PARLIAMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 31 August 1927, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IMPREST SUPPLY BILL Wellington, August 30. The Finance Bill, which was passed through committee in the House today, without amendment or discussion. was read the third time and passed. 'the Imprest Supply Bill (No. 3) was introduced by Governor General’s message.

Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East) complained of the inadequate lighting of the New Zealand coasts. A light was needed at North Cape. He suggested the appointment of a Marine Board, which would report on the lighting of the coast Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) complained that free access was not permitted to members of Parliament to the prison cells of she Dominion as visitors. He also complained. that the Broadcasting Com pany was charging license fees ’ust as they pleased. There should be a hoard, on which listeners-in were lepresented, to fix the fees to be charged. The Hon G. J. Anderson said he would have the question of lighting the coast inquired into. He was prepared to accept the advice of Captain Bollons as to what lights were required. Mr F. F. Hockly (Rotorua) urged the necessity for giving school children an opportunitv of learning the art of swimming.

Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) condemned hospital administration. The cost of building was far too high The result of this kind of thing was that local body contributions had trebled. Hospital boards were con trading with friendlv societies for their patients at 3s 6d per dav while the average cost was 15s 2d per dav. He favoured the preferential treatment of patients. Rich people should have private wards, and be charged accordingly.

Mr F. N. Bartram (Grey Lvnn), combated the contention advanced bv Mr Lysnar that there should be differential treatment between patients in hospitals. The poor man suffered from the same diseases as the rich man, and should be given the same treatment.

Mr Lysnar explained that he did not mean difference in treatment, hut difference in payment Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) objected to the contract for the Tawa Flat tunnel being let outside New Zealand. That work should 1 be carried out bv New Zealand workmen on the co-operative principle. FINANCIAL LEGISLATION. Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill) asked the Minister of Finance to state why the financial arrangements made by him with the British Treasury re gardin- New Zealand’s war debt were changed, and who it was who advised the Government to abolish the sinking funds in connection with our public debt. He was confident it was no high financial authority who did so Papers which were not confidential in connection with these transactions should be laid o- the table of the House and so clear awav the mystery surrounding them. If we pursued the present system of paying out of the consolidated fund huge sums in reduction of our debt, it would lie quite impossible go reduce taxation to anything like the extent to which we sliould reduce it. He also wanted the Minister of Finance to tell the House bv how much lie had reduced the old Maori war loan of £6,000,000 under the new system. He did not believe he could do it. New Zealand was onl- counting ■ •

world which owed its war debt to British people, and not to the Treasury, and he wanted to know whv that avstem was abolished and who recommended its abolition. The Hon. W. Nosworthv said it was the same system as prevailed in Britain.

Sir Joseph Ward said we had never modelled our financial legislation on the British system, and if the British system was the lead there was no reason whv we should follow it Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Opposition) said he had expected Mr M right to tell the House whether cr not it was proposed to abolish education boards. All over the country there was a feeling that something was going to happen, and this feeling should be allayed if there was nothing in it. He wanted some mem her of the Governmen to say what had become of Professor Prince’s report on our fisheries and Dr. MacEachern’s report on our hospitals, upon which a considerable amount .if publig money had been expended. He declared that the recent increased railway freights and increased royalties were making it impossible for New Zealand timber to compete with imported timbers in many parts of the country. It would be better ro increase the loss on the railways than to destroy the local market for New Zealand timber. MINISTER’S REPLY The Hon. W. Downie Stewart, replying said that in abolishing sinking funds they had onl- adopted in 1925 what Australia did in 1923. There was no reflection on the former .system, but they had simply adopted one that wa s considered better. This new system was supported bv manv high authorities. This system did not in anv way interfere w,th the reduction of taxation, because under the old system the sinking funds came out of revenue, because there was no other source from which they could come. German reparations money went direct to the reduction of debt. He had no objection to laying on the table of the House anv papers that may exist in connection with the negotiations, if they were not confidential With regard to the repayment of the Maori war debt, he could not give details, because that portion of the debt was not separat ed from any other, and what they strove to do was to pay off the aggregate debt that portion which at the moment was most expensive and therefore most profitable to nay off. On the motion that the House go into Committee of Ways and Means.. Mr D. Jones (Ellesmere) drew attention to the difference in the treatment of consumptive sanatoria in the North and South Islands. In the North these sanatoria were maintained bv the State, but in the South they were maintained bv the ratepayers, subsidised bv the Government. and he wanted to know the reason for the difference and whether the South Island was suffering under this arrangement. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central) brought up the recent increase in the wholesale price of coal and desired to know whv the State mine was working in concert with private com panies in bringing about this increase..

Replying to Mr Jones, the Hon. J. A. Young. Minister of Health, said the whole system of sanatoria was now under review and was being considered with a view to arriving at some national system, his opinion being that the North Island should be placed on the same footing as the South Island.

STATE COAL PRICES. The Hon. G. J. Anderson. Minister of Mines, said so far as State coal was concerned, the increase in the wholesale price was duo to the increased cost of production, which was considerable. Retail depots were run merely as a check on coal prices and made no profit at all Thev did make some profit on wholesale transactions. but not on retail sales.

The Imprest Supply Bill (No. 3). appropriating the sum of £1,952.400 in payment of salaries and other contingencies, was then nnssed through all the remaining stages. The House then went into Committee on the Egmont National Park Bill and the War Funds Amendment Bill, both of which were reported without amendment, read the third time and passed. By Governor General’s message rhe Annual Land and Income Tax Bill was introduced, also the Land and Incom Tax Amendment Bill, and read the first time. The House rose at 1120 pm. till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow