PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 257, 27 September 1935, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

TO-DAY’S SITTING. FINANCIAL DEBATE RESUMED. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 27. The House met at 10.30 a.m. Mr J. A. Lee was granted, one day’s leave of absence on account of illness in the family, and Mr W. J. Jordan four days on account of'urgent public business. • The Christchurch District Drainage Amendment Bill (Mr E. J. Howard; and the Eeatherstin County Water Race Districts Validation Bill were read the first time and referred to the Local Bills Committee., GOVERNMENT APPLAUDED. The financial debate was resumed by Hon. A. D. McLeod, who said that as far as lie was able to judge none of the speakers had attacked the Budget as a Budget. Most of the Opposition speakers had dealt with the monetary system, and he thought the people of New Zealand “preferred the devil they know to the devil they don’t know.” He congratulated the Minister of Finance and the Government on the actions taken to meet the depression and on the success of those actions. Local body securities were higher today than they had been since the depression. He knew the country was crying out for taxation reduction, and he thought that was necessary, but the more important thing about the Budget was the carrying out of the promises to the electors. Mr Howard had asked who had asked for the Reserve Bank. Mr McLeod said it was the borrowings of the past that had made nocessary the Reserve Bank, and he had never known the Labour Party to oppose borrowing. IMPORTS FROM AUSTRALIA. Mr McLeod said he thought the Government should take some drastic action to check imports from Australia. He said that in 1934 New Zealand took 10.33 per cent, of her imports from Australia,' and he thought that, as Britain was New Zealand’s best customer, New Zealand should do as much trade with Britain as possible. Only in two years in the last ten years had Australia taken more than 2 per cent, of New Zealand’s exports. He did not think the Australian people and the Australian Government had played the game as far as New Zealand was concerned. CHURCH AND WAR.

Mr McLeod said that, as a Presbyterian, it almost made his blood boil to see that three members of the Presbyterian clergy had signed a letter to the Prime Minister regarding war. He was sure that did not represent the opinion of 1 per cent, of the Presbyterians of New Zealand. He had never imagined that a Presbyterian would get down to the position that he was •not prepared to fight for women and children. Even the lowest animal would put up a fight for its young. If war were declared —and God forbid that it should be —he was certain the great bulk of the young people of New Zealand would .fight for their country. EX-MINISTER’S SPEECH, r Mr J. W.' Munro criticised Mr W. Downie Stewart’s speech at Dunedin. He said Mr Downie Stewart had got leave from the House on the ground of urgent public business and lie had used it to make an attack on the, Government. He said Mr Downie Stewart had urged the need for Cabinet reconstruction, and he wondered if Mr Downie Stewart had the same instinct that impelled rats to leave a sinking ship and that history would repeat itself, and that after the next election Mr Downie Stewart would be Prime Minister of New Zealand. He hoped not. __