FINANCE BILL DEBATE

Grey River Argus, 24 March 1944, Page 6

FINANCE BILL DEBATE

Rehabilitation Progress MINISTERIAL STATEMENT P.A. WELLINGTON, March 23. In the House this afternoon urgency was accorded the Finance Bill. The Prime Minister explained that it was not his intention to ask the House to sit beyond midnight. Hon. F. Jones, Minister of Defence, resuming the debate on the Bill, said that, while there was a cry for more men in essential industries, the needs of the Forces had to be considered. During the past six. months, reorganisation had led to fourteen thousand men being released from the Forces to return to industry. Subsequently another three thousand men were being released, and these, with men who had returned from overseas, made a total of thirty-four thousand men returned to industry. At the same time, New Zealand had maintained a Division overseas, and the forces in the Pacific as well as a very large number of men in the Air Force and in the Navy.” On the resumption of the House at 7.30, Hon. Major C. F. Skinner (Minister of Rehabilitation) said that, like other returned servicemen, he had been struck by complacency on the part of the people in New Zealand, and by the amount of time, outside and inside of Parliament, devoted to unimportant things. He was glad say that most New Zealanders were doing their best for the returned men. Compared with nine thousand, returned men who had taken up their former jobs, there had been only ninetysix instances of employers being reluctant to take men back. Several big organisations were making special provision for servicemen who had lost a limb or their sight. Discussing the matter of rehabilitation, Major Skinner said that the policy must be to treat the last man home as well as the early comers. This would be done within the resources available. It was not possible to give a house or a farm to very many applicants. The only yardstick in judging each case on its merits was the degree of sacrifice of the applicant. It was not correct that men with home service only were ineligible for certain measures of rehabilitation assistance. There were cases of home servicemen who had received one hundred per cent, loans for the building of a house. Every man who ( had received financial assistance, whether for housing, farming or other purposes, was an economic proposition, and that policy would be maintained. . . Major Skinner said that well over two hundred men had been settled on freehold farms, and over ninety per cent, of them had been given one hundred per cent, loans. His Department was prepared to train every man who) wanted to go on the land, and the aim was not to tw.in farm labourers, but to train men so that each one could own a farm of his own. The Minister said that, when members were criticising the workers or New Zealand, they should remember that thirty-seven thousand had returned from overseas, and half of them were back in industry. Hundreds were doing good work in freezing works and on the waterfront. It had been said that the Land Sales Act had retarded the sales of properties. The figures for land sales in February were 2,525 urban sales and 235 rural sales, as 'compared with. 2,050 and 357 sales! respectively in the pyc' vious February. That showed an increase of the sales of urban properties, and not much of decrease in those of rural properties. Out of the total transactions since the Act came into operation, there had been only two appeals in respect of farm properties, and only thirty-seven altof gether, and eleven had been in respect of seaside sections. The facts showed that the farmers were now looking like losing any fear of the Act that was brought about by propaganda against it. Successful rehabilitation must be linked with reconstruction.

Major Skinner said, in conclusion, that ' the industries of the country must be extended, because the bulk of the men would have to. be absorbed bv industry, and the present industries were not sufficient for that. The New Zealanders overseas had built up a reputation second to none in the world. Everywhere he had gone on his way home .he had heard things about the New Zealanders that" were almost unbelievable. In America, they* had built up a fantastic reputation. They had helped to save New Zealand, and it was up to the people of New Zealand to see that they should have a share of what the-v bad saved. He appealed to all employers to realise their re-

sponsibilities to the men, and so to make rehabilitation a success. BETTER PRICES NOT ENOUGH ? Dealing with primary production, Mr. S. G. Holland (Nat., Christchurch North), said the Government was mistaken if it supposed it could arrest falling production merely by paying farmers a higher price, HOUSING POLICY. Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, Minister of Health, c-aid the Opposition claimed that a State tenant, after having paid for a home in rentals, should! own tlhe home. Would the Opposition apply that to the private landlords? The Government was criticised because it was building rental homes'. Since the Government came into' power, the State Advances had made 7,889 loans for homes, and of those, '5,492 were special loans, or were in excess of the customary two-thirds of the value. There had also been a great deal of criticism of the war damage insurance rate. The war damage insurance now covered earth-, quake damage, and while there were many parts of New Zealand where earthquakese had not been experienced for a long time, earthquake damage could occur almost anywhere. And for one shilling per cent., the!, property-owners were protected, against that damage. That cover wasi one of the greatest boons that had ever come to the people of the country. The debate was continued by Messrs Atmore and Massey until 10.45.