N.Z. POLITICS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 148, 8 June 1912, Page 5

N.Z. POLITICS.

MR. MASSEY EXPRESSES HIS

VIEWS

[PRESS ASSOCIATION COPYBIGHT.]

Wellington. June 7.

The leader of the Reform party (Mr. W. F. Massey) returned to Auckland by the Main Trunk express to-day. Although he considered it inadvisable at this stage to speak about general political questions, Mr. -Massey touched interestingly upon a number of detached topics when he was interviewed prior to his departure by a “Dominion’ ’reporter. On the subject of the three Royal Commissions which have been set up by the present Government Mr. Massey expressed himself freely. He also dealt with some points raised by the Hon. A. M. Myers in a speech at Auckland, a telegraphed report of which was published this morning. “I think that the setting up of so many Commissions, especially on the eve of the session, is simply an absurdity and a gross waste of public money.” said the leader of the Opposition. “Take the Cost of Living Commission, for instance. I don’t think that anyone imagines that it is possible for that Commission to deal with all the involved and complicated questions referred to it and travel all over New Zealand prior to the meeting of Parliament. It is much the same with the Public Service Commission and the Education Commission. Parliament is quite competent to deal with such matters if given the opportunity by the Government, having confidence in itself and able to take the initiative, for the experience of the Commissions in past years has not been by any means satisfactory. The Land, Commission and the Timber Commission, for instance, cost large sums of money, but the results were nil. This sori of thing is not only an indication of weakness on the part of the Ministry, but is a serious matter for the taxpayer. Take the conference on the Local Government Bill. That bill would cost between £4OO and £5OO to draft. The expenses of the conference will be probably £lOOO. The conference tore the bill to shreds. Result, bill dropped. And now,” continues Mr. Massey, “another bill is on the stocks which Parliament may or may not be asked to deal with later on, but which the Minister of Internal Affairs has been good enough to admit contains everything the leader of the Opposition has been advocating for years. If this is the case, then it would have been better for everybody had the opportunity been given to the leadei of the Opposition of shaping the first bill according to the ideas and principles which are now being adopted by Ministers as their own.” In his speech at Auckland on Thursday evening Mr. Myers referred to some previous utterances of Mr. Massey, and' yesterday the latter replied to some of the contentions raised by the Minister. Referring to the Government Loans Aet, Mr. Massey said that the change made two or three years age had turned out to be a very serious one for the local bodies in the out districts, and was now interfering with the development of the backblocks. Prior to the amendment of the Act county councils and road boards could borrow on a forty-one years’ term, and by paying 3j per cent, per annum the liability ceased at the end of 41 years, the sinking fund being provided by a contribution from the Land Transfer Assurance Fund and sometimes from other sources. The Act as it then stood was intended to assist struggling local bodies, and was undoubtedly o! great benefit. Now, instead, they had to pay, when they were able to obtain from the Government the money they required, which is not always the case, £5/3/- per centum per annum for 361 years. Moreover, Mr. Massey stated, the local be die f were now being limited to £5OOO, just about enough to built a wode-rate-sized bridge, the latter difficulty being created by the fact that large sums of money had been lent under the Act to boroughs and hai bour boards, bodies which were able to finance in the open market, and in consequence the districts that were really entitled to assistance were being starved. ‘With regard to the other point about a man’s debt being taxed,” said Mr. Massey, “here is the position. There are many settlers in

places like Taranaki and Canterbury who are paying taxation on an unim proved value of £25 per acre. Two hundred and fifty acres at that value would be worth £6250. I don’t think anyone would suggest that such a man is a special pest and should be burst up. Now .suppose that man has a mortgage of say £4000: the amount of his mortgage is exempt for ordinary land tax purposes, but it is not exempt for the purpose of the gradu- ! ated tax. and I say that it should > be. up to a reasonable amount, = when the necessity for the bursting >up policy would be supposed to i come in.’’

i Mr. Myers, at Auckland, fore- , shadowed a review of the whole posiI ticn of the Railway Department. : Asked what he thought of this pro- ; posal. Mr. Massey replied:—“l rei ferred to this the other night when [ 1 spoke in the Auckland district, and I I can only repeat what I said then, i I believe that the time has come * when our railway system should be modernised and brought thoroughly up-to-date, and if we are going to do that, then we want the best men 1 that can be procured for money to do ■it.” On Tuesday evening Mr. Massey is to attend a banquet at Taihape. when Mr. Hockley, who was iheße- : form candidate for Waimarino at the ’ last election will be entertained. H<)N. J. A. MILLAR'S HEALTH. HE MAY NOT ATTEND * PARLIAMENT. The Hon. J. A. Millar leaves Wel- . lingt'.n for Rotorua on Monday. 1 His doctors have insisted on his taki ing- a complete rest, and it is posLp,! e ;;e may be unable to attend jwhen Parliament meets at the end k.f this month. Although he is suf-

fering an abnormal blood pressure, Mr. Millar states that he feels his general health to be excellent. He suffered no pain in losing the sight of his right eye, and the vision of his left eye is unimpaired. RAILWAY FREIGHTS.

Auckland, June 7.

In reply to a deputation from the South Auckland Sawmillers’ Association yesterday, the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister for Railways, said that he considered a complete revision of railway freights was desirable, and he intended to ask his officers to make a report upon the matter to him. In the meantime there would be no alteration in the rates until the existing tariff had been revised. Regarding the measurement of timber, Mr. Myers said the department desired to be paid only for what it carried, and he had already asked the General Manager and the North Island Traffic Superintendent (Mr. C. A. Piper) to investigate the matter with a view to devising satisfactory arrangements. He promised to consider other matters mentioned by the deputation. Discussing in an interview the question whether railway rates were higher in New Zealand than in Australia, Mr. Myers pointed out that local conditions must be taken into account. To make a fair comparison ordinary classified rates must be taken, and not special or local rates granted to meet local conditions. From this point of view the rates ruling in New Zealand compared favourably with Australian rates.

HIGH COMMISSIONERSHIP.

THE “STOP GAP” KICKS.

London, June 7.

Sir William Hall-Jones, interviewed, said he had been reappointed five times in a little over three years. He had offered to continue for a year or to wait until his successor was appointed ,but in view of important transactions pending, it was unreasonable and undesirable to continue the system of reappointing from month to month.

Wellington, June 7,

Questioned on the subject of th* High Commissioner ship this morning the Prime Minister (the Hon., T. Mackenzie) said: “The position is fixed until Parliament meets, and there will be no alteration before then.”

NEW ZEALAND LOAN.

4| MILLIONS.

London, June 7.

The “Financial News” states that New Zealand is arranging to issue four million 3| per cent, bonds with a currency of two years at 99. The “Standard” states that the New Zealand loan of £4,500,000 is to be underwritten at I per cent.

A BOLT FROM THE BLUE

EMPIRE TRADE RESOURCES.

SIR JOSEPH RESIGNS FROM THE COMMISSION.

Wellington, June 8

Sir Joseph Ward has intimated to the Governor his withdrawal from the position of New Zealand representative on the Imperial Trade Commission. In an interview with a “Post” reporter to-daj T , he said he had comd :o this determination owing to the Fact that an alteration in the itinerary of the Commission had rendered it difficult for him to carry out his Parliamentary duties, and attend to die work of the Commission. Before agreeing to . accept the position, he was informed that the Commission would sit in Australia and New Zealand first. It had since been decided to take evidence in England first, and then Canada. Though on the whole he thought that best, the alteration, if he attended the Commission, would involve his absence from Parliament for the whole of the next session. From that point of view that course - was not practicable unless he resigned his seat in Parliament. As he believed in discharging the duties of any position he took up wholeheartedly, and he could not do justice to both, he preferred to remain a representative of the people and had decided to. remain here. He had fully considered the matter as to whether he should resign his seat in the House of Representatives and attend the Commission and let the electors of Awarua elect another representative, and he had arrived at his decision after carefully considering the whole matter, quite voluntarily and without the slightest hesitation or pressure from any one either in or out of New Zealand.