WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1929, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

UNEMPLOYMENT BELIEF. WORK FOR WILLING HANDS. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 2. The statement. made by the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives yesterday to the effect that the Government is prepared to find work forthwith for all willing hands has occasioned quite a stir in the city. That Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues were giving close attention to the hiem of unemployment was well known everywhere, but that they would find a solution of the problem so soon was expected scarcely by anyone. When the statement, was made in the House, Labour wanted to know the character of the employment , prepared :yid Reform suggested in advance .tliat the work would not be suited to the needs of many of the unemployed; but Sir Joseph was quite cheerful in his assurance that provision would be made for the needs and the conditions of all classes of lands. Registration is a necessary provision towards relief, but no objection is likely to be raised to this formality. The scheme is designed to give every willing worker his chance. . HOW LONG. In the House last, night Sir Joseph Ward again reminded members that time was passing and . that already' he had abandoned all hope of .bringing the prorogation about, , before the end of October. “ You can make it six months if you like,” Sir Joseph responded to •in interjection from the other side o' tire House, “ but there is no need for such a length of time. If we get th • Estimates out of the road, without unnecessary delay, we shall be able to regulate bur work accordingly anti bring the session to a close by the erfd of the present month.” Mr Coates, leader of the Opposition endorsW the Prime Minister’s .view generally; but he thought it impossible to put the Estimates through .Onnder the new Standing. Orders '.without depriving members of some of their rights. Mr Holland, the leader of the Labour Party, also feared that the new Standing Orders were in peril, and on the suggestion- of < Sir .Joseph it was agreed that the three leaders should confer on the matter.,.*,.,, , THE ROTOJRDA-TAUPO RAILWAY. In giving, .evidence yesterday before the Parliamentary Committee set up to inquire ipto.l the Rotorua-Taupo railway prodo?jal, Mr Michael Galvin, one ,of the field .inspectors of .the Land and,. .Survey. Department, offered- .-little. p.mcouragemenfcufor the-prosecution - of the line, which,'it will be remembered,- was the subject-of some warm discuss,ipn :during ike early days df the present session* of/Parliament. During the last two .or three years, IMr Galvin said in effect;* he h'ad made a - study of the Taupo •la'nd l si f the railway was intended to serve ; ■ but he eould see in these lands no justification for the railway. “If A block were taken up by the Government and a number of unemployed farmers placed on the block under careful supervision,” he was asked by a member of the Committee, “ would the farmers have a chance of making their holding pay? ” “It is problematical,” the inspector replied. “The - unimproved value of the Taupo land is a liability.” There the prospects df "the railway seem to stand. THE DEFICIT AGAIN; The “ Dominion ” finds in a paragraph appearing in the annual report of the Controller and Auditor-General abundant solace for the deficit of £577,252 appearing'in the'Budget this year 'as a legacy- from the Reform Party. “It is of 1 interest to note,” it quotes the - Auditor-General as saying, “ that had the Post Office transactions not been separated from the Consolidated Fund 'as from April 1, 1928, the deficit shown in the Public Accounts for year 1928-29 would have been reduced by approximately half a million, as the Post Office figures at present available indicate that the Post Office, net receipts for the year exceeded by approximately that amount the sums paid to the Consolidated Fund as interest on Post and Telegraph capital liability and. Post Office, Savings Bank profits for the year.” Just so. Of course if there had been no deficit there would have been np deficit, and Sir Joseph Ward would have had no excuse for increasing the land tax and doubling the primage dyty.