WARD’S POLICY

Grey River Argus, 14 December 1928, Page 5

WARD’S POLICY

RAILWAY COMPLETION RISE IN RELIEF PAY. Statement in House. t (Special to Argus.) WELLINGTON. December 13. An x announcement regarding the Government’s proposals was made in the House to-night by Sir Joseph Ward. The Prime Minister said that the figures for the eight months ended on 30th November last showed that the Dominion’s revenue had amounted to £12,718 476, while the expenditure totalled £l3 683 090. It seemed doubtful, he said, if the revenue for the current financial fear would reach the estimate, although he had every confidence in the position of the country. The Prime Minister said he had very carefully reviewed the borrowing authorities that were available, and he intended to ask the Hoire to increase the appropriations. The arrears waiting to be cleared off in State advances, said Sir Joseph Ward, amounted to £3.500 000. Sir Joseph Ward said that he proposed to ask the House to increase the Public Works Fund as follows:— Railway const ruction. £500.000. Roads completion, £lOO,OOO. Hydro-electricity, £lOO.OOO. Main railways. £lOO,OOO. State Forest. £25 000. RAILWAY PROPOSALS. lie said that he aimed at the completion of the Napier-Wairoa railway line, the Westport-Inangahua line, the Stratford main trunk line, and the South Island main trunk line. Mr Furkert, the Engineer in Chief of Public Works, estimated the cost of the works ns follows: —Westport-Inangahua line. £600.000; Gowan-Inangahua, £1.600,000; South Island main trunk line. £500.000; Napier-Gisborne line, £1.800,000; Stratford main trunk, £BOO,OOO. The Prime Minister added that he proposed to increase the amount available for unemployment relief to £4OO - 000. So far as the Government ’.relief, workers were concerned, they would be paid a minimum of 14s a day. The 12s and 9s per day rates would be abolished. The rates of pay for city relief work would remain at 12s and 9s per day. Sir Joseph Ward said that ho anticipated no difficulty in raising the nec-; cssary capital to carry out his scheme. , The Leader of the Opposition, Mr . Coates, criticised the railway proposals of the Prim e Minister. He urged the greatest caution in regard to expenditure generally. Labour Leader’s View. FAVOURABLE COMMENT. THE FINANCIAL QUESTION. WELLINGTON, December 13. The Leader of the Labour Party, Mr H. E. Holland, said that what was proposed was nothing new, for it had all been spoken of at the election. The Leader of the Opposition had now taken up a different view from what he had taken when he was on the Government benches, when he bad frequently referred to New Zealam credit on the London market. Mr Coates: “Oh, I was taking m_, cue from the Prime Minister.’’ Mr Holland: “The Prime Minister knows something, and the Leader 01 th® Opposition appears tc w something and it would be just as well if they told all of us what is the mysterious matter which they are. refer ring to, that is going to affect the money market. It is suggested that the London money lenders are going to apply a boycott because there has been a change of Government in New Zealand ’’

A Labour voice: “It looks like that, doesn’t it?” Mr Holland said that in regard to the South Island Main Trunk Line, Mr Coates, as Minister of Railways, bad promised to have a survey made. If it was never intended to go on wi.th the line, why have the survey made?

Mr Holland stressed the necessity for the completion of the WestportInangahua line, remarking that it wa generally recognised that it was a work of national importance. He expressed satisfaction with the unem ployment relief proposal, and welc'onv. ed the decision to pay full wages, but he regretted that it was no,t proposed to extend the idea to the cities, when already some of the City Councils were paying full wages. He did not -see the disadvantage of raising credit an New Zealand in the circumstances he referred to. There was a great deal to be said in favour 'of a policy of advancing money to workers to enable the workers to build houses, and also to buy houses; for in some centres there were houses already awaiting occupation. Mr Holland said there was a general impression throughout the country that the money which Su Joseph Ward proposed to raise for settlement purposes, was also intended for the redemption of existing mortgages ,anci he believed that the Ci 1 vefrnment would be compelled to come to the assistance of many settlers, who were carrying on under difficulties at the present time.

Member for Westland. NEEDS OF THS TOOK. GAPS IN NEW POLICY. (Special to Argus.) WELLINGTON, December 13. Speaking in the House to-night, Mr O'Brien (membe for Westland) said .that he had hoped to hear some of the old Liberal policy enunciated when the Prime Minister spoke, but a l ' had been very disappointed. Ho had thought that the Prime Minister would have held out some hope of improved old age pensions ana improved living conditions generally. What the country needed was a policy that was going to do some good for every ma.il and woman who did anything towards the production of the country. Mr O’Brien expressed Ms disappointment that the Government had, not seen fit t'o increase the relief rates paid to city workers, and ho went on to criticise the land settlement proposals as outlined by Sir jpaeph Ward. In his opinion, the

only way to bring about closer settlement was by the adoption of a steeply graded land tax. Unless the farmers were given relief in the matter of their mortgages, there would be many more who would walk off the land. In the Westland district .alone, he knew of three brothers who had had to leave the land and take employment for wages. Mr O’Brien quoted figures with the object of showing that under the Reform Government, many settlors hail left the land and production generally had gone down. No assistance was to be given, (apparently, to the coal anil timber industries, and no reference had been made by the Prime Minister to the question of income tax. So far as the former was concerned, that was to be_ regretted. There could be no doubt, he sai«, about the verdict which had been given by the electors on the 14th . of Novemer last, declared. Mr O ’Brien. The present position was a remarkable contrast to the position as it was in 1925. Mr Coates: “That's when you went out. ’ ’ Mr O’Brien: “Yes, I went out, on th® casting vote of the Officer. This year, my opponent received a goodwill message from the leaders of both Parties, but it didn’t do him much good-” (Laughter).