SPEECHES IN HOUSE

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 March 1943, Page 5

SPEECHES IN HOUSE

SECRET SESSIONS OPPOSED PAY FOR WOMEN JURORS WELLINGTON, March 5. Speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House to-day, Mr. Acland (Nat. Temuka) appealed for decentralisation of government. He stated that to-day, everyone went to Wellington, and everything had to be referred there. People were becomingless self-reliant and were losing the art of making decisions. A Commission should be set up to decide on ;what should be the functions of the local governments, and what those of the central government. Such a Commission would examine the fundamental tacts pertaining to local bodies. If the counties had the necessary funds, they would be able to employ efficient staffs and to carry out many of the duties which now were the prerogative of the central government. Mr. J. Hodgens (Govt. Palmerston North) contended that the constant secret sessions created a tendency to keep from the people information which could easily be made available to them. Members of Parliament expected the people to trust them, and In return, they should trust the people. Mr. Hodgens said he also had some criticism to offer on the proposal that the Government should include prefabricated houses in its housingpolicy in the Dominion. A prefabricated house, he said, would stand for a time, but it could not be compared for durability with the house that was built as an individual unit. This class of prefabricated dwelling was certainly not of the type that would give an opportunity to the small builder. An assurance that women jurors were to be paid the same rates as men jurors was given by Mrs. M. M. Dreaver (Govt. Waitemata). That was as it should be, she said —equal pay for equal work. Mr. F. W. Schramm (Govt. Auckland East): They haven’t responded yet! Mrs. Dreaver: They are respondingbetter now. They have been naturally somewhat diffident, but women’s societies have been moving in the matter, and more women will henceforth be offering for this service. Mrs. Dreaver paid a tribute to the Prime Minister and the Government’s sympathetic consideration of the place of women in the life of the community. She said that it now would be possible for women to be elected to the Upper House. , Miss M. Howard (Govt. Christchurch East): “Why haven’t they been before?” (Laughter). Mrs. Dreaver said that they had managed to get the necessary legislation through, and, before the end of the year, they might have women in the'Upper House. She was sure that the men there would welcome them with open arms. (Laughter). Mr. Schramm: Will there be an age .limit? . . • rt Mrs. Dreaver: There is not an age limit for men; but I assure you that those appointed will be hale and hearty, as it is a strenuous job. The disparity in the increase in pay to the officers and the men ol the Army was criticised by Mr. W. F. Anderton (Govt. Eden) who said that the private had received an extra sixpence per day, and the lieutenantcolonel had received an extra fourteen shillings a day. The risks, he said were equal, and there should not be such a disparity. Speaking of rehabilitation of soldiers after the war, Mr. Anderton said that there would be a transition period between their demobilisation and their reabsorption into industry. It would be inevitable that men would have to be paid for that waiting period, and the Government gave emphatic denial to any assertion that if the National Party became the Government, the soldiers returning from this war would not get a fair deal. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 5.30. BANKING AND CURRENCY Tlie control oi banking and-of currency was the theme ol the speech of Mr. Langstone (Govt. Waimanno) who continued the debate in the House to-night. At the conclusion of his speech, which was his first since his return from Ottawa, and his resignation from the Ministry, Mr. Langstone was applauded by a number ot Government members. Mr. Langstone said that many things which the Government had done successfully could have kyen done much more easily it the right method had been adopted. By that, he was referring to the taking over of banking institutions, and the use qt national credit in the way that it should have been used. Mr. Langstone declared that wool growers were entitled to their extra two million pounds. It was humbug to take fifteen per cent, from them. Opposition: “Hear, hears. Mr. Langstone said that the people of New Zealand were not going to stand for private exploitation through the private banking institutions. Price control was being dealt with only in a tiddly-winking way. People, ho said, had been asking why there: had been dodging on the all-important financial question of keeping prices down, . SO that the cost of living could be maintained at a reasonable level. He believed that it would be possible with the granting of subsidies. Mr. W. J. Polson (Nat., Stratford) said that some two thousand fewer acres of vegetables would be grown by commercial growers in the Dominion this year than last year. The Government had diverted labour only to State vegetable farms, and had not done so to the areas of private growers If the reverse had been done, there would have been no need for the State undertakings. He complained that in Wellington cases of lettuce have been sold as low as ninepence per case. He said-this was unfair competition for the commercial grower to meet. He also stated that owing to the fact that linen flax mills were not working to capacity, there would be a substantial decrease in the amount of linen flax to be grown in New Zealand during the coming year. Only one shift was being worked by mill's which could double their capacity if they worked two shifts. Mr. T. McCombs (Govt. Lyttelton) complained of the lack ol co-opera-tion on the part of the newspapers in giving publicity to the Dominion s internal war effort. Mr. McCombs contended that any complaints against the Government were considered news by the press, which,, however, frequently failed to publish the Government’s explanation of a case. Mr. McCombs also advocated the abolition of saluting by soldiers when they are off duty. He urged the granting of permission to the soldiers to wear collars and ties with their battledress while they were on leave. Mr. Broadfoot (Nat. Waitomo) considered that too many men and women were being removed from civil life into the Armed Forces. He said we were a great deal safer in this country now than twelve months ago. In view of that, the time had arrived when we should draw back many men and women into productive industry. He referred especially to eighteen year old youths. They could be siven six months military training. Then they could be returned to industry. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 10.30 and the House rose until 10.30 a.m. to-morrow. So far in the debate there has been a total of twenty-nine speakers, eigh-

teen from the Government, benches, ten Members ol the Opposition, and one Democratic Labour.

BLANKET SUPPLIES

WELLINGTON, March 6. The supply of blankets for civilian needs was mentioned when the House met at 10.30 this morning. The matter was raised by Mr. Sutherland in notice of a question to the Minister of Supply. He asked if the Minister would indicate which woollen mills could supply blankets for civilian requirements, and when they would be made available to wholesalers and retailers. The information he had received suggested that the mills were behind in defence orders, and blankets for civilians would not be in adequate supply for the winter. The question of whether or not conscientious objectors should be allowed to vote at the forthcoming elections was raised by Mr. Gordon, in notice of question to the Minister in Charge of the Electoral Department. He asked if it were the intentlon of the Govt, to permit those persons who had refused to fight tor their country to vote at the forthcoming general elections, or at any other elections within the next ten years. The House then proceeded with the Address-in-Reply debate. Mr. Frost said the Labour Party had not killed individual initiative, but rather had encouraged it. Todav there were scores of men in business on their own account who, when Labour came into power, were living on the dole. He expressed support for the decentralisation of industry and said the country and provincial members would have to insist on this. Mr. Lowry expressed opposition to the return of the New Zealand Division from the Middle East at present and thought he was expressing the opinion held by the men themselves, who would prefer to remain and complete the job. However, he would suggest to the Government that the men who had been away for some considerable time and were showing signs of war weariness should be brought back and given a rest in New Zealand. The debate is continuing.