IN THE HOUSE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 209, 18 August 1927, Page 7

IN THE HOUSE

FINANCIAL DEBATE SMALL SURPLUS WORTH HAVING MR. H. M. CAMPBELL'S COMMENT, (Special to “Tribune.”) Wellington, Aug. 18Speaking on the Financial Debate last night, Mr, H. M. Campbell (Hawke's Bay) remarked that while the surplus ior the past year was not a very large one it was one worth hawing. He regretted the considerably steady increase in the Public Debt but he was afraid that in view of the important developmental and reproduction works that were necessary we could not stop borrowing at present. He deprecated any increase being made in taxation at the present time; instead of an increase a decrease was wanted and that would put heart into the people and facilitate tlie recovery which the country was beginning to make. He believed in imposing a higher duty against foreign importations fti order to pro mote greater trade with Britain. “Old England’’ should be given a chance to recover. CARRIAGE OF RACEHORSES. Mr. Campbell, referring to losses on the railways, referred to the carriage ot racehorses between Hastings and Napier. Racehorses, to be sent from Hastings to Napier, had to be loaded by 7 o’clock in the morning There was a tram from Hastings at 9.30 but tlie Railway Department, for some reason best known to itself, declined to allow owners or trainers to send horses by that train. The result was that horses had to be kept waiting about ior four hours before they raced. “Trainers and owners alike are thoroughly ‘fed up’ with it,” said Mr. Campbell, “and now they are arranging with lorry owners to put boxes on their lorries to run their horses direct to the course.” The owners and trainers, owing to the way in which they were being treated by the Railway Department, were going to use lorries to transport horses across the island instead of making use of the trains. Unless an effort was made the radways would incur further losses EFFICIENCY OF POLICE FORCE. in conclusion, Mr. Campbell naid a compliment to the efficiency of the police force, which, next to that of London, was the beet in the world. He suggested, however, that lightei uniforms should be provided for men stationed in tlie northern parts of this island. If this were done in summer time he considered it would lie better for the men and tend to increase their efficiency. SIR G. HUNTER’S PLEAS. Sir George Hunter (Waipawa) dealt witli tlie question of soldier settlement. He said that although the Dominion Revaluation Board had given much assistance there were •uen who were still in need of help, especially in Hawke’s Bay, and he besought the help of the Minister in this matter. He quoted from the last report of the Commissioner of Crown Lands in Hawke’s Bay to show the position of soldier agriculturists and orchardists and the difficulties they had had to face, and then added that fairer conditions should be laid down in regard to the sale of abandoned farms. Where settlers had been compelled to forfeit their land it should be put up at the upset price and the settler should have tie option of taking it up. Facilities for dental treatment in the hackblocks were urgently needed and he trusted something would he done in this matter.