IN PARLIAMENT

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13145, 28 August 1914, Page 5

IN PARLIAMENT

(Por Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 27. . ,Whcn tho House met this evening, the Premier, in reply to Mr "Wilkinson, sulci that ho knew of no request from any member of the House for the postponement of the general elections. Sir Walter Buchanan wanted to know if the Premier would take any steps to deal -with the increase in, shipping freights, and in reply Mr Massey said that the matter was under consideration. Theic was no increase in.the freights on the transpoits, and he had heard of the increase with surprise, lie thought it -very ill timed, and against the interests of the country. In a fur-/ ther reply to Mr Anderson, he said the Government would do all it could to reduce freights and insurance rates. v .Hon. Jus. Allen staid that there would be no space available for shipments of butter upon tho transports.. • ; Sir Joseph Ward said he thought tho freight and insurance rate difficulty/ coujdjm surmounted if tho Government took out an ordinary Avar risk over the steamers' hulls. : lie also pointed out; that'-the system adopted of placing people upon tlto rolls had proyed insufli'cient in country districts. '

said the Government had linder consideration a proposal to take ovcr-the : whole of the war risks in the country.

Hon. F. M. B, Fisher justified this steps taken to bring the election rolls up to date, lie admitted there was difliculty'in getting the names on the rolls 'in isolated districts. The now method was not designed to interfere'with the work of any organisation. An Imprest Supply .Bill providing for the.payment'of £979,000 towards salaries, otc, was introduced by Governor's message. 'Sir J. G. Ward pointed out that lie had received a telegram from Mataura stating that Hour had been raised to £ls per ton, and-oatmeal to £l3 per ton. .It was necessary to guard against the extraction from the pockets of the people of more than a fair profit, and he hoped no time would be lost in setting up a commission.

Mr Buxton quoted figures to show that there would be no shortage of wheat or Hour in the country, and there was no justification for increasing the prices.

Mr Wilkinson said that steps should be taken to prevent any undue increase in retail prices. Ho had heard that the Government had been able to purchase quantities of /lour abroad, if this was so it should keep down any increase in the price of bread. ' Mr Hanan suggested that local bodies in whose districts no public works are going on should be subsidised to provide work, •'

Mr Vcitch wanted to know if it was the intention of the Department to v continue advances to settlors'ami work;] crs. if the Government could keep the public works going there would be no serious unemployment. He suggested the issue of couple of millions of paper moncv.

Hon. W, Frascj: said he was fully alive to the necessity of preventing unemployment. He agreed that there was a great deal of unnecessary funk, but confidence would be restored, He was engaged at present in the preparation of the Estimates, and would ask for a larger sum than last year, Of course it remained to be seen if the Government could get the money,

Mr Masscy agreed that there should be fair trade and fair prices, and he thought the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act would secure this and prevent exploitation. If they had a surplus supply of wheat there would not be any need for an increase in the price of bread, but if they had to import it the price would have to go up. The Government had bought wheat in Australia, but not flour. Any case of hard.'ship among the Crown tenants would be considered, but he saw no reason at present why Crown tenants should not . make their ordinary rental payments. He did not think exports would fall off; he . even thought that gum and ilax would soon get back to normal.

;Sir Joseph Ward returned to the question of providing the Expeditionary .force an opporunity to cast their •Yqtcs. He thought it could be arranged by. allowing the men to vote for Party, /without mention of. candidate. There was no reaso nwhy these men could not, before leaving, vote for their Tarty, anil also on: the licensing issue. The Pro'liiler said ho had matters under consideration and intended to make a stateWent on Tuesday.

The lion. 'James Allen claimed that the Premier had already given his assurance that the vole would be given to the liien, and he regretted that the Leader of the Opposition had not accepted that assurance. In proof of the' Government'a sincerity he could tell the House that a Bill had already been drafted ami was under consideration by the Cabinet. The Bill might not overcome all dnliculties, but it was an hou- ' st attempt to do so. Speaking of finance, he deprecated pessimism and anticipated little interference with the operations of the lending departments. If public confidence was maintained the Government was', prepared to meet all fts commitments, but as a precautionary inoasurc the local bodies had been asked to delay their public works-if it could be done without causing unemployment, lively penny would be paid, but he did not considei, undei the cncuinstances, that they should go on lending up to, say, £2OOO to one settle), and he piopob ied to'i educe the amount to ioOO. The Public Woiks Dcpaitinent had iunds to cany it on aftci Octobei, and in mow of the possible dilliculty of l.iising 'money m London, the light polit) was to oonscivc the finances of the countiy to keep the public woiks going.

The debate continued until 1.47 this jinpining, when the Bill was lead a thud tiipc and passed.

iMiTho i'iio Biigades Bill was leeeived fiom the Legislative Council, and lead a nist time. 1 ' <Thc House