Budget Debate Continued

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 214, 7 September 1934, Page 7

Budget Debate Continued

Reserve Police Force Proposal Criticised UNIVERSITIES AND SOCIALISM Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m. the Financial Debate was resumed. Mr. F. W. Schramm said the police should bo a properly trained body. If they called on reserve police in times of emergency, trouble would result. If more police were necessary, the regular force should be strengthened. For the sake of peace, order and tranquility, the Government should appoint any extra men desired to the regular force. Ho did not think there was anything sinister in the Minister’s proposal, but lie thought the Minister was wrongly advised. If additional regular police cost a few thousands, it would be money well spent. He stressed the need for an amendment to the Workers’ Compensation Act, especially as it applied to relief workers, and he hoped that an amending Bill would be passed during the present session. Mr. A. D. McLeod said that the consumption of butter per head to-day was higher than it had ever been in the history of New Zealand and was the highest in the -world. If more butter were consumed, tho troubles of the dairy farmer would be greatly reduced. The Labour Tarty had not fulfilled tho duty of the Opposition; there had been minor criticisms, but the debate had been more like the Addrcss-in-Replv debate. He proceeded to criticise Labcam’s policy. It had been said that tho Meat Board was responsible for stopping the export of certain classes of meat and that tho Homo authorities had not asked for it.. He was in a position, as was the Prime Minister, to deny that the Home authorities had said that New Zealand had exceeded its quota under the Ottawa Agreement. Some Signs of Grace. Mr. W. E. Barnard found in the Budget some signs of grace in the midst of much original political sin. The Minister for Finance had shown considerable ability in covering up the bill, which the country must face some day, resulting from tho raising of the exchange. The country now realised that the people themselves would have to bear that burden. The Government had up to a point acted according to the financial policy of the Labour Party. Air. Barnard said the establishment of a mortgage corporation would be opposed by the Labour side of the House and, ho hoped, by other members also. Referring to the small farms scheme, he doubted if any member would advise a man to take up farming under the.present conditions. lie contrasted the increased provision made for defence with tho provision or lack of provision for the unemployed. Labour would definitely oppose an increase in the defence vote until better provision was made for the unemployed. He contended that the House was entitled to fuller information regarding the increase in the defence vote. He said the Government should havo made an effort to increase miners’, widows’ and soldiers’ pensions and family allowances, as well as increasing the wages of civil servants, Hawke’s Bay Rehabilitation, H» referred to earthquake rehabilitation loans and asked why the Government had reduced tho rates of interest on other loans but not on those loans. The visitor to Napier was faced with a new, prosperous-looking city, but the prosperity was an illusion and the business people were drifting to bankruptcy. Ho considered the people of Hawke’s Bay had had a raw deal regarding earthquake rehabilitation, and said the consideration given did not rise to the level of generosity and fell below the level of justice. Air. S. G. Smith said that complaints of lack of Government sympathy came frequently from Napier, but not from Hastings. He doubted if Air. Barnard was not doing his city a disservice in saying that business-men there were on the verge of bankruptcy. Referring to statements that the country was frothing for an election, Air. Smith said that over 830,000 people were entitled to vote in New Zealand; yet only 54,000 had signed the petition which was recently presented to tho Governor-General. The leader of the Opposition had said that wage-cuts were responsible for putting £OO,OOO out of circulation, but the fact was that the £90,000 never came in. He defended the proposal to establish a reserve police force. There were some people in New Zealand who ought to have tho right of free speech taken away. He said that last year the Government had spent £34,0(10 on universities in New Zealand, while endowments brought the figure to £04,000; yet agnosticism, atheism and revolutionary Socialism were the chief pro duets coming from some of those universities. It had been said that 20,000 pupils were leaving the schools each year with nowhere to go, but that was not correct. Ho quoted figures front the Education Department’s report to show the destination of the boys leaving schools. He contended that tho Unemployment Board had come through its terrible ordeal with a great deal of credit to itself. The House adjourned at midnight.