OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 151, 29 June 1938, Page 6

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

(Continued from rage 5 ) Government and will be laid on the table of the House. Health and Welfare of the Community. My Ministers propose to introduce a bill injuring the people of this Dominion against the contingencies arising from unemployment, sickness, incapacity, invalidity, widowhood, orphanhood, old age or other exceptional conditions by the provision of benefits to compensate them, so far as possible, for the loss of livelihood thereby occasioned. My Ministers also propose to institute a ’system whereby the advantages of medical, surgical, nursing and hospital treatment will be made available to all persons in need of such treatment and further to provide such other facilities n> may bu necessary to maintain and promote the health and general welfare of the community. My Ministers, in promoting this legislation, aim at utilizing the increased powers of production that have become available to give security to every worthy citizen c* this country, irrespective of age or sex. They believe that the proposals ill be greatly in advance of similar legislatiou in any other part of the world and that this measure with the legislation already passed by my Government will undoubtedly place the Dominion again in the van of progressive countries, and assnre to New Zealand the leadership of the world in liumanitariau and social legislation. Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Members of the Houso of Representatives

Realizing that the welfare of the Dominion is in fact tho sum total of the welfare of the individual citizens, my Ministers regard the provision of employment as a most important element in the country's prosperity. The number of persons now in remunerative employment is, according to the Jutest statistics, the highest ever recorded and the number of persons unemployed is now lower than was normal in the years before the depression. During the pust year a comprehensive and progressive policy of public works has been undertaken and particular attention has been devoted to tho Dominion’s I'nes of communication by road and rail and to the development of aerodromes and gratifying results have ?'ven obtained from the use of modern construction machinery, the cost of works having by this means been very materially reduced. The continuation of an energetic programme of public works is proposed for tho current year. Further development of irrigation and river control and land erosion works, the elimination of dangerous reilway crossings and an extension of settlement and roading to provide improved transport facilities for the farming community, will also be features of the public works to be undertaken. The carrying out of these accessary and desirable public works combined with the policy which my Ministers have pursued of encouraging the establishment and development of such local industries ;us can be justified economically, has had beneficial results in providing profitable employment for many thousands of our people who previously were unemployed. A number of new industries have been commenced by private firms, while the decision, after all proper investigation, to establish a state iron and steel industry in New Zealand will, it is anticipated, represent an important advance in the development of tho Dominion. During the year financial assistance has been afforded by my Government to certain industries that have been established. With the aid of such assistance there is abundant evidence of existing factories increasing tneir production, their productive capacity and the number of their employees, and a number of overseas firms have already decided to manufacture their products in this country. The action of my Government has in the opinion of iny advisers greatly assisted in the maintenance and develop ment of our manufacturing industries. Development of Oil.

With the passing of the Petroleum Act last session a new era was inaugurated in regard to tho development of oil in the Dominion and the legislation enacted has induced several powerful companies to take up large areas for prospecting . purposes and there is no doubt that serious efforts with ample resources and experience behind them are now about to be made in the search for oil in this country, and should they be successful oil may be expected to play a part in the National life of New Zealand, comparable in importance with (he discovery and development of gold.

The conservation and extension of State forests is receiving tho careful attention of my Minister! and to accelerate progress in these objectives a five-year-plan of forest works has been prepared to supplement normal operations. Certain exotic State forests have reached the utilization stage and the establishment of sawmills, preservation plants and box-making factories is being undertaken to use the splendid resources now* available.

My Ministers are giving closer attention to land development and havo under consideration proposal-" for the provision and the preparation for closer settlement of substantially increased areas of lard. Tho policy of utilizing the small farms boards organisation to recondition and develop abandoned and dc tcriorated Crown leaseholds is producing excellent results and in order to provide winter employment for single men, who depend on seasonal work during the summer months, .steps were recently taken considerably to extend this work, thus serving tho dual purpose of creating a National asset and of providing productive work for men who would otherwise have to rely on sustenance during the winter months. Special attention lias been given by my Ministers to the administration of the legislation providing for the adjustment of mortgage indebtedness. Thirty night Adjustment Commissions have been engaged upon this work and excellent progress is being made in some districts. The work is now completed in others and is on the verge of completion and my Ministers confidently expect that it ill everywhere be substantially complete before the end of the present calendar year.

Assistance to Tanners. With the object of granting further assistance to the farmer in t.lio efficient

production of commodities of tho highest quality my Government have authorised a substantial increase in the instructional and advisory services of the Department of Agriculture and plans have been completed for a National scheme of farm and dairy instruction, and this scheme will be in operation before the next milking season. It lias been decided also, with the object of decreasing livestock losses iu tho Dominion, to increase that department’s activities on animal research and an elaborate programme of research into the cause of facial eczema iu stock has been commenced under a committee of management, which includes a representative of the farmers, and another scheme of invstigation has been inaugurated in connection with lamb mortality in Canterbury. During the year concessions were extended to Southland farmers who had suffered from drought conditions iu that province, and who desired to send stock to other parts of the South Island, or obtain supplementary fodder, and facilities were also provided for farmers on the east coast of the North Island, whose properties had been damaged by floods to certain grass seed and fencing material under most favourable terms. In addition provision was mado at a reasonable weekly wage for the employment in the rehabilitation of their own flooded lands of those farmers affected, who desired it, and additional labour was provided as required. My Ministers, aware of the inconvenience caused to the farming community and to all branches of industry and commerce during the past season, through an inadequate supply of railway rolling stock to meet the increased business offering, are carrying out a comprehensive plan of construction, and the funds available for this purpose will bo utilized in such a way as to afford relief to those industries most urgently in need of i* and to this end livestock and general goods waggons will absorb a substantial portion of the expenditure. Housing Surveys. The results of housing surveys recently carried out by local authorities indicate undesirable conditions of overcrowding and inadequate sanitation in a number of towns and my Ministers accordingly extending tho operations of the housing construction department as rapidly as possible. Tenders have been called for 4,250 houses ia 75 towns, and 2600 houses in G 7 towns are either completed or in course of construction. Progress is, however, delayed owing to a serious shortage of skilled labour. Educational Policy. My advisers have devoted careful at tention to the matter of educational policy and a draft Bill providing for the complete reorganisation of the system was laid before you during lassession, and has been receiving the con, Mderation of the Education Commit tee. A special committee has reported on measures necessary to secure stability of staffing in the schools and draft legislation for the establishment of a council for adult education is upvr ready and steps havo been taken to accelerate the rebuilding Of schools with special attention to open air conditions. The arrangements for the supply of free milk to schools now provides for approximately 161,000 children, or 57 per cent, of tho school population, and an expansion shortly to bo arranged will, it is hoped, extend the scheme to a further 16,000 children. Public Health. The increasing attention which my Ministers have paid to public health, particularly from the aspect of the prevention of disease, has necessitated the creating of new health districts, and important additions to the technical and field staff of the Department of Health uro at present receiving the attention of my Ministers. A National Council of Physical Welfare and Recreation has been established, and is now planning a nation-wide campaign for the general health and well-being of the community. Maori People. My Government have paid particular attention to the special needs of the Maori people. Tho development and settlement of the lauds of the Maoris have been vigorously pursued, and it is proposed to expand the present undertakings and to accelerate their rate of pi ogress during this year. The necessity for improving the housing conditions of the Maori people has continued to receive the attention of my Government. Mail Service by Air. As au outcome of a conference of representatives of the British Government, which took place in London last year, rates for telegrams exchanged within the British Commonwealth have been reduced. On the present volume of traffic the people of New Zealand will benefit by the reduction to the extent of over £25,000 per annum, while the total saving to users of tho cable service throughout the British Commonwealth is estimated to amount to nearly £500,000 per annum. Arrangements have been completed for the Dominion to participate, as from next month, in the Empire air mail service, and all letters posted in the Dominion for Empire countries served by the AustraliaEngland and the England-South Africa service:-, will acordingly bo conveyed by air from Australia at the uniform rate of lid per half ounce. My Ministers believe that the consequent, reduc tion iu the transit times of letter mails will not only be a great advantage to the people of this Dominion, hut will further strengthen the bonds that already unite New Zealand with tho Motherland and other portions of the British Commonwealth. Negotiations for the trans-Tasman air service are at present taking place between the United Kingdom, Australia and this Dominion, and it is hoped that it will be possible to extend the service by air to New Zealand at an early date. Law Reform. My Government have continued to give close attention to the matter of law reform, and the special Law Revision Cominitteo that has been set up. comprising representatives of Government departments, of the legal profession und of the faculty of law, with the co-operation so helpfully and freely Extended by eminent members oP the legal profession, has been considering 1 ho proposals for the removal of anomalies in our general law. N.Z. Centennial Exhibition. 1 My Ministers are making all neees-

sary preparations for the celebrating in :i.940 of New Zealand’s first one hundred years of national life, and it is their intention that the scale of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition, and tho centennial celebrations generally, shall be fully commensurate with tho remarkable progress that this Dominion has made. I pray that, with God’s blessing, your deliberations may prove to the lasting benefit of the people of Now Zealand.