PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 1 July 1926, Page 10

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE ()!•' 11EPRESENTATIYES

(by TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION. 7 WEE LING TON, Juno. JO. Tlic House of Representatives met sit -■•’>o l'.ui. • . The debate mi tin* Address-m-beply was resumed by-Mr 1). Sullivan (Avon), who devoted his opening remarks to a criticism of the Reform Party's election tactics, maintaining that the sum of £400,000 was spent on the recent campaign. The speaker then proceeded to criticise the Prime Minister s attitude towards the unemployed, contending that Mr Coates had not lived up t 0 his election advertisement. With regard to the Imperial Conference the speaker said that before the Prime Minister left tor the conference he should take the House into his confidence and make a full and plain statement of the attitude he proposed to take up at that conference. There had been a lack of information regarding Imperial » Rains. He stressed the importance of consultation between the Home Government, and the Dominions on matters affecting the welfare of the Dominion.

Colonel A. Bell (Bay of Islands) justiliod 11 u> support", wliieli ho, as an Independent, gave to the -Massey Governnu'nt in the last Parliament. He was now a straight-out supporter of the Government because he was confident the Prime Minister would carry out every promise he made. Dealing with the industrial prospects of the Dominion, Colonel Bell declared we could never make any progress so long as we were dominated by trade union methods. Air Samuel (Oliinemuri) urged the establishment of an agricultural bank or some other institution which would give the farmers cheap and assured finance. He welcomed the proposals’ of the Bank of New Zealand, but urged the Government not to slacken in their efforts to provide cheap money, notwithstanding anything the banks might do. He also urged the cheapening of fertilisers to the farmers anil the setting up of Government crushers, which would give the farmers low-priced fertilisers so vital to the agricultural industry. -An appeal was made for sympathetic consideration towards prospecting miners,-military pensions and those suffering from miners’ phthisis, in which connection he urged members to get away from party bias and regard the question of pensions only from the broad basis of humanity, where they could all join in doing good to deserving people. The speaker concluded just as the House adjourned at 5..‘i0 p.Ol. When the House resumed at 7.M0 p.m.. the debate was continued by Air H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch blast), who said the Labour Party w.as always a moderate party and had never advocated a reform in that House that was outside! tin; realm of practical politics. Devoting his atention to the unemployment question. Air Armstrong declared that an idle man was a loss to (lie country, blit the Government did not seem to understand that, and so far their remedies were futile. Increased pensions. Labour representation at Geneva, and the family bounty, all came under the speaker’s favourable review, the later because, he said, there never was i time in the history of the cotintiv wLiii the people who did the useful Work received Jess for their services, judged by the purchasing power of money. Coming" to finance, ho denounced the raising of interest on loans to settlers. This could not be excused except on the ground that the Advances Department was being run in the interests of the banking instituions. Having now raised interest to b per cent, tlie Bank of New Zealand was prepared to come in and take up long dated loans, lie warned the House to critically examine this new banking legislation, in his opinion, the next "socialistic'' move the people of New Zealand should make, was In lake over I lie banking institutions in the Dominion and estab lisli a Stale bank. Air I). Jones iLllesmere) said Ihe reM.'l el Ihe election and the roll of splendid legislation passed by the Govern- 1 men I during Ihe past fourteen years proved I lan I lie Government parly was the real La lion r " pa rty. I’art of the Government policy was the introduction of people from Britain, but so far he jii-.d never hoard 11 1 <• Labour Party, as represented in the House, raise up its voice in favour of a proper and effective ■imieigration p<>!icv. Air Jones then proceeded to reply to charges made against him as chairman of the Meat Board by Air Lysnar, the member of Gisborne, concerning his conduct of the business of the board. Mr Jones then proceeded to quote at length from the evidence and the report of the recent commission which inquired into the sale of the Poverty Bay meat works to Vesteys. From this he argued that the unfortunate position into which the company fell was not due

to any action of his, but to incompetence and mismanagement. Mr D. S. Reid (Waikato) advocated more land settlement, but contended that deteriorated and undeveloped lands could only be settled successfully by giving farms to occupants rent free, for live to fifteen years. He deprecated the payment of award wages to the unemployed, which could encourage men to stay whore they were, and not look for another ;job. One of the curses of this country tvtis the principle of one man one wage, because it reduced the best man down to the level of the worst man. Every man should be allowed to earn as much as he could. Mr J. C. Rolleston (Waitomo) urged upon the Government the necessity of more scientific, research in connection with fhe farming industry, as at preset); farmers wore more or less working in Ilm dark. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr J. K. Hamilton, and the House rose at II p.m. till" 2.30 tomorrow.

LUG ISLATIYMI COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, June MO. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The Address-in-Ueplv debate was resumed by the Hon. Colonel Smith, who opposed the idea of employing commissions from .abroad to investigate Dominion problems and suggested sending away delegations of men already acquainted with the conditions in the Dominion. He condemned the establishment of. an agricultural college as a wicked waste of money, as Lincoln College could lie adapted to the purpose ami be quite efficient. The Hon. A. K. Hawke, who also opposed the new college, thought that the Agricultural Department should employ more instructors to give, advice to farmers and i Iml this would serve the "needs of Hie next year or two. while the requirements of the country were definitely ascertained The iHoit. H. Alicliel said that payment of award rates to the unemployed would only encourage; unemployment. He criticised the Govea'iiment for its interference by regulations, and said it was having a pernicious eilect upon the cost of living and the development of the land. The Hon. IL Scott dealt with irrigation matters, and urged the Government to make full investigations before spending large sums of money, as watering might be harmful rather than beneficial to the farmer in certain localities. •Ihe Government should do everything possible to discourage the drift from the country districts to the towns. J lie Hon. J. Barr, replying to suggestions for the assistance of secondary industries, pointed out that the existence of some of these was not warranted, and that our first duty should be to the primary industries. He would oppose •my proposal for giving monetary assists mice to large families in poor circumstances, which would be worse than the' dole, and said the Government could help in other social directions. After the mover of the Addrcss-in-Iteply hail replied, the motion was. carried and the Council adjourned at, 4.30 p.m, until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday next.