HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1913, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

BUDGET DEBATE. THE PREMIER'S GENERAL REPLY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Atmore (Nelson), dealing with the Budget debate, said he was pleased to see that provision was made to foster the fruit industry, which meant a great deal to Nelson. That district had a magnificent future before it in the fruit industry. Already many orders were received from South America and elsewhere. The workers of the country, he contended, were getting restive. They felt that they were not getting government for the people by the people. They had a Government of land monopolists with vested Interests, who had not the welfare of the people at heart. Mr. Hindmarsh (Wellington South) hoped the Government would

cause full and complete statistics to be procured of all trades and industries' in the Dominion. He considered that New Zealand lagged behind all countries in that respect. Sufficient encouragement had not been given to the Arbitration Act. The Government's policy regarding land seemed to be to sell the land, borrow money on security, and lend it out. The Premier had said be> fore the Farmers' Conference that a man could make a living on five acres. If that was so what an immense future the country had before it. He implored the Premier to think out some scheme whereby the great rural problem might be settled. It did not matter whether he sank or swam, he should give a "lead in this matter.

The Hon. W. P. Massey (Prime Minister) in replying, said land for settlers was not as scarce as was imagined. If Mr. Hindmarsh would go on the land he would give him a section to-morrow. He had never seen a set of men so embarrassed as the Opposition during the debate just concluded. The Hon. Mr. Allen he averred, had not gone in for win-dow-dressing, but had set out a plain statement of the affairs of the country. It was a credit to him. They had just experienced a more prosperous season than the precedingone. The settlers had risen to the occasion, Avith the result that the

country was in a more prosperous condition than in 1912. For the month of July last there had been an increase of £596,456 in exports over the figures of July, 1912. Those figures showed confidence in the Administration. The Government had put forward their policy in Wellington in July, 1911, and they had adhered to it entirely. They did not change their policy every week or so. Mr. Massey dealt with each of the planks of the Government's platform, and contended that each had been carried out. Members of the Opposition were using the teachers for party purposes, and the teachers knew exactly where they were. The Government was going to see the matter of teachers' salaries put right. An instalment of what was going to be done would come before the House this session. The Government would increase the taxation of those who could afford to pay. A Board of Agriculture would be established which would be purely an advisory board, no payment being attached to the position. It had been asserted that the withdrawals exceeded the deposits in the Post Office during the Government's regime, but the figures proved the contrary. Unauthorised expenditure was larger last year, because of the rapid growth of railways, defence, and telegraphs, which no Oppositionist could object to. He quoted instances of large estates cut up during the past twelve months. In answer to the criticism that large landowners were not disposing of their estates and dealing with the assertion that the Government had increased the public debt by .£5,700,000, the Prime Minister said the Mackenzie Government had borrowed £4,500,000 of that amount. A statement he had seen regarding New Zealand stock (he quoted from the London newspapers) showed that New Zealand 4 per cents were quoted at 100, Queensland 99, South Australia 99, Victoria 100, West Australia 99, New South Wales 101. Our credit stood higher now than it ever was before, and was above the average of the Australian i States. He defended the appointI ment of Mr. Northcroft to the commissionership of Cook Islands. Mr. Northcroft had not applied for the position. He (Mr. Massey) believed Mr. Northcroft was the most suitable man for the position of Resident Commissioner. The House went into committee on the Estimates and adjourned at 5.35 till 7.30.