PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 236, 4 September 1929, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS.

MOEE SPEECHES ON THE BUDGET.

Yesterday was a quiet day in the House of Representatives. The debate on the Financial Statement was continued the speakers including Hon. T. M. Wilford, Minister in charge of War Pensions, who stated that a commission would be appointed to endeavour to deal with the task of finding employment for those partially disabled soldiers receiving economic pensions.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

MILITARY SERVICE EXEMPTION,

► Per Press Association. i WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. k The Legislative Council met at 2.30 7 p.m. to-day. k Sir James Allen moved that, in the 7 opinion of the Council, in view of the agitation for exemption from military service and training on account of conscientious objections, and as the law makes provision for objectors only on account of religious beliefs, the Government should take into consideration the present position of the law and determine whether an amendment of the law is necessary to include conscientious objectors; and further that in dealing with the question of alternative service, consideration should be given to training for first aid, ambulance and stretclier bearer work. Sir James Allen contended that conscientious objectors could not rightly object to a military training syllabus consisting of instruction calculated to train territorials to be good citizens. Certain exemptions were being allowed on account of conscience, and he thought this would make it difficult for the Government to make provision for alternative service. There were those who sought to come within the pillars of the Church such as clergymen refusing to do either military or alterna- , tive service. If they refused to do j service as pastors in camps or in the , field, they were not the type of men \ who were giving service in the best 1 interests of the Dominion.

Hon. W. Earnshaw contended that the only exemption from military service should be on the ground of military unfitness. Sir Thomas Mackenzie also supported the motion, arguing that parsons and priesto should be leaders in the movement of defence. The Leader of the Council (Hon. T. Tv. Sidey) said that alternative forms of service were at present being considered by the Government, which would welcome helpful suggestions. The motion was carried.

SUMMER TIME BILL. The Summer Time Bill and the Law Practitioners Amendment (Solicitors' I Fidelity Guarantee Fund) Bill were put through the final stages and passed, the latter with minor alterations. The Education Amendment Bill (Hon. G. M. Thomson) proposing a system of religious instruction in schools was referred to the education commit- : tee for evidence to be taken.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. FINANCIAL STATEMENT DEBATE. In the House of Representatives the debate on the Financial Statement was resumed by Mr A. M. Samuel (Thames), who insisted that the increaes in the primage duty would bo passed on by the importer to the retailer, and by the latter to the consumer, and in each case it would be I added plus charges. He urged increas- | ing the duty on foreign motor cars and I cinematograph films as a means of raising the additional revenue. He stated that these two items alone could provide -another £400,000. .In Australia the tax on United States films was 3d per foot while in New Zealand it was only Id per foot. He could not see why it should not be raised at any rate to 2d per foot. He alleged that the public works of the country were being converted into relief works, and he asserted that men in the Public Works, Lands and Post and Telegraph Departments were being dismissed and placed on other works. He advocated a policy of roading and metalling in conjunction with land settlement as a means of solving the unemployment problem. LAND TAX PROPOSALS. Mr T. W. McDonald (Wairarapa) said that the first object of the land tax proposals was to yield revenue and the second was to break up the big, estates in order that people who were land hungry would have an opportunity of taking up laud. The big landowners of the country had for many : years been escaping their just share of ' taxation. Thsjt was the outcome of '

Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central expressed his disappointment that th unemployment insurance legislation wa to be held over till next session. How ever he was glad that such legislatioi was being considered by the Govern ment. There had been an increasinj demand for this and other social ser vices, and he hoped the Budget’s refer ence to the stabilising of the socia services of the State did not contaii tho meaning that seemed most appar ent. If the United Party did not in tend to introduce improvements in tiii; direction the door of hope was closet and disappointment faced those whe had hoped for much as a result of the displacement of Reform from the Treasury benches- Mr Fraser reviewed the references to the London loan transactions and stated that so far as he could ascertain there was absolutely nothing on tho file or in the circumstances which showed that Sir Joseph Ward had been compelled to act as he had. He had had freedom of choice and he had acted wisely. Any other 'ncoining Finance Minister would have followed tho same course. He would not have dared to have rejected the advice of those most intimately in touch with the London money market. It was undoubtedly the state of the money market—and nobody in tho House of Representatives or in this country could control the money mar-

the policy of the Reform Party which had taken taxation off the shoulders of the big man and placed it on the small man. Mr McDonald quoted figures at some length in support of his contention. He refutod the suggestion that the proposed land tax was a penal tax, and asked if the land tax of the Reform Government when applied was not a penal tax in that it was aimed at breaking up the large estates. The United Government was determined to make the big man pay and they had the right man at the head of affairs to do tho job. Sir Joseph Ward was the only man he knew who could or would tackle the job and see to it that the big landowners paid up. Mr McDonald said, lie agreed that there should be a modification of the mortgage exemption proposals in the Budget and ho had worked out a system which lie thought would be more equitable. Under the scheme he suggested there should be complete exemption up to £SOOO, and above that sum and up to £IO,OOO the proportion to be exempted should be based on the ratio of unimproved value to the capital value of the land. Exemption should be allowed only on that portion that had relation to land tax, and under the scale he had worked out it would entirely disappear at £14,000.

TESTIMONY TO REFORM. U. Holland (Christchurch North) said that the farmers of North Canterbury had urged him to use ’ all the means in his power to oppose what they described as the “iniquitous” land taxation proposals. Mr Holland went on to analyse the Budget which he said bore wonderful testimony to the benefits of the Reform Administration. He expressed regret that no provision bad been made for reducing the defence vote. He was sure many members would agree with him that in • this respect the country was not get--ing value for its money. A good system of physical training would in his j minion be much more satisfactory, training in the territorial forces had ■ ieen found to be of no use and someimes a hindrance when men had gone : nto camp during the war. Mr Hoi- , and congratulated the Government on ts decision to complete the South Isand Main Trunk railway. Many of , he arguments which were being ad- j aiiced against the completion of this s ailway hud been used to oppose the . irthur’s Pass tunnel which he said had } lrendy more than justified its com-j, 'letion. Mr Holland referred to ! c

superannuation and suggested that , j, members of the police force did not i „ | fare well under the present scheme. K The average policeman’s duties wcre! t ] arduous and it might reasonably be ' urged that members of the force should be entitled to superannuation „ after 35 instead of 40 years’ service. : * Hon. T. M. Wilford interjected: “The new bill has been partly drafted already.” L SOCIAL SERVICES. | c:

ket in London—that had compelled him to select the course he had adopted. Mr Fraser added that, having raised the money as lie had promised, Sir Joseph Ward was now expected to carry out the rest of his promises. There was no excuse for his not doing so. He would not be blamed for not achieving everything at once, but the country was looking for some signs of progress. Mr Fraser appealed for an overhaul of the whole defence system. He objected to the proposal to increase the defence vote and described this as ‘‘unnecessary expenditure on ah obsolete machine.” In conclusion he asked the Prime Minister to reconsider the increase in the primage tax and stated that lie personally preferred an increase in the ordinary Customs duty or in income taxation. He could not see how the increase in the land tax could destroy land values. The Labour Party would help the Government to put the land taxation through and it hoped that the Prime Minister would meet it in regard to the primage duty, or that at least he would modify it to the extent of removing it from the necessities of life.

WORK FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS Hon. T. M. Wilford said that ai Minister in charge of War Pensions he desired to thank Mr Waite for his speech on the subject that was not onlj helpful to the House, but also helpful to the returned soldiers. It was the Government’s intention to try to tic away with economic pensions by providing avenues by which men wfio did not receive the whole pension might relieve themselves of the need of the economic pension and perhaps earn a little more. _ They would then achieve fresh hope in life as a result of the prospect of being able to do something. It was generally acknowledged that men with nothing more to do than draw pensions deteriorated. The cost of economic pensions in this country was £BO,OOO to £90,000 per year, and this was for men who did not suffer total disability, but had to he helped that they might live. It had been urged that a commission should he appointed to deal with this problem and lie was now in a position to announce, on behalf of the Government, that such a body would be set up to consist of one magistrate to be appointed by himself (Mr Wilford), and two representatives, one to lie appointed by the War Funds Council and the Red Cross and the other by the Returned Soldiers’ Association and the Canteen Funds Board. The commission would he entrusted with the task of endeavouring to find employment for these partially disabled soldiers receiving economic pensions. As soon as the order of reference had been agreed upon the commission would immediately function and lie hoped this would be achieved in a month’s time. The funds at present in the hands of the Red Cross, War Funds Council and the Canteen Fund would be considered in relation to the means of providing employment. He did .not wish to create the impression that the commission was to be set up to relieve the Government from its responsibility in this matter. Everything saved would be considered in respect to other claims in the way of pensions. The present restrictions in respect to the children of the blind' men of the forces who are in receipt incomes from other sources should ie removed and it was intended (o grapple with the problem of attributajility. In this respect lie believed many liffieulties could be solved bv bringing n the family doctor. He had been as° ;omshed that 59 per cent, of the appeals had been successful when the de:isions of the War Pensions Board in egard to attributability had been taken o a higher court, but on investigation if the matter he had found that the . xplanation was that in most eases a ;ood deal of fresh evidence had been - irodnccd. It seemed that sufficient ifi'ort was not always exerted when ■ ases were brought before the War 1 ’ensions Board.

I Mr Wilfred stated that the Government had given serious consideration to the problem of unemployment and when the Land Laws Amendment Bill came before the House—and this would he very soon—it would he seen that it had prepared a course of action that gave promise of at least 'effecting a substantial improvement.

RAILWAY LINES. Mr W. H. Field (Otaki) stated that he had opposed the Palmerston North deviation in the first place, but he had not received sufficient support and it had been decided to undertake the work. It was therefore a matter of great gratification to him that the present Government had decided to discontinue the work even though a large sum of money had already been spent. In his opinion the deviation should be from Levin to Greatford. This would save one hour on the journey and would open farm land in tho vicinity. The route from Levin via Foxton to Greatford would he 32J miles compared with 511 miles by the present route via Palmerston North. Mr Field suggested that the completion of the South Island Main Trunk railway might very well be delayed till the finances of the

country were in a more satisfactory state, and he complimented the Prime Minister on his decision to have the route of the Midland line thoroughly resurveyed in view of the recent earthquake. He hoped that the liotoruaTaupo railway had not been permanently abandoned. He had great faith in the pumice land and he thought the Government might look more favourably on the proposition when the financial outlook was brighter. Ho agreed that, in view of the present transport conditions, serious consideration should be given to the question whether it was advisable to construct any more railways though he considered the linking of New Plymouth with the Main Trunk line was a task which should bo undertaken. He expressed the hope that the taxation proposals would be remodelled. At any rate they should bo substantially amended. They would have a serious effect in cases not only of heavily mortgaged land, but also of heavily overvalued land. The House rose at 10.30 p.m. '