PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18458, 23 July 1923, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

I SETTLING DOWN TO WORK. \ HEAVY PROGRAMME AHEAD. : : KE-VALUXNG SOLDIERS' LAND. ' INTEREST In DIVISIONS. [BY .:'•< TELEGRAPH.- -SPECIAL REPORTER.] I r u WELLINGTON.- Sunday. The fifth week of the session lias been i notable in comparison with the preceding , weeks : for the fact that Parliament has , actually done souae work. The debate on |f the Eurancial Statement was finished, the [ customs resolutions imposing a protective v duty on imported refined sugar were > adopted, and the State Advances AmendI ment Bill was passed. -That, judged by t the Btandard of the first four weeks, is ; quite a record. .".-.,. :-. . , <.- ; I There is still room for improvement. Wedl nesday afterno6n, for example, was wasted i in a long and futile discussion on various ; farming • problems, which resulted in the • annual report of the Department of Agriculture being talked out. Now that a > start has been made with legislation, the • pace may be a. merry one. There are only about five weeks left before Mr, . Massey must depart for the Imperial Con- , ference, and some important matters will , have to be disposed of in that time* Re-valuation of soldiers' land is rogarded | as perhaps the most urgent, and the 1 Cabinet will spend to-morrow 'afternoon ; in discussing the roports from the 11 inquiry boards. When it eventually makes . its decisions these will be incorporated in a Bill for presentation to the House, and, as the Prime Minister is anxious to have the question dealt with as speedily as possible, an early appearance may be looked for. There are. 14 Government Bills on the Order Paper at present, the Sale of Food and Drugs Amendment Bill, the Rent Restriction Continuance Bill, and the Companies Special Empowering Bill being at the head of the list. Then there 's still the debate on the Estimates, so that, if the House is really keen to work it will have abundant opportunity to Oct ipso its performance of last week The two divisions during the week caused some interest. Mr. T. K. Pidey (Dunedin South) and Mr. H. Atmore (Nelson) voted with the Government on the sugar duty proposal, and Mr. J. McC Dl'-son (Chalmers) voted with the Opposition in its effort to remove the extra 1 per cent, on loans from the State Advances Office for repayment of listing mortgages. Mr. J. A. Lee (Auoklut'd East) did not vote in that division. HOUSES' IN SUBURBS. TRAMWAY CONCESSIONS. ■ ■-''•.."■"'•'•"'■'.'. SUGGESTION BY MINISTER. [BY TELEGRAPH. REPORTER.]' WELLINGTON. Saturday. A suggestion that the Christchurch Tramway Board should grant people living in the Northcote Settlement, Papanui. a concession of 2d in the 4d far© to the city, was made by the Minister for Labour," the Hon. G. J. Anderson, in the House of Representatives last evening. The Minister also suggested that the tramway authorities in the other cities should do the same in order to encourage workers to take up cheap sections in the outer suburbs. He did not say how the concession should be financed. The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiapoi), who had explained the grievances of the Northcoto settlement people some days before, raised the matter. Ho said that 24 of the houses had stood unoccupied for a year, because working people could not afford to'pay a rent of 28s a week,, plus rates. The people of the settlement had petitioned Parliament to '•' havoi;their rents reduced. The Minister' remarked that if people insisted in living near the centres of cities they could not expect to pay only one day's wages every week in rent. Sections in the inner suburbs cost at least £200 each, and a modern four-roomed house with all conveniences, cost .fully £200 a room. 'One remedy was cheap tram fares to workers living in the outer suburbs. This might be done, in respect of the Northcoto settlement and in respect of workers' dwellings at Mirarnar, Wellington. With lower tram fares the Northcote houses would " go off like hot cakes.'" The cost at which they had been erected compared favourably with present prices, and he did not see any reason for writing the value down. The Prime Minister, in the course of a subsequent statement, said that he was informed that the Christchurch houses were going off at the rate of three every week. : ; :-v : ;,-- : Mr. Buddo: My word, I'm glad to xi63r it* ■ ."'..■'? FRIEND OF THE FARMER. MR. MASSEY'S ACHIEVEMENT. [by telegraph.—special reporter.] • ;■;).. WELLINGTON, Saturday. \ ~ " I believe I have done more to assist the farmer than any man in New ZeandC declared the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives. " That •is no idle boast. It cannot be contradicted." The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Wilford : It can be contradicted. Mr Massey : It can't. - < , Mr. H; Poland (Ohinemuri) : It can be, but it isn't safe to do ,it.-(Laughter.) • I am glad the member thinks so," replied the Prime Minister TAXES ON NATIVE LAND. METHODS OF COLLECTION. [by telegraph.-—special reporter.] ,' WELLINGTON. S 8 «;y. , A. petition signed by a large number of (native owners of land iu the Taranaki distriot was presented to Parliament by Sir Maui Pomare, praying that the grievous burden imposed upon them by the present method of taxation be lightened. While "recognising' the consideration shown to them when the land tax pay&ble upon their lands was. reviewed last >, session, they submit that the" burden is still too heavy to be just, and suggest that in cases where the land is held in trust for the natives the tax should not be levied on the block of land as a whole, but thr»* each native owner should bo taxed on his individual interest; also that where land is leased to a European, a clause should be inserted in the lease providing for-the payment of the land t&x by the lessee, and that the native owner should be relieved therefrom. . '" '' CHEAPER SCHOOL BOOKS.; AID FROM GOVERNMENT. [BY TELEGRAPH.— • reporter.] •'/>.* • WELLINGTON. SHuxaay. " We claim to have . a free system of j eeluc-.tion in this country, but it is ; free in name only," "said " Mr, R. ; Masters' (Straiford) in the House of Representatives. Mr. Masters was making a plea for the provision of cheaper school books • and stated that on many occasions the Minister, had expressed his sympathy' with the request, but nothing had ,be6n done. ■ ; . - '■■ ■':•' '■■-■■.• - ; ,' '- ; "I am not going to suggest S3ms the Government is in a position is supply free books," :stated Mr. Masters, " but I do think it can do something in '-tho' direction of cheapening books, ;: either,' by" establishing depots ;at education board offices, or by having books printed in the ; Government printing office .Wellington, | and swyjpjjad ,to parents s.t a minimum of j gjflhft ■: I \: •'"'• • ' ,' '