POLITICAL NOTES

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 8 July 1925, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

DOINGS IN PARLIAMENT

WORKING OWNERSHIP. /-

A FARMING FACTOR. (By Telegraph.—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, July 7. Wheat producers’ difficulties were touched on by Air. Burnett, of Temuka, in liis Address-in-Reply speech. He surveyed the difficulties, the temptation to raise lamb s rather than cereals, and declared that what was saving the wheat position to-day was the great factor of working ownership on the farms. A great deal of wheat-growing was done by the men who worked the land they owned and got assistance from their neighbours at harvest time. Air. Burnett pointed out that .this got over some of the labour trouble. He did not mind men asking for more wages, but their demands created dift'icultiec for the farmers, and it was only working ownership which was savign the industry. The same factor was Helping dairying, for he believed that SU per cent, of New Zealand’s dairy output was from working owners, while the remaining 20 per cent, was produced by share* milkers. HON. AIR. STEWART A special arrangement has been made in the House to enable the Hon. W. Downie Stewart to be wheeled to the Chamber and remain' in his ©hair at the right of the Prime Minister. The latter use s a couch half the usual size to facilitate this arrangement, and Mr. Stewart under the special circumstances, is permitted to address Parliament without rising. Air. Wilford, Leader of the Opposition, this afternoon voiced the pleasure of members at seeing the Minister for Customs again in hi s place in the House. They sincerely hoped that the improvement which was evident in liis health would continue. Air. Stewart replied that he was grateful for the kind remarks of the Leader of the Opposition. FINANCING A LAND POLICY. Labour’s land policy, which he called “the loosehold,” gave Air. Potter (Roskill) the chance for caustic criticism in the House to-day. How would ft be financed? he asked. The Labour Party told them they could raise 200 millions to buy all the land, and they would have a State Bank. Thencountry would . get into a wonderful financial predicament. Their bonds would drop down to the nature of German marks, of which he recently got some millions jn paper notes. He was astonished at people going on the platform to advocate such piffle; it showed they did not possess one iota, of financial ability. CHEAP CRITICISAI.

‘ ‘lf members of the House would not make out a case for the Labour Party’s amendment,” declared Air. O. Hawken (Egmont) in the House to-niglit, “it they believed the Government not fit to govern, they ought to quote good solid reasons, not cheap criticism.” He proceeded to outline the Government s actual achievements in the repatriation of 'Soldiers, large alocations for housing loans, great improvement in school Inn’dings and education, and effective concentration on the policy of railway construction. He regretted that the Labour Party should continue to preach Hass hatred and criticise the Arbitration Court. Workers would be much worse off without the court. It was fatal to the wellbeing of the workers to' preach shorter hours and higher wanes. The eight-hour day was not unreasonable. If unemployment and distress could happen in Christchurch it was the only town where this was pos- ♦ si hie. because the means existed f© r rel-'ef. Christchurch ought to do better with a Labour Alayor.