PARLIAMENT

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 23 June 1923, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

HODSE OF BEPEESENTATIVBS.

ADDiIESS-Ift-REPLY DEBATE. (BY TELEGRAPH—MUMS ASSOCIATION ) Th* d l J VELLINGTON, June 22. Ihe debate on the Acldress-in-Reph was resumed an the House to-day * ,t w, A- dC Ja (Awarua) stressed the need for better treatment of mvabd soldiers in the matter of Pensions He quoted tha TaSTof » nurse who for three years with P* ever parking sick. Since the war" tut iti sutiere. d rheumatism as a result of her service, but because she had not reported sick during that time she was raw precluded from the pension benefits He thought the Prime Minister of the day, whoever he might be should represent New Zealand at the impenal Conference. Mr. F. F. HockJy (Rotorua) said no Government had ever done so much for the backblock settler as the present administration. He denied that there had been any aggregation of land detrimental to tue country's interests Regardmg the Imperial Conference, the -Prime Minister should represent New ' «S Z% b"* th« pre™«r'a hands should ! not be tied by Parliament; in fact, no i man worth his salt -would undertake the representation of the Dominion at j such a conference unless his hands were ! tree. He honed the Prime Minister < would introduce a Land Bill, including ! a provision giving men on national en- • downment lands the option of securing ! the freehold. ° ; . Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki), speak- : ing regarding the King Country lands, said he favoured settling this question but not m such a manner as would Tt il the natives landless. There should, however, be more attention paid to encouraging natives to farm their own lands. They needed financial assistance and expert advice, and given these aids the Maori would make as good a farmer as the pakeha. The' speaker then proceeded to discuss the administration of soldiers' pensions, quoting cases in which he contended men were wrongly deprived of their pensions. He did not blame the Commissioner of Pensions, but there was something wrong with the pensions scheme, because unless a soldier had someone behind him to press his case his claim did not receive the attention it deserved. Sir John Luke (Wellington. North) said that in view of the more extensive cultivation which was to come about in New Zealand he favoured the finding of wider markets for our r»reduce, and to stimulate greater cultivation he advocated the introduction of an agricultural population. He also advocated the establishment of high level crossings on our railways. The rost would no doubt be great, but the toll of life taken every year more than warranted this expenditure. Mr. F. Lye (Waikato) accused the Government of red tape and inefficiency, in support of which he enumerated a series of disabilities under which the back-block settlers laboured. No Minister for Education had had lar^r votes at his disposal than the present Minister, but they had not been administered justly. Large sums had been spent in towns, while in the hack-blocks children were being taught in buildings worse • than many town fowlhouses. The debate was adjourn**'!, and the House rose at 11.30 p.m. till 7.30 p.m. ;on Monday. , •