Farmers Will Respond But Need Encouragement'

Northern Advocate, 14 July 1949, Page 3

Farmers Will Respond But Need Encouragement'

PARLIAMENT

WELLINGTON, Thu. (P.A.).—The farmers had done a wonderful job during the war years, and he was sure they would respond to further demands for increased production to help to swell food supplies for Britain, said Mr D. C. Kidd (0 —Waimate) when the Address-in-Reply debate was resumed in the House oi Representatives yesterday. Nevertheless, he continued, the farmers should be given consideration and encouragement to produce more. To get more production meant that farmers had to have more labour, machinery and fertiliser, and work longer hours.

Mr C. H. Chapman (G—Wellington Central) said the Labour Government's occupation of the Treasury benches had conferred a golden age on the workers.

Opposition /oico: With paper money. , Mr Chapman said the National Party had claimed that it was not dominated by outside influence, but quite a lot of evidence could be brought to show the contrary.

perts and authorities on military matters, but no comment was included of any Government authority charged with any defence responsibility.

The reason why the Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues left the War Cabinet was because they received instructions from the executive of the National Party.

On a point of order being raised by Mr F. W. Doidge (O—Taurangat the Speaker ordered the withdrawal of that reference.

Mr J. R. Hanan (O —Invercargill) said in the promised overhaul of social security benefits existing anomalies should be corrected. There were many anomalies in which the means test was applied savagely and unfairly to age beneficiaries and to ex-servicemen and their dependants. If thrift were to be penalised instead of receiving some privileges, our society was a poor one. INCENTIVE TO SAVE The means test applied to age and other benefits had put a ceiling on the amount tire average worker could enjoy. The removal of the means test would restore the incentive to save. If all persons over 60 were granted the age benefit irrespective of the means test it would cost £28.000.000 a year, but the present cost of the age benefit, of universal superannuation and of invalidity benefits to persons over 60 was £18,000,000. Of the £10.000.000 additional cost involved, probably £5,000.000 would, in iny case, be required when universal superannuation reached its full value of £ll7 a year. Mr Hanan said that if the age benefit were granted without a means test, it could be treated as portion of the taxable income of those with private means, and the resulting direct taxation. together with indirect taxes from increased spending power, would probably nearly meet the cost of abolishing the means test.

Many persons of 60. instead of stopping work to claim their benefit, would continue in productive employment. The problem was so important that the Government should appoint an expert committee to inquire into it. If that were not done, he hoped the National Party would see its way to include in its election platform the abolition of the means test for age benefits. - AMAZED Mi' C. F. Skinner, Minister of Lands, said he was amazed at’the 2nd NZEF Association saying that it objected, to compulsory military training. He could not believe this attitude until he had read an editorial in a recent issue of Kiwi.

That journal contained the comments of a number of so-called ex-

Most of the so-called experts were authors, and he thought that a study of their writings would produce just as many arguments in favour of compulsory military training as against that system. Those authors had to write provocatively to increase their sales, and on those grounds their opinions could be discounted. He thought that the 2nd NZEF Association in criticising the Government's proposals, had been illadvised.

DISCRIMINATION ALLEGED

Mr E. B. K. Gordon (O—RangitikeO alleged that the Government had shown discrimination against the farmers, who were the only people who had to subsidise another section of the community out of their own funds.

After deducting exchange, the farmers would be called upon this year to subsidise other industries to the extent of £2.456.000.

If the Government really intended to achieve its increased production objective. its first move was to obtain the goodwill of the farmers. Mr E. T. Tirikatane (G—Southern Maori') said he supported the compulsory training scheme and was sure Maori voters would do likewise.

He thought that the Maoris would be entitled to recognition of the Maori Battalion if a future crisis arose, just as Scottish regiments were fully recognised, but for the training period he thought Maori youths should train in their own districts with their pakeha comrades. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment.