Budget Debate Ended

Northern Advocate, 11 August 1938, Page 13

Budget Debate Ended

WELLINGTON; This Day. The House met at 2.30 yesterday afternoon. Maori Commendation. The debate on the Financial Statement was continued by Mr Tirikatono (Government—Southern Maori), who congratulated the member for the

Eastern Maori electorate (Sir Apirana Ngala) on his acknowledgment of the work which had been done for the Maoris by the present Minister of Native Affairs, despite the fact that the Minister and Sir. A. Ngala wore opposed to one another politically. Speaking of criticism which had b’cn levelled against the Petroleum Bill, which was passed during last .session of Parliament, Mr Tirikatene said in reply to statements that the Bill was a breach of the Treaty of Wailangi, that the present Government had not been the first lo break the treaty. The Labour Government had never admitted that it had gene the full dis-

j tance. but it had shown some very I advanced signs to indicate the full | meaning of its policy of placing the | Mcari people in a generally better sphere. The sum voted for native I schools in 1935-36 by the previous ! Government was £87.423. ‘ while in j 1937-38 it was £113,622. He wished to congratulate the Minister of Education on the increase. Mr Tirikatene also referred to the I sum of £IOO.OOO made available to 1 assist the Maoris to build their own i homes. [ Financial Position Hidden. i Mr S. G. Smith (Opposition—New ! Plymouth) described the Budget as a I clever one. because it did not in any manner, shape or form indicate the true financial position of New Zealand The Minister of Finance, he said, would go down in history as the Minister who had lowered the public debt by increasing ft. The Budget and the Year Book, he contended, showed that there had been a substantial increase in the public debt. If misrepresentation went on in regard to any matter, it was unemployment. Unemployment Figures. The present Minister of Labour had accused him of rigging figures, but the same methods were being used today in computing the number of unemployed as were used by the previous Government. Not a single word had been said by Labour members in support of any argument to show that serious consideration was being given to' the unemployment situation. There was no solution as far as Labour was concerned. Mr Smith said that even with the country’s prosperity today, there were still children going to school without boots, and short of clothes. The Minister of Health (Hon. P. Fraser): If the Iron, member will undertake to bring me particulars of cases of destitution such as he states exist, I will undertake to have the matter improved. Mr Smith continued to deal' with unemployment among women and girls, a problem which, he stated, the Government bad failed to solve.

Dairy Produce Marketing, Mr Smith also contended that the Government’s claim that, it had been responsible for the successful scheme of marketing dairy produce overseas could not be substantiated. The success of the scheme war, entirely due to the efficient work of the Dairy Board’s London staff, and the scheme had already been worked out by the Dairy Board long before the present Government had come into office. Mr Smith also complained of the shortage of farm labour, stating that farmers in his district were offering from 20 to 40 per cent, above award wages, but were still unable to obtain labour for their farms. A “Dirty” Election. Mr R. A. Wright . (Independent— Wellington Suburbs) stated that the Minister of Public Works, in his Budget speech, had prophesied that the coming election would be a dirty one. The Minister had then proceeded, in most disparaging terms, to refer to a lady outside the House. Personally, said Mr Wright, he miow nothing of what the lady in question had said or done, but lie considered the Minister had no right to make the statements he had about anyone outside the House and he doubted if the Minister would accept the challenge which had been issued to him by the lady concerned to make similar statements outside the House. How could it be hoped to avoid a dirty election if Ministers of the Crown made sta.Waents of the nature of that made by the Minister of Public Works.

Mr Wright also stated that he did not believe that the derogatory pamphlet issued in the Hutt electorate about the Minister of Finance had becrcirculated by the Minlclw's political opponents. The Hon. W. Nash: Do you think my friends did it?

Mr Wright: Certainly not. I dc not suggest that at all, but I believe, from the evidence submitted to me, that it may have been done by certain friends of the Socialists in an endeavour to damage their opponents. It was not a new trick, and had been known previously. Mr Wright went on to suggest that the Standing Orders of the House should be amended so that members of the House should be made responsible if they made defamatory statements about people outside the House.

He also challenged the statement made by a member of the Government that the Press of the Dominion had entered Into a bargain with anyone to conduct a dirty election campaign. The "Press of New Zealand might be severe, or even hard, in ils criticism, but it was fair, and if it attacked anyone it gave them the right of reply. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 5.30. The Budget debate was continued when the House resumed at 7.30 by Mr. R. A. Wright, who criticised communistic and socialistic doctrines.

Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition—Riccarton), asked if the Government subscribed to doctrines cf socialism, namely socialisation of production, distribution and exchange. If it did. it meant the socialisation of everything in the country. The Government should go to the country and tell the people that ils members were Socialists and Communists, and the people would believe them. He would also ask the Minister of Finance if he agreed with the financial policy of the member for Grey Lynn, Mr, J. A. Lee, as expressed by the latter when ho attacked the directors of the . Reserve Bank in his Budget speech.

"Kicking- Over (he Traces.” Mr. Kyle also advised the Prime Minister Hint he should be careful about making statements concerning “ kicking over the traces." He would remind Mr. Savage that when a horse kicked over the traces it was not the horse i3h.it the owner, who had to pay for the damage done. If the Prime Minister kicked over the traces, it would be the people who would pay. Mr. Kyle proceeded to criticise members of the Government for their failure to keep promises to remove the sales tax. Was the Prime Minister’s statement in this connection mere political cant, hp asked. Speaking of the Government’s housingscheme. Mr. Kyle said ho was convinced that any private contractor, given the opportunity, could build t houses for £2OO cheaper per house than the Government was having them built for.