ATTACK AND DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 25 July 1929, Page 2

ATTACK AND DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT.

MR DAVID JONES AND HON. 11. ATMOEE WELLINGTON, Last Night. The deb:ite on the* Addrcss-in-Keply was resumed in the House by Mr D. .Jones, who said he hud boon unable to follow the Hon. E. A. Ransom's explanation of what had been done in relation to the automatic allocation of grants.' It constituted a very bad variation of the old system and he doubted if the Minister himself understood the present position. He said he sympathised with the Minister of Public Works in connection with the development of the pumice lands of Rotorua, asserting that Mr Ransom had expressed his intention to carry on this work until the Prime Minister had taken a stand in a diametrically opposite direction. As a consequence, Mr Ransom found himself with men on his hands when other works had been completed, and he was unable to use them as he had hoped. Mr Jones said there was a feeling of concern over the Government's scheme to take land for settlement. He claimed it had been stated as the Government's intention to offer to buy land for cash and in the event of refusal, to take the land and give in return not cash, but Governmentbonds, bearing interest at 44 per cent. Nerve Centre of North Island. In referring to the Palmerston North deviation work, Mr .Tones said the scheme had been described as a Paimerston North question. Tt was not; it was a question of the nerve centre of the whole of the North Island and a cessation of work would result in the continuance of the delay -of goods trucks, affecting the whole Island. There had been no statement placed in the hands of members of the House giving reasons why the work had been stopped, despite the fact that the Commission which had investigated the subject in the first place had unanimously reported in favour of the scheme. He contended that when the Government stopped the work on the Taupo line, it had destroyed the whole effect of the Bill which the Minister of Lands intended to introduce to absorb the unemployed by the development of Crown lands.

,The House adjourned at 5.30, and when it resumed at 7.30, Mr Jones, in continuing his speech .said Sir Joseph Ward had had the opportunity before 1911 to complete the South Island main trunk railway and the cost of material and wages then would have been very much less. If it were necessary today to build that lino, why had Sir Joseph Ward not taken the opportunity to do so years ago, as the need must also have existed then? Review of Railways Programme. However, the Reform party had never raised the question of the South Island extension alone. What it wanted was an investigation of the whole railway programme of the Dominion. He contended there was not the remotest chance of constructing the South Island railway without adding £1,000,000 to the taxation of the Dominion. If the United party embarked on a huge programme of railway construction, it was doing so against the voice of the people of the country. The United party did not have a majority; it was dependent on the Labour party for its remaining in office. Mr Jones contended that the Prime Minister knew, when he made the promise of cheap money, that certain loans were maturing. If the Government had not lifted the money it had from th local market, the rate of interest on mortgages would have been 5$ per cent. It was now six per cent and money lenders had informed him that the Prime Minister was the best friend they had ever had. The member said the statement of the Prime Minister that he could not borrow on the London market for two years .raised a very important question and he was glad the late Minister of Finance had asked for a reference to the subject *in the Budget. Reform, as a party, and the country had a right to know how the late government had made this commitment. Minister of Education's Vigorous Defence. Hon. H. Atmore said the farmers throughout the Dominion had carried unanimous votes in favour of his proposal to give education an agricultural bias which had been criticised by members of the Reform party. Turning to unemployment, he said there were a thousand more men on public works today than there were when the United parly took office. That, he considered, effectively answered the statements that the men wore being taken from public works and placed on relief work*. He further claimed thvt the wages of the men on public works contracts to-day were better llrn they were during the Reform administration. Returning to the subject of education, Mr Atmore said the impression must be removed fnvi Ihe minds of the vouiur people that they must, go to the towns to find employment requiring intellect. There never had been a time when the farming industry required so much experience and, in fact, scientific training. The tendency had been to rank j professional men first, then commercial l ni'-n. terdmic'il workers and artisans, i and lest of all farmers.. Tn a country dependent on its primary products the order shrr.iV) lie reversed so that farmers came first, then technical workers, commercial men and professional men. And until the idea was inculcated in j the minds of the pupils that there was ! an outlet on the land for the best, , brains in New Zealand so long would the numbers of our unemployed increase.

Mr. Atniorn produced ■> Holograph of what is known as the "Balloon loop." and stated the officials had been opposed to the construction of this line. The cost of 2 : f- lrdV-; of t 1 Tvirikopuni railway was £155,000. He also referred to the railways in the Whanearoi at a cost of over £41.000 a mile and asked a> r ain«t whom should then* be a charge of extravagance, in railw.a> constriction when it was remembered Pnh r *e Works estimate of the co<»t. of th<*. P rt "th Tslard'extension wan £27,000 per mile and the average cost of tho

South Island lines £IO,OOO per mile. Mr Atmore said no minister of the Government was dominated by departmental heads. Each minister would evolve his own policy and when it. was .approved by his colleagues, lie would

js c that it was carried out. He was there to represent the people and would iiitcrprot tlipir wishes. Ho was opposed to tho system of having three controlling boards in ono district. Ho was not against boards but lip did condemn tho wasteful expenditure occasioned by lack of unification of control. The present system of measuring the ability of pupils was not a fair one. A practical boy who perhans was not as successful academically as others should be given. his due share of credit. Creative abilitv had not been recognised as it should. T Vacation must consist of contact with things as well as with abstract affairs. The debate was adjourned on the notion of Mr Wright, and the House rose at 9.30.