TALK ON BUDGET

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22864, 20 October 1937, Page 17

TALK ON BUDGET

another full sitting GOVERNMENT MEMBERS' DAY INDICATIONS OF THE END MANY DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS [Br TET.EG RATH —SPECIAL REPORTER J WELLINGTON, Tuesday Another full, sitting of the House of Representatives was devoted to-day to a continuation of the seemingly endless debate on the Financial Statement. However, there were welcome indications that the discussion cannot last much longer. The Opposition has practically used up its entire supply of speakers and the debate to-day was almost exclusively the case for the defence of the Government. When the House met this afternoon there was an unusually heavy sheaf of departmental reports presented by Ministers ol the Crown. The papers tabled included the annual reports of the Lands Department, the Police Department, and the Department of Internal Affairs. A message from the GovernorGeneral announced that the Royal 'assent had been given to the Trade Agreement (New Zealand and Germany) Ratification Bill an,d later in the afternoon it was intimated that the Legislative Council in a brief sitting had passed the Annual Taxing Bill. Practically every member of the Opposition has already spoken in the Budget debate and the way was open this afternoon for the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, to reply to the discussion. However, Government members appeared loth to let slip an opportuntiy for speaking over the air and the debate was continued.

Mr. J. A. Lee, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, spoke for over an hour, the main part of his speech "being devoted to a reply to criticism of the Government's housing scheme. He was followed by three other Government members, including the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, and the evening sitting was well advanced before Mr. It. X. Wright (Independent —Wellington Suburbs) was ablo to raise a lone voice in opposition to the Government.

The final speech of the day was given by Mr. A. G. Hultquist (Government —■ Bay of Plenty) and the House rose at 10.30 o'clock.

The House will probably consider Ministerial replies to members' questions to-morrow afternoon and the financial debate will be continued in the evening.

HANDLING PRODUCE WORK ON WATERFRONT COMPLAINT OF STOPPAGES INQUIRIES BY GOVERNMENT [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] Wellington, Tuesday Conditions under which New Zealand produce is handled on the waterfront were the subject of an urgent question addressed to the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, by Mr. W. J. Poison (Opposition—Stratford)' in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. Poison said conditions to-day were even worse than they were last year, when representations were made to the Cabinet bj' a responsible deputation for a public inquiry into the whole question. He asked the Prime Minister if he was aware that in spite of the new agreement / guaranteeing a minimum wage, to waterside workers whether they worked or not, the handling of cargo was frequently impeded by stoppages of work and dilatory methods in complete violation of the spirit of this agreement, which provided that work was to proceed as usual when disputes occurred. If the Prime Minister was aware of this state of affairs, continued Mr. Poison, would he take steps to afiord the public inquiry asked tor months ago and now long overdue. "In the first place I am not aware that things are worse this year than last year," said Mr. Savage, "and I am not prepared to accept the honourable member's assertion. However, I have heard something about what is going 011 011 the waterfronts and the Government is having inquiries made with a view to having the position rectified." " ' Mr. Poison: That answer was given months ago and there have been no results so far. LABOUR PHILOSOPHY MR. J. A. LEE'S EXPOSITION THE THREAT TO CAPITALISM 9 [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The economic and financial philosophy of the Government was expounded at some length by Mr. J. A. lx?e. Parliamentary Under-Secretary lor Housing, during the financial debate in the House of Representatives to-day. "The overwhelming bulk of the people have benefited as a result of Labour's policy," said Mr. Lee, "but it is also a truism that Socialists can run a capitalist economy better tlniu it can be run by capitalists themselves. The capitalist is only concerned with one factor, the production of profits, and he seeks the multiplication °f productive instruments so as to add to his own investment surplus. "The Socialist says that the productive scheme must come to a halt

unless it supplies the requisite quantity °f consumers' goods. We have the position now where every action ■which wo 'take reacts to the advantage of the capitalist state, hut at the same time there is the necessity lor those further incursions into the sphere of social services which threaten the very existence of capitalism." 1 he guaranteed price system. Mr. Leo continued, was attacked bitterly by opponents of the Government. It was Stacked because it struck at the roots of capitalism. \ti gave on a piecework basis value for both quantity and quality in production. It enabled the national economv to be adjusted on a, definite basis, so that in times of s lump the New Zealand pound would •till have its definite purchasing power. ft was a pity the'' guaranteed P/iee system could not be extended imniedintelv to all forms of production, Mr. Wadded. The system represented tlie best form of piecework, and provided the resulting production was distributed by a S'itate concerned with the ! Welfare of the masses, the result could [I ouly be an appreciating standard of | • "vine