ADDRESS-IN-REPLY MOVE

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 27 September 1933, Page 6

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY MOVE

CABINET POLICY DEFENDED ECONOMIES UNAVOIDABLE. FAVOURABLE COMPARISON. REDUCED COST OF LIVING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. The formal Address-in-Reply motion was moved by Mr. H. Holland (Coalition, Christchurch North) when the House of Representatives resumed atl 7.30 p.m. Mr. Holland paid a warm tribute to the work that Lord and Lady Bledisloe had performed in all parts of the Dominion. Defending the Government’s policy in relation to social services, Mr. Holland said the pension cuts in New Zealand had not been so great as in other countries, and the New Zealand Government had also out down rents and other charges. The cost of living also had been reduced since 1929, so the pensioner was really better off to-day than he had been before the cuts. Mr. Holland defended the Government against any charge of treating returned soldiers harshly in the matter of pensions. He said the Dominion executive of the Returned Soldiers’ Association itself was convinced that the reductions were unavoidable. New Zealand was the only country in the world that paid its soldiers an economic pension. The Government in reducing the wages of the working community exercised a due sense of responsibility, Mr. Holland contended, and followed a statesmannlike policy in spreading the burden.

He congratulated the Government and the Unemployment Board on the manner in which they hnd handled the tragic question of unemployment and favourably .compared New Zealand’s efforts with those of other countries. He urged the Government to inquire into the possibilities of manufacturing industries absorbing more employees HIGH EXCHANGE ISSUE. Mr. Holland suggested the Government should take early steps to remove the misapprehension in the minds of merchants and importers regarding its future policy on the high exchange issue. He said rumours were in constant circulation that it was the intention of the Government to decrease or remove the exchange rate almost immediately, and people were afraid to import because they feared that when goods on which they paid 25 per cent, exchange were landed the exchange would have been lifted. He considered a clear statement as to the position of local tenderers for contracts on the new Wellington rail-' way station w r ould be appreciated. It had been stated local tenderers would not he penalised, but there still seemed to be some doubt on the point. Congratulating Mrs. McCombs on her success at the recent by-election, Mr. Holland expressed the hope that her career would be very successful and that Parliament and the country would be the better for her presence in the House. MUST TURN TO THE SOIL.

The motion was seconded by Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Coalition, Waitomo), who said that for vitality and strength in the people one had to turn to the soil. That was why he had always advocated land settlement on right lines. For many years land settlement had been denied to the small man, but the small farm scheme was providing avenues for settlers with little or no capital. .Land settlement was a slow process, but progress to date had been sound. There were also areas being prepared for small settlements and in a short time the number of people on the land should be considerably increased. Mr. Broadfoot advocated simplification and resiliency in the administration of the small farm scheme. It was essential that the pace of settlement should be accelerated as far as possbile. It bad been said men with capital would not get an opportunity under the scheme, but he contended the man with a few hundred pounds was a most suitable person to settle on the land.

Mr. Broadfoot complimented the Native Minister on the excellent developmental work that had been done for Maoris. He had inspected the schemes and examined the costs and was convinced that a greater advance had been made than ever had been attempted before. LAND FOR. SETTLEMENT. He suggested, however, that where there was more land available than was necessary for Native settlement the surplus should be taken over at a failprice for European settlement. The money arising from the sale of the land should be put into the hands of the Native Minister for developmental purposes. Mr. Broadfoot advocated amalgamation of all lending departments of the State. This policy had beep adopted in the United (States and it was providing better facilities for advances to fanners. He suggested the State Advances Department’s limit for lending money on stock be raised and that the time allowed for repayment should be extended.

Mr. Broadfoot said it was well known that hotting with bookmakers was on an extensive scale and he advocated elimination of this practice by providing an opportunity for silver bettors and larger investors to keep within the law. He considered racing clubs should be provided with the facilities for which they had been asking and that a Statelottery should be established. He referred to the profits realised on State lotteries in Australia and the amounts received by the Governments in taxation. The debate was adjourned on the motion of the Leader of the Opposition and the House rose at 9.10 p.m. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL VIEWS. SELF-RELIANT GOVERNMENT. BENEFICIAL MEASURES. WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. Sir Francis Bell in the Legislative Council to-day gave notice to introduce a Bill to amend the Commercial Trusts Act.

Moving the Addres s-in-R<sp?y to the Governor-General’s speech the Hon. W. W. Snodgrass said the self-reliant

policy of the Government had every-1 thing to recommend it. There had been criticism of the raising of the exchange, hut it resulted in bettering the | economic situation. In spite of the | high exchange and the sales tax the cost of living had fallen, and; that fact showed that the people had not been hard hit hv the Government’s policy. There was no doubt that the country had to pay for past extravagances, and it was to be hoped that the lesson had been learned by l the depression. Seconding tire motion, the Hon. C. J. Carrington said that if the leaders of the people took as much notice of the Ten Commandments as they did of economic experts the problems of the world would soon ho solved. On the whole the members of the Public Service were courteous and efficient, but there was a tendency towards overcentralisation aird bureaucracy which would have to be checked in New Zealand. A policy of land settlement was needed. It was essential that it should not he frustrated by centralised administration, which was stultifying progress'. There was too much State paternalism, and for this the educational system was partly responsible. One of the ways out of the difficulty would be to appoint a Minister of the Crown chairman of a hoard of publicspirited and far-sighted men to administer the Public Service. Greatsavings could be brought about by amalgamating the departments of th»> Public Service, and it was imperative that the costs of Government should be reduced. Promotion should be on merit and not on length of service, and appointments should be subject to. review just iu the same way as positions in private business were subject to review.

The Council adjourned till to-mor-row. when the Hon. J. Trevithick will continue the debate.