THE MEMBER FOR PATEA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 10 March 1923, Page 2

THE MEMBER FOR PATEA.

in the same manner that the primary products are; and I say without fear , of contradiction that we must endeavour to get this country on to a dif- , rerent plane from what it is on at the present moment. In doing that it is necessary to put legislation on the statute-book which will assist in every possible manner to bring us to that goal. The problems confronting the country at 'the present moment are great, and there are eighty of us sent here from all over the Dominion —what for? To try and manage the affairs of the country. It so happens that the Government have not come back with the backing they expected, owing to their own fault. The Rt. Hon. Mr. Massey: Owing to vote-splitting. Mr. Corrigan: No, nothing of the sort, but owing to bad administration. It.is owing, no doubt, largely also to legislating for one class —and one class only—that the Government has been put in the minority it is in. Now, I would ask this House to try and get to work* and, if it is possible, form a stable j Government and carry on the business ■of the country. An Hon. Member-.. What do you suggest ? Mr. Corrigan: There is a mandate from the people. There is no doubt about that. It was given on December 7 and that mandate was this: "M.M.G." Do you understand it? The mandate was "Massey must go." The Rt. Hon. Mr. Massey: Corrigan can not stay. j Mr. Corrigan: Oh, can't I? I will stay, and I will do my best anyhow. : 1 have always been a stayer and a trier, and I will remain here. What j we want in this country is more pros' duction, more immigration, the conj tentment of th© workers, and a cheap j money scheme. If we could get that j result I have no doubt we*, would be able to pull" New Zealand back to what she ought to be. We are entering on a new era, and it is necessary to put legislation on the. statute-book which we would never have dreamt of in 1914. I maintain that the land policy we want. is this. We hear a lot of talk about the nationalisation of land. New Zealand has gone past that; it is imp9ssible to nationalise the land if ybu wished to; it has got to, too high a figure altogether; but I do say it is necessary that the land should carry the people if we want increased production. I maintain that what is necessary is to classify the lands of the country and make the land carry the people according to its classification. At the present moment we have three classes in our schedule. Any gentleman in; this House, who knows anything about farming and land knows that there are at least twenty different classes of land in this country, and a very limited area of the best land. The whole of our lands should be classified by. competent men—men brought up with experience of the land. The best land could easily carry two men to ■every 100 acres, and if that policy were carried out it would increase production, absorb immigrants, and would not have the unemployment in the towns that we hear so much about to-day. I think it is necessary to have a cheap money schenie, because there is no doubt that the financial institutions of the country are throttling the small primary producers.-It was necessary, no doubt, to put the moratorium on when the Government did, but I maintain that one of the grossest mistakes in the legislation of this House was made when the financial institutions were given, all the time they required, but no brake was put on them by saying: "We will give, you this legislationon condition that you do not let the interest rate go higher than 6 per cent." Had that been done, the primary producers of this country would have been; in a far better position, would have Tbeen able to employ more labour/ carry on, and increase production. What has happened ? I can assure you, sir, that there are primary producers in my district just hanging an, notwithstanding the fact that produce is bringing better prices. They cannot make a do *of it owing to the inflated price of land and the high rate of interest.: Anyone knows that while we have money at 7 and 7| per cent, as at present, land that would fetch, with money at 5 per cent., £60 an acre is hot worth more than £40. Therefore it cuts both ways—the deflation 'in values is affected to a great extent by the high rate of interest that is charged. I hope that whatever Government is in power will take that into serious consideration and try to put measures on our statute-book to assist the primary producers. Another problem that we want to solve is that of native land. • For years it has been desired to put this matter upon a good tooting, but at the rate, at; which the Native Land Court is dealing .with the lands problem it is not likely to be put right until the 25th century. What I suggest is that the native lands of the country that, are fit for production should be purchased; and the money be invested for the vendors. Then the Native Land Court could complete the investigation of titles at its own sweet Avill, and when the titles are individualised the Government could pay over the money., Under such a system the land could be opened, for selection and be made reproductive in a very short time. Unless something of the kind is done we shall not see the native lands settled in our.lifetime. With regard to banking,' the_ Prime Minister has boasted many times that we get a lot out of the Bank of New Zealand, and that wt, own one-third of the bank. I maintain that the sooner we own the whole bank, as a State bank, the better.- I do not advocate confiscation. We should pay all that it is worth, but not an extravagant price. Let the price be paid in debentures, and let the bank when purchased be used for the commercial business of the country. The profits arising out of the bank could be paid into the Consolidated Fund to relieve the taxation. The Prime Minister says that he gets something like £500,----000 a year out of the Bank of New Zealand. The Rt. Hon. Mr. -Massey: Over £600,000. . * * 1 Mr. Corrigan:. So much the better for :my argument. . But does the right . honourable gentleman think where that | money comes from ? It has to be earned j from the primary producers of the ; country, or a great part of it has. j The Rt. Hon. Mr. Massey: Do you I know that . a |arge part of if is not earned in New Zealand at all?" I Mr. Corrigan: Well, wherever it is earned, why should: not the State have it, instead.of the shareholders The State guarantees the currency of this country. It was necessary, when the war broke out, that Parliament should guarantee the currency of every bank, operating in the country. But while the people of New Zealand are guaranteeing the currency of the banks, the banks are exploiting the people all the time. I would like to correct a statement made by the'""Prime Minister with regard to finance. The right honour-

able gentleman said that the rate of interest is 6* per cent. If that, is so, it is since last Monday. The Right Hon. Mr Massey: It is &. per cent, on good terms, but more than that on inferior accounts. Mr Corrigan: Well, I haopen to be the chairman of three different companies, all of which are good accounts. I-have my "own private account, and there is not one of those that is under 7 per cent., while some are 7 J per cent. There is another account of which I am guarantor—that»of a farmer who has 208 acres. He has sixty cows, machinery, and everything, and his limit from the bank is £3500. He owes them £3000. and the pre-war price of his land was £40 an acre. His liability to the bank is his only encumbrance, and he tried to get the interest on his overdraft reduced from 7\ per cent, to 6A per cent., but they would only bring it down to 7 ncr cent. He told me that as recently* as last Sunday. If the Prime Minister stays on the Treasury benches I hope he will do his utmost to have these things remedied. There was never a time in the history of New Zealand when cheap money was wanted to assist the primary producers as much as it is wanted today. According to figures given by the honourable member for Wairarapa last night. 93 per cent, of the revenue of the country is derived from the primary industries. Then it is the primary producer who must be looked after, if the country is to be kept going. This should be of interest to the members of the Labour Party, if they will listen to it. If 93 per cent. of the revenue of the country is derived from the primary products, then surely the primary products are entitled to more representation in this Chamber than they have at' the present time. When one looks round one can see that they are not very well represented. They j;r« criticised a great deal aa being the men who own the wealth of the country, and it is claimed that they are exploiting the labouring people; but I maintain that it is not the primary producer who is exploiting the working classes —it is the monopolist. As _ regards immigration, it must be patent to any reasonable man, if he thinks the position out,, that we require more population to increase production, and also to help to carry the load of taxation. Whichever Government is in power, I. would like to set them attract as large a population here as possible, and arrange to have the immigrants properly absorbed in employment. With regard1 to Nauru phosphates, when the Prime Minister returned .to New Zealand he came back with a flourish of trumpets, boasting of what a good stroke he had done lor the primary producers,- and the wonderful deal he had made regarding the im-; portation of Nauru phosphates. We were told at that time that we were going to get the phosphates at £3 per ton, but I. can assuve the Prime Minister that the lowest price fox-which .I can get the phosphates is £7 10s a ton," and the price is more often £8. Who is making the money out of the primary producers in connection with these phosphatep ? There is no doubt that it is the manure pionopolists of the Dominion. It is the Government's duty ,-to see that the primary, producers of the country get the benefit of cheap phosphates, and not the monopolistic class, who are exploiting the primary producers at the present time. As to the Dairy Control Bill, it was necessary last year tc- cry and get legislation on the lines of the Meat Control Act. I happen to know a good deal about the matter, because I was on the executive of the Dominion Dairy Council which was appointed to wait on the Prime Minister to see if it was possible to get the dairy farmers similar legislation to that given to the meat; producers. We waited on tne Prime Minister, who .never seemed to me to be sympathetic . from the commencement of tha business. We asked him toi. give the dairy farmers the same legislation that he had given to the meat producers, and he said, ' T will, pro^ vided you cut out the financial backing clause." I said, ' 'You have given it to the meat producers 7 why riot the dairy farmers ?" • He' turned to a gentleman in the room—-I think he was a member of the Public Service or a financial adviser—J^*d said, "Do you think we can get legislation through this session for the dairy farmers on. the same lines as the meat producers, with a financial backing clause?*" and the gentleman said, ''You have not the slightest chance." I threw the bait to him. I realise, and have realised lor some time, that the financial institutions of the country have been driving the Government to a certain extent. I said to the Prime Minister, "I suppose we can get our finance from the associated banks?" and he said, "Yes, I think that can be done." .The executive reported to the Council, and that afternoon the matter was debated for over two hours as to whether we should strike; out the financial backing clause, and ultimately it was decided by thirteen votes to eleven to delete it, to help to facilitate the, passage of the Bill. Mr Masters: They .wanted Government finance. Mr Corrigan: Yes; but it was refused from the word "Go." I wish/to be fair to the Minister of Agriculture. I think he was sincere in trying to get the legislation through, but he was overruled by other members of the Cabinet —the Prime Minister in particular—because he promised me he would make it a Government measure. The Reform Party was in power—it had a majority of eight or nine—and the "Prime Minister, on the floor of the House, raror he thought, as there were six to one of the producers, who wanted the legislation, it was a fair thing to give it to them. I -maintain that if he had desired that legislation he could have got it. But. no..'; and that is one of the reasons why the: Government has come back with a minority vote. The Hon. Mr Nosworty: You are quite unfair-to "the PrimeMinister,-be-cause he did all. he could; and it was only when the Bill, was held up at the end* of the session that it. was blocked. Mr. Corrigan: I said this: the Prime Minister was in charge of the House; he had a majority, and if he ; had 'been sympathetic to the dairy, producers he would have given them the legislation, because he had the power to do ' it, even if it had taken a week to put it through.- -An-industry that is worth £19,000,000 of -pioney to this country —surely it was worth a few days' extra, sitting. The Hon. Mr. Nosworthy: Will you help to put it through next session? Mr. Corrigan: Certainly. An Hon, Member: Not on these lines: Mr. Corrigan: On the lines we asked for; .on lines similar to' those adopted for the meat producers. I shall be pleased t-o do my best to.' help :__. the Minister of Agriculture if he is still on those benches, but I take: it he means to put it through, and not to be made-to drop it by. men who are interested in the dairying industry not as producers but as exploiters 7. Those gentlemen were> in Wellington as thick

as bees during the week we were tak- | mg evidence, and I feel certain it was their influence that caused the Prime Minister not to get the Bill through. I hope we shafl not have that experi-' ence again, but that the measure will •be put through in the best interest of the producers of the country. I do not want to detain the House long, but I should like to say that our indebtedness has increased to such an extent that the burden cannot be borne unless production is increased and the producers protected in some way. We cannot expect our primary products to keep up in price or the seasons to continue as favourable as they have been during the last two or three years, and must try to do something in the way of increasing production, and I hope whatever Government may be in power will keep that in sight. Another thing we shall have to try to do is to get our freights to the Home country lower than they have been for the last few years. There is no doubt we have been exploited .so far as freights are concerned. The shipping monopolies', like other monopolies, think the producers of the country are fair game to exploit, and are doing it, and I feel certain that unless something is-done we are not going to have the production of wealth in this country that is necessary. I heard one honourable gentlema n on the Reform benches remark yesterday that we were "round the corner," but any man who thinks that we are round the corner in this slump is making a mistake. We are not round it; we are coming up to it. There are deflations that will have to come about which' will be of a crushing nature. Land. values must come •down, and that will have the effect of creating the slump again. Then stock is going up in price in an unwarranted •way. Sheep have taken a jump, and their prices are higher than they should be, and deflation will be sure to come again. Those things require to be watched, and whatever Government is in power it is\the duty of the Government to try and stabilise the industries of this country as much ;as possible. I would now like to refer to the sectarian question .which has been raised by the honourable member for Roskill, w*bom I am sorry is not now 3 in his seat, because I intend to try and •Correct \dm> There is no idoubt that in my opinion, the existence of the. P.P.A. is not in the best interests of this country. 7 An .Hon. Member;: What about the CatholicJ Federation? Mr. ' Corrigssn: Two wrongs do not make a right. feel sur§^that jf some of the honourable members in this House had seen the exhibition I saw in Belfast in 1912 they would never dare to father any association like the Protest a-rit Political Association. I witnessed the riots in Harland and Wolff's shipyards brought about by sectarianism, and.! hone never again to see such sights. If the gentlemen vvho support the Protestant Political Association had witnessed' what I saw on that occasion I am sure they would never think of taking part in any sectarian strife iii this country. If such a condition arises in this country as occurred in Belfast we will see one set of people.of one line of thoughtigoing down • the street; shooting those of another faith. I am a Protestant, and my people were Protestants before me, but I hold no brief against any religion. I contend that 98 per cent of us are what we are born, and if a; man has been born a Roman Catholic why should he be jibed at. The question •of rehgion is sacred to-the individual himself, and no one has a. right to question him.- If the Catholic Federation or any other religious organisation is doing anything to the detriment of •this country then it is the duty of the Government to put it down. I hope we have heard* the. last of the Protestant Political Association and the men who are . responsible for bringing the association into being in New Zealand! Now Mr.ySpeaker, I have criticised what the \Reform Administration has done since they have been in 3 office, and^ now I intend to give ■ them a little credit, yhere are three' records they h*ve «stablishedv They have been in office for ten years. They have 7 pointed more Royal Commißsibns than alLthe previous Ck>yerinn«htsj;; vand 71 fail to find ~ where they 3 bay* giv«a efteet to^Miy one osi tJw? Teconimenaations. They have set up a eommissibn when - any y important business H_ brought forward, and they have increased the: national debt, outside" of the cost of. the war, by £53>000,0b0. lhey have had ten of the most prbsperousv years for revenue , production that (the country has ever kpown; The Hon. Mr. Nosworthy: And a big national debt increasing alongside of it Mr. That is another record they haye :put.• up. they Thave also had more strikes and industrial unrest during/their ten years of office than other Government that has ever been m power. .That is another record. Those are three records that any Government should net be proud of. I give the Reform Government all whe credit they are entitled to for these feats. I thank honourable members for the attention they have paid to my. remarks: ■~ - -