IN PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 275, 20 October 1937, Page 2

IN PARLIAMENT

JOTTINGS FROM THE HOUSE. THE USE OF CREDIT. Mr It. A. Wright (Independent), in his speech in the Budget debate in the House of Representatives yesterday, commented that the member for Timaru, Rev. C. L. Carr, had stated that in the event of another depression the Government would use the public credit to tide the country over its difficulties. The only inference which could be drawn from that was that paper money would bo issued. If that was the Government’s intention then Mr Carr deserved credit for his frankness because it was the only definite statement yet given. HOUSING IN CONSTRUCTION. The Housing Construction Department, Mr J. A. Lee, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, stated had been in existence for under a year. Already it had acquired land in 52 towns, and was carrying out investigations for the purchase of land in 22 other towns. It had advertised in contracts 1743 houses for construction, and of these there were 1220 houses either built or in the course of construction in 30 different towns. The total number of men employed last week was- 1800, and in addition there were an additional 1800 people engaged in producing material. Under the whole scheme there were almost 4000 people gainfully employed in building assets. HIGH COSTS. “It is just as well to admit that high costs form part of the Government’s policy,” stated Mr Lee. “We hold that an increase in production should be reflected in an increased standard of living. For instance, the houses we are building to-day are capable of improvement, and they will certainly be improved. It may be possible for us before long to increase the size of the rooms. At the moment we cannot do that, hut we will do so as soon as possible.” “MAGNIFICENT SUCCESS.”

Criticism of references to the wheat industry which • were made by Mr S. G. Holland was voiced by Hon. D. G. Sullivan. “Our plan for wheat, flour and bread has proved a magnificent success, and I am perfectly sure that any of the parties to the plan—the growers, millers, or bakers—are quite willing to agree that the scheme is successful,” said the Minister.. “Probably it is the best scheme of its kind in the world.” TRANSPORT SERVICES.

“An improved passenger service will be made available between Wellington and Napier coincident with the taking over of the unopened portion of the railway line to Wairoa by the Railway Department,” said Mr Sullivan, in reply to an urgent question asked by Mr E. L. Cullen. Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates: When are you opening the line through to Wairoa?

Minister of Lands (Hon. F. Langstone) : Soon. GROWING UNDERSTANDING. Attacks made on private enterprise from time to time by “irresponsible members of the Government” were referred to by Mr Wright. The fundamental plank in the Government’s policy, of course, was the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange. “Everybody knows that now,” said Mr Wright. “Everybody is getting to understand it, but not everybody understood it at the last general election. The people are afraid that the Government will do all these things which Mr Sullivan tells us it has no intention of doing.” DIOCESAN MEASURE. Designed to extend the powers of the Wellington Diocesan Board of Trustees with reference to the investment of trust funds so as to empower it to amalgamate as one investment certain descriptions of securities, the Wellington Diocesan Board of Trustees (Church of England) Empowering Bill, introduced by Hon. Sir Charles Statham (Wellington), was read a second time in the Legislative Council yesterday. The Bill provides that if any parish, parochial or other district requests that the investments of the trust funds in which their parish or district is beneficially interested under a specific trust shall not be included in the amalgamation, then such investments shall not be included. INCIDENT ON SHIP.

The action of the crew of the Watchlin Line motor-ship Port Tauranga in walking off the ship at Tokomaru Bay and leaving her in imminent peril from the rising seas was refered to by' Mr J. Hargest in notice of a question addressed to the Minister of Marine (Hon. P- Fraser). Mr Hargest asked the Minister if he would take whatever steps were necessary to prevent a recurrence of an action that might result in the loss of a valuable ship. TAXING BILL PASSED.

The Land and Income Tax (Annual) Bill was received from the House of Representatives, put through all its stages, and passed without discussion in the Legislative Council yesterday. Moving the second reading the Leader of the Council, Hon. Mark Fagan, said that very early this session another Finance Bill would be brought down. He could not say at the moment whether it would be in the form of an amending Bill or a consolidating measure. It wquld make provision for a more adequate and more satisfactory - hardship clause. The measure would also make provision for the removal of certain anomalies that now obtained in the assessment of income tax.