PARLIAMENT

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

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BUDGET DEBATE DRAGS ON. Wellington Aug. 17. The debate on the Budget was resumed in the lionise of Representatives this aftrnoon by Mr F. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn), who said that tlie Government financial proposals must of necessity open up the discussion of the whole of the Government’s activities. It has been asserted that outside the Ministry there were not six members who knew anything about finance. That assertion was generous so far as the Ministry was concerned, but very ungenerous so far as many of the members outside of the Ministry were concerned. There had been a singular lack of lucidity on the j art of so-called Government’s apologists. He said the decision of the Government to squander £1,000,000 on warlike preparations at Singapore was unwise. According to the Budget of 1925 out of every £lOO we speut £33 16s on.war costs, £22 on other debts, £l5 2s on education, £5 12s on health £5 8s on pensions, £3 16s on miscel leanous expenditure, and £l4 6s on departmental expenditure. Mr C. E. Macmillan (Tauranga) devoted a considerable portion of his speech to the trouble of the primary producers, and strongly advocated the retention of the compulsory clauses in the Dairy Produce Control Act. He wanted cheaper fertilisers for farmers and declared that bush sick land could he cured if the question was tackled systematically. He urged that the Scientific Research Board should be asked to investigate this problem. NOTHING “BED” ABOUT THEM. Mr C. E. Bellringer ,Taranaki) commented on the comparative mildness of the Labour party’s speeches. There was now nothing particularly “red” about them. They were, m fact, the pinkest of the pink, a change which he attributed to tho realisation that their extreme policy was not being accepted by the people in the country. He was opposed to dairy control, and he urged the cutting up of large holdings ot first class land held by comparatively few owners in the Dominion. He was satisfied from all the evidence before them that prosperity was returning to the Dominion and a new spirit of hope was taking possession ot those who were still prepared to trust the Government. Mr J. McCombs (Lyttelton) said the present Government had come into power on a cry of non-borrowing end tp put a stop to borrowing, yet in the last two years they had borrowed the huge sum of £22,000.m)0. The Government had last year brought down legislation to control local body borrowing, but what was needed was a loan board to control Government borrowing and expenditure. The Prime Minister had condemned local bodies building roads which would last ted years, but which would not be paid for under 36| years, yet the Government was building wooden schools and furnishing them out of 60 years loan, but what sort of assets would these schools and their furniture be at the termination of the loans! Discussing the payment of the war debt, he said only portion of that debt was funded but the bulk of it was being carried as dead weight' by the taxpayer. The speaker condemned tho action of the Government in raising the .rate of interest to settlers by 25 per cent. Tho average cost of money in the Advances Department was such that the money could have been loaned at 4} per cent., but it was put by 25 per cent to help other financial institutions in the Dominion to raise their rates of interest lyOUB SUREST DEFENCE. Mr V. H. Potter (Boskill) defended the grant towards the Singapore base on the grounds that out surest defence was the British navy and the opinions of experts on this subject must be accepted. He had no faith in Geneva or other peace conferences. The only safe thing to do was to be prepared for war. He defended the Government's action in purchasing land for returned soldiers, as the public would never have supported confiscation in this connection, neither did the soldiers ask for it. The speaker then proceeded to criticise the police force, contending that the police were underpaid and understaffed. He also complained that the police were employed to set traps for law-break-ers, and having induced them to commit a crime, turn round and arrest them. That was despicable and members of the police deeply resented being so employed. He appealed to the Minister to protect the police against this class of work. Mr T. Forsyth (Wellington East) defended the Government’s financial policy and advocated further preference of British goods. Mr D. S. Reid (Waikato) advocated a tyre tax on motors, as usbrs of the roads were not now paying a fair share to maintain the roads. He defended the Government against charges of neglect of returned soldiers. No soldiers in the world had been better treated, and for his part he would willingly devote another £1,000,000 to this purpose. The adjournment of the debate was moved by Mr J. S. Dickson (Parnell).

Tn reply to Mr G. W. Forbes, who asked with special reference to the Daylight Saving Bill the Prime Minister said he would have to consider what facilities could be given private members to get their bills through, There were several in a somewhat similar position to the Daylight Saving Bill, and while he understood the Government could grant, facilities, it was "list a question how those facilities should be given. He would advise members interested later on. The House rose at ll.lji) p.m until 2.30 p.m. to-mrrrrow. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Council passed a motion of sympathy with the Hon W. Bikihana, who

was granted 14 days’ leave of absence on account of the death of his wife. The St. Peter’s Parish Endowment Fund Bill was read the second time. The Hon. E. Newman withdrew his notion in regard to the remission of the customs duty on maize and other food products necessary for the econo mical operation of the pig products export industry. The Council adjourned at 3.21 p.m. until Wednesday next.