SUBSIDY SCHEMES

Northern Advocate, 27 July 1934, Page 3

SUBSIDY SCHEMES

ABUSE ALLEGED. PULE EXPLANATION MADE. (Per Press Association.— Copyright.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A reply was made in the House o Representatives yesterday by Mr A Stuart (Government, T’angitikei) to (lie statement made by Mr R. Semple (Labour, Wellington East) last wool:, that wealthy landowners were taking advantage of the Unemployment Board’s subsidy scheme. Mr Smart said that Mr Semple mentioned the names of Mr Erie TEddiford, Mr A. Cameron and Mr T. A Duncan. Mr Stuart said he knew nothing about Mr Riddiford and Mt Cameron, but he did know the facts about Mr Duncan, who had never employed one unemployed man on his own properly. There was a property of 9000 acres into which Mr Duncan financed a man, but when times became bad the man had to get out. Air Duncan felt hr had an obligation to the mortgagee and took it over. The Unemployment Board was making an appeal to try to get unemployed men into useful work. Mr Duncan employed no fewer than 110 men, cutting scrub, planting sand grass, draining, etc. A Labour member: “He got the subsidy then." Air Stuart: “Of course lie got the subsidy, but not a fit) per cent subsidy. ” Air Duncan had to boar overhead charges, by fencing, grass seed and other tilings. The land was still in the man's name, and it things turned out all right it would still belong to him. Air Stuart said'ho thought the standing orders of the House should not permit a member to ■ make remarks about anyone who had not the opportunity to defend himself.