Ministers are continuing the policy of developing and equipping with roads, areas of unimproved Crown land, and partly-improved estates acquired for that purpose, with the assitance of funds made available by the Unemployment Board. Since I last addressed you, many settlers have been successfully established on such areas, and the blocks now in course of development will provide a larfee number of holdings, suitable for diversified types of productive enterprise. ' • Although unemployment still continues to be’ a difficult social and economic problem, my Ministers are gratified to state that the number of persons receiving assistance from the Unemployment Fund is appreciably lower than it was during the corresponding period of last year. There are indications of a gradual but definite return to more normal conditions, and it is confidently anticipated that the re-absorption of registered unemployed in their usual occupations will' continue to increase. My advisers, however, are firmly impressed with the necessity of making every effort to accelerate this movement, and are, accordingly, using all the means within their power to stimulate trade and indusrty m the Dominion, and to encourage the opening up of further avenues of permanent employment. , The Mortgagors’ and Tenants Relief Act has afforded a welcome respite from financial stress to the many mortgagors, who found themselves ) faced with insuperable difficulties, through recent adverse economic conditions. The. several Cbmmiissions constituted in pursuance of this legislation, have rendered valuable service in investigating and recommending bases of arrangement between mortgagor and mortgagee. The provision made in your last session to include stock mortgages in' adjustment schemes, framed under the Act, has conduced to its more equitable administration. T o prevent possible hardship in the case of current mortgages it is deemed advisable to extend the effective period of this legislation for another two years, and proposals to this end will be placed before you.

IMPROVED DEFENCES. With a view to improving the defences of the Dominion, my Ministers have taken measures to develop the Air Force, to establish, anti-aircraft batteries, and to strengthen the coastal defences of the Dominion. Orders have been placed for the first instalment, consisting of two flights of general purpose land ’planes, and for the first of a number of advanced trainer-aircraft, with the necessary spare parts and equipment. The initial orders for anti-aircraft and coast defence armaments will, it is hoped, bo executed by the end of the current financial year. The establishment of a chain of landing grounds for aircraft throughout the country has also been put in hand. With the abject of stimulating interest in the Territorial Force, my Ministers have decided to grant pay for prescribed courses of training carried out locally, in addition to training in camps. The existing charts of the New Zealand coast have been found to be insufficiently complete to meet the full requirements of ocean transport, and ships are frequently delayed, owing to difficulty in determining their exact position under the conditions of low visibility. Navigation instruments are now obtainable, by the aid of which these delays could largely be obviated, if the coastline, and neighbouring sea-bed, were fully and accurately charted. My Ministers have

been in communication with His Majesty’s Government, in the United Kingdom, and have been informed that a suitable surveying ship will be available to undertake this work in 1936, when it is contemplated that the question of providing the necessary funds will bo brought before Parliament.

Bills will be submitted for your consideration, amending the law relating to British nationality and status of aliens, cinematograph films, commercial trusts, distress and replevin, the slaughtering and inspection of livestock, River Boards, mining, and poisons. I earnestly pray that the Divine Providence may continue to direct your deliberations, to the advancement of the welfare of this Dominion. .