11 More Speakers In Address-In-Reply Debate

Northern Advocate, 15 July 1949, Page 3

11 More Speakers In Address-In-Reply Debate

WELLINGTON, Fri. (P.A.) —Since the war ended, the United States had increased industrial and agricultural production by at least 50 per cent., compared with New Zealand’s paltry 10 per cent. Mr T. P. Shand (0— Marlborough) said this when the Address-in-Pveply debate was continued in the House of Representatives yesterday. Another 11 speakers took part in the debate.

Mr Shand said the reason for New Zealand's failure to increase production to a greater degree lay in the Socialist Government’s attempt to interfere with the distribution of income to the detriment of production. Mr F. Langstone (G—Roskill) said there was too much money and insufficient goods in New Zealand today. Under these conditions, no private bank or any other bank should be allowed to create additional money. Mr W. S. Goosman (O—Piako) said the present was the wrong time to be taking sterling funds which could be used for buying goods and applying those funds to debt repayment. It would be better at present to be borrowing money for the further development of New Zealand and increasing the country’s assets. BETTER ROADS NEEDED Mr A. C. Baxter (G—Raglan) said Mr Goosman had indicated that the Nationalists, if they gained office, would embark on reckless borrowing schemes, without thought of debt reduction. Mr Baxter urged greater authority for the Minister of Works in authorising expenditure on roading. There were still 'too • many people living in the mud on clay roads, and improvement works should be expedited. After urging further assistance to hill-country farmers in obtaining fertilisers at a moderate price. Mr Baxter said it would be quite possible, given a proper sense of responsibility by all concerned, to double production in less than 10 years.

had shown that they rendered good service to the country. 9 These firms could find a farmer a ’buyer for hi s stock in a day. but if this field of activity were socialised two-tooths would be broken-mouthed and die of old age before the deal was put through. The real “moneybags” today were not associated with the National Party, as the Government had sought to prove, but were the monopolists who had prospered on the Government policy. The Minister of Education (Mr McCombs) reviewed the progress made in the provision of school classrooms. He said the total deficiency of 714 classrooms would at the beginning of next year be reduced to 114, and that would be very substantial progress toward the goal aimed at. There were some 500 school teachers short of actual requirements, but there had been a very good response from ex-teachers, and many of them had agreed to return on a temporary basis. Mr McCombs said the Government had been accused of discouraging thrift in the form of home ownership, but of the people boused since the Government took office 57 per cent had been financed into their own homes and 43 per cent had occupied rental homes. Of ex-servicemen housed to date, 75 per cent were in homes of their own. HIGHER PROFITS Mr W. T. Anderton (G—Auckland Central) said the Government’s recorU was one of achieving full employment and expanding production. Higher profits and higher capita! values throughout the country testified to the soundness of the Labour administration. Mr J. T. Watts (O—St Albans) said that since the Labour Government had come into power it had nationalised hvdro-electricity. coal itself, coalmines practically, and workers’ compensation insurance: it had largely socialised the medical profession, had taken over the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, was pushing into the petrol industry, and had a monopoly of state housing. The debate was interrupted by 'the adjournment.

Mr W. H. Gillespie (O—Hurunui) said the Government knew that only by persuading the farmers to increase primary production could it hope to save its own skin. What slight increase in production had occurred had been largely offset by the fact that high country was still going out of production through needless shortages. Any worthwhile increase took long-term planning. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry) said the foundation of the physical education of the people should be laid in the schools and continued in (he post-school years. Ho said he had been accused of being partial in his administration during the last four years of the funds which had been paid to subsidise various sports organisations. He would give the lie direct to such accusations, because in that period £51,00 had been allocated to Labour electorates and £58,000 to Opposition electorates. Mr J. J; .Maher (O—Otaki) said the inquiry into stock and station agencies