Parliament

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 178, 13 July 1927, Page 6

Parliament

House of Representatives. GOVERNMENT BILLS INTRODUCED. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE. Wellington, July 12. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. Mr. G. W. Forbes gave notice of his intention to ask the Goveu'inont if it will set up a Parliamentary committee to inquire whether banking institutions in the Dominion at present are furnishing sufficient financial assistance to primary and secondary industries, whether it thinks the charges are or are not fair, and if not fair, how far it thinks a State bank would meet the position. The leader of the Opposition gave notice of his intention to introduce the Crimes Act Amendment Bill. Mr. Holland stated that he had ascertained that the power to stand aside any number of jurors is conferred on the Crown Prosecutor by the Crimes Act and not by the Juries Act. Hence he nronosed to withdraw his notice of motion to introduce a bill to amend - juries Act and was now substituting the Crimes Act Amendment bill, which designed to achieve a similar result.

The following Government bills were introduced and read the first time: — Marriage Amendment Bill (Hon. R. F. Bollard), Bankruptcy Amendment Bill (Hon. F. J. Rolleston), Savings Banks Amendment Bill (Hon. W. Downie Stewart), Egmont National Park Amendment Bill (Hon. A. D. McLeod), War Disabilities Removal Bill (Hon. F. J. Rolleston), Property Law Amendment Bill (Hon. F. J. Rolleston).

By way of explanation, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart said the Savings Banks Amendment Bill was intended to teleive persons from the necessity of taking out probate in a case where the assets of an estate consisted only of so a.e few hundreds of pounds in a savings bank. Explaining the War Disabilities Bill, the Hon. F. J. Rolleston said it removed war disabilities from certain people engaged in the teaching profession. It also removed certain disabilities from aliens desiring to acquire land and other disabilities in connection with the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act.

The following bills introduced by Governor-General’s message and read the first time:—Justice of the Peace Act Consolidation, War Funds Amendment, Dangerous Drugs Amendment, and Superannuation Fund Act Consolidation. DAIRY CONTROL. Resuming the debate in the Ad-dress-in-Reply, Mr. F. Waite (Clutha), said he was one of those who had always favoured some more orderly form of marketing our dairy produce. He reviewed the circumstances which led up to the passing of the Dairy Produce Control Bill. What had happened since had led certain political parties to coin political capital out of the difficulties into which the dairy industry had fallen. The attitude of the Liberal and Nationalist parties was, however, perfectly well understood, for they were the only Conservatives left in the House. He had always held that the Dairy Produce Control Board should consist solely of dairy nioducers. The Meat Board was dicerent, because they had some financial backing from the Government. The Dairy Control Board had never had a penny from the Government. Such difficulties as the board had had to face had been greatly magnified by commercial circles for obvious reasons, so much so, that the questoin had arisen whether the board should be retained or abolished. As a matter of fact the board had already done great good. He did not favour the sweeping away of the Arbitration Court absolutely, but it reqiured some overhaul. He also wanted a higher protective tariff and thought some of the big businesses, which almost amounted to monoplies, should be looked into. MINING INDUSTRY. Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon (Westland), urged the Government to give practical assistance to the mining industry by admitting mining machinery to the Dominion on lower customs duties. It was a mistake to suppose that areas were wasted as a result of gold dredging, because it had been found that areas where spoil had been spread were particularly suitable for fruit and tree planting. He desired to see some improvement in honey control, otherwise a valuable industry might perish. As a stimulus to the timber industry, he suggested that the State Advances Department should led only on buildings in which New Zealand timber is used. He complained that the Tourist Department was not paying sufficient attention to tourist resorts in the South Island.

Mr. G. R. Sykes (Masterton) said a feature of the debate was the new found interest which the Labour party was displaying as friends of the primary producers. He doubted the sincerity of these professions, proof of which insincerity was their action in refusing to load dairy produce on Home boats during the strikes of 1913 and ,1925. He deprecated pessimism in connection with the affairs of the Dominion. People had infinite faith in their country and infinite faith in the administration of the present Government, and with this confidence they were bound to pull through to ultimate success. PIECE WORK FAVOURED. Colonel Bell (Bay of Islands), said conditions were bad in the Dominion and one of the causes of this depression was the Arbitration Court. The farmers found the prices of their produce lowering, but wages were increasing, and- that condition of affairs could not go on. He advocated a return to the system of piece work which prevailed 40 to 50 years ago. discussing rural finance, he said he was not interested in the farmer who speculated in land and lost his capital. He took his risk and lost. Nor was he interested in the rise of a half per cent, which the banks recently made. That was not the farmers’ trouble; but he did say that for the last 40 years the banks had been levying a heavy toll on the people in paying regularly dividends of I 5 per cent., regardless of the position of the nrnnlc ed-

Mr. F. F. Hockly (Rotorua), said the Opposition had declared that the Governor-General’s speech had nothing in it, but the fact remained, if the House got through the long programme set out in that document they would have done a very good year’s work. Referring to the Ngaroma settlers, he said the problem of bush sick land was most intricate, because no two sections were alike, and there was a most puzzling divergence of opinion among men who had long experience of it. So far as relief was concerned, he considered the Government had done everything possible, and it was absurd to say that the Land Department knew that the land was affected before it was settled, for the land was then in bush and no cattle had ever been on it. THREE THINGS. Mr. W. J. Girling (Wairau), said the peopjle had been overbuying and if the banks had raised the rate of interest to check that buying a year earlier it would have been better for the country. He thought, however, that in view of the rate being charged on overdrafts the bank should consider paying interest on accounts in credit.

Mr. R. W. Smith (Waimarino) said he was sitting in the House as an Independent Liberal, because he could not follow the Nationalist party since they changed their name. He was untrameled by party ties and free to support any measure which he felt was for the good of the country. There were, he believed, three things to do to put the country again on a sound footing: (I) Settlement of all available lands in the Dominion, (2) development and protection of our secondary industries, (3) provision of necessary finance to enable businesses and farming to carry on until they reach a stable condition. To reach the practical accomplishment of these requirements the people must exercise patience, economy and industry, and in certain directions receive the co-opera-tion of the Government. With regard to rural finance, he strongly urged that the bonds to be issued under that scheme should have Government backing. At 11.35 p.m. the adjournment of the debate was moved by Mr. J. Linklater (Manawatu), and the House rose till 2.30 to-morrow afternoon.