A WEARY DAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23101, 28 July 1938, Page 15

A WEARY DAY

TALK OX THE IiI'PGET FEW NEW POINTS RAISED END NOT YET IN SIGHT TWENTY SPEAKERS TO DATE [BY TFLFGRATII —SrFCTAT HEPORTKrI "\\ ELLIN(iTOX, Wednesday A farther weary day wa., spent bv the H.-ise of Representatives to-dav in a continuation of the financial debat' . It w.is a barren discussion among back benchers; with Government 1110111hrrs again charged with the responsibility ol keeping the debate alive. At the opening of the sitting two annual reports ol some consequence were tabled. These were the report of til" Transport Department and the repert en the New Zealand military forces by Major-(ieneral E. Duigan. ( hief of the General Stall". The latter (Incmnent stressed the necessity of bringing the territorial force up to full strength. Wry lew new points wore raised in the financial debate, although some intci>\-t centred in a question directed by Mr. ( . A. M ilkiusoti (Independent— Kcniont 1 to the Prime Minister, Mr. lavage, regarding the action which the Government proposed to take in the future in respect to the country quota. Iho I rune Minister resolutely refused to give a reply.

. ' s °, si»"nkors hi,VP taken part in the debate, l;! of them bring from tho Government side, fivo from tho Opposition and two Independents. At the pre>ent ratr of progress, with a maximum of six speeches a <lav it seems that tho debate will last at' least until thr .Hill of next nock, an impression uhirh is strengthened bv tho fart that tho Primr Minister wili leave on Fndav tor a week's tour of the South Island. The" debate was intorruptod to-niVht when tho House rose at 10.8(1 o'clock". FARM MACHINERY COSTS MANUFACTURERS CRITICISED MR. BARRELL'S CONTENTIONS [B} TELErtRAPH— sPKCIAT, REPORTER! "W ELLIXGTOX, "Wednesday The opinion that with proper organisation ar.d management New Zealand manufacturers of farm implements could reduce the cost of these articles by as much as 2-*> per rent was oxpressed by Mr. ('. A. Barroll (Government —Hamilton) during the financial debate in the House of Uepresontativcs to-night.

"I am an advocate of support for tho secondary industries of this country." said Mr. Barrel], "1 know that some of them have had a particularly bad run."

Mr. S. G. Holland (Opposition— Christchurch North) : They are getting it now.

"A good deal of'the trouble in tho secondary industries is their own fault." Mr. Barrel! continued. "J have been associated with the industry engaged in the production of farm implements and I think one of the faults in that industry is laek of efficiency. We have five big companies'manufacturing machinery for use in connection with primary production and any one of those companies could make all the agricultural'machinery required in New Zealand." Mr. Holland: One firm could not manufacture all. One of the factories, said Mr. Barrel], could concentrate on the manufacture of road-making machinery. Tho five companies periodically got together and fixed prices of farm implements to bolster up poor organisation. Tho majority of the companies wrro overcapitalised and some wore badly managed.

"This is an example of private enterprise," Mr. Barrel I added. "I would like to see an arrangement in the farm implement business so that with proper organisation and management we could produce implements at a cost 20 to 25 per cent below the cost to-day."

FARMERS AND LABOUR ATTITUDE IN TARANAKI AN INDEPENDENT'S CLAIM [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL REPORTER] AYELLIXGTOX, "Wednesday "Not 10 per cent of the farmers in Taranaki will vote for the Government at the next election," said Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Independent - Kgmont), speaking in the financial debate in the House of Representatives to-night. Mr. Wilkinson said it had been contended that 90 [ier cent of working farmers in New Zealand were in favour of the present Government, but from what ho knew of the feeling in Taranaki, "here working farmers predominated, the position was precisely tho opposite. THE MILITARY FORCES REGULAR AND TERRITORIAL [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The strength of tho New Zealand military forces as at May .'sl this year is shown in appendices to the annual report of Major-General J. K. Duigan, Chief of the General Staff, which was tabled in the House of Representatives to-f]oy I)etails ;ire as follows: —

-Ap|'°!irlirr-s to the report sltOW the s-trr-n-r Ji of the New Zealand military forces . r iK ;it Mav .'!l this year as follows- l!r.M||n r funes. !)•") officers. 20 officer cadets. other ranks; total, 010. Territorial force (active list), 745 offirers nnr] G367 other ranks; total, 7 *12, with an arlrlitional 707 bandsmen and T)'i prospective recruits in regimental cadet detachments. Special re--serve territorial force, trained, 413: posted fi, territorial units, 15.1; posted to regular forces, O.'i. Cadets, 535 offifr'rs an<! in,(512 other ranks; total, IG.Htt.-,. |; |||,. ~|ul,s, 151, with a total membership of .">.".21.

LOCAL BODY RATES

political bias suggested [uv TI 1.1. i. It -\ Pll Sl'l'l I\l, R KPOHTEItI \VF.!.LI.\<;T< ).\, "Wednesday A that many local bodies had reiraiucd lro;n reducing their rates t,| political bias against the eriuiii lit was made by .Mr. C. I/. Hunter ; (,'ovi'i'miiciit - Manawatu) 'lnrI hi' lin,ineial debate in the House 1 > ''pi'i -i'iitallves to-day. I.ei-al bodies, said .Mr. Hunter, had lect'ived snore assistance from the present (io\ crunient than ever before, both by way of subsidies and help from the Employ nicnt Promotion Fund.